"Your Highness, that seemed to be Qiuyue from the Changchun Palace."
After Yunwan arrived, Fuling, noticing the yellow figure disappearing around the corner, spoke up.
"She seemed in a great hurry. She must have seen you meeting with the Duke of Lu."
Her expression grave, she lowered her voice to ask, "Does Your Highness wish this servant to do something about it?"
Qiuyue was Consort Lu's person, and the Duke of Lu was Consort Lu's own elder brother. Now that her own young master's lineage had been revealed, it was clear they were once again on opposing sides with the Changchun Palace.
Fuling was worried that Qiuyue would report something to Consort Lu upon returning, causing trouble for her mistress and the young master.
If her mistress gave the order, she had her own ways to ensure Qiuyue would never speak of it.
Yunwan stared in the direction of the corner and shook her head. "No need. It suits my purposes if she informs Consort Lu."
The greater the rift and misunderstanding between that brother and sister, the more advantageous it would be for her and Sui. Besides, there was still the Cui family watching from the sidelines, waiting to pounce.
A faint smile appeared in Yunwan's eyes. She reached out and patted Fuling's shoulder, saying with a hint of helplessness, "A young lady like you shouldn't be so quick to talk of life and death."
She understood. As her own rank gradually rose and her power increased, the pressure on Fuling, one of her chief palace maids, had also multiplied. To keep the lower-ranking servants in line and prevent them from causing trouble, Fuling's temperament had become more assertive and sharp-tongued than before.
Yunwan didn't think this was necessarily bad. She only hoped Fuling could hold onto her original heart and not lose her conscience. After all, she was just a girl of seventeen or eighteen herself.
Fuling's face flushed bright red with embarrassment in an instant. She gave Yunwan an abashed smile.
There was no helping it. She had learned these methods from Xiao Dezi. And as for how Xiao Dezi knew them, naturally, he had learned from his master, Eunuch Jiang.
Don't be fooled by Eunuch Jiang's fair, plump appearance and his constant smile like the Maitreya Buddha. To speak truly, those eunuchs in the Palace Discipline Office, the ones who interrogated prisoners year-round and struck fear into people's hearts, were all taught personally by Eunuch Jiang.
Having learned a whole bag of tricks but not yet had the chance to use them, seeing the sneaky Qiuyue had stirred a momentary itch to act. Now, reminded by Yunwan, she immediately became serious and solemn.
She shouldn't, just because she had risen in status along with Her Highness and was now called "Aunt Fuling" by others, treat another person's life so casually.
"Your Highness, this servant was wrong," Fuling said earnestly, her face full of shame.
Yunwan patted her shoulder with satisfaction. "Let it not happen again."
......
Changchun Palace. As soon as Qiuyue returned, she decisively reported everything she had seen and heard on her way back to Consort Lu.
Consort Lu frowned. "Are you certain it was Yunwan and my elder brother?"
Qiuyue nodded. "This servant saw it with my own eyes. Moreover, the palace paths were busy with people coming and going. If Your Highness does not believe me, you can easily make inquiries to see if this servant is lying."
She also had no reason to lie.
Consort Lu's last trace of doubt vanished, her face dark as stormy water.
"What does my elder brother think he's doing? First, he takes away the people under my command, and now he turns around to curry favor with that bitch Yunwan's son. Why don't I see him sending pastries to the Third Prince?"
Ever since that Mid-Autumn night when she schemed to place Yunwan in the Emperor's bed, her elder brother had never shown her a pleasant expression again. Even the news of their mother suffering from wind paralysis and being bedridden was merely relayed by a messenger with a brief oral message, with no follow-up.
Elder brother had changed. Consort Lu was acutely aware of this fact.
And all of this was inextricably linked to that adulterous, unchaste Yunwan!
She felt Yunwan was simply her natural opposite; with Yunwan around, nothing good ever happened to her.
Qiuyue opened her mouth to speak, but upon seeing Consort Lu's resentful expression, she chose to remain silent.
The Duke of Lu had indeed sent things before. It was just that Her Highness found food and trinkets from outside the palace unclean and considered the Duke's efforts perfunctory and unnecessary, so she refused them on the Third Prince's behalf.
After that, the Duke of Lu never sent any food or playthings to the Changchun Palace again.
But all this, Her Highness had clearly forgotten.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in Consort Lu's mind. Her eyes gleamed with malice, the sharp guards on her overlapped fingers glinting coldly. "Qiuyue, now that His Majesty only dotes on that bitch Yunwan, what if we let His Majesty know she met privately with an outside man..."
Instantly grasping her meaning, Qiuyue blurted out, "Your Highness, you mustn't! Anyone else would be one thing, but that man is the Duke! If he were to incur His Majesty's suspicion and punishment, it would be detrimental to both you and the Third Prince!"
Consort Lu frowned fiercely, her expression displeased.
Realizing her reaction had been too intense, Qiuyue lowered her head, her voice growing weaker. "Besides, who knows how many eyes in this entire palace are fixed on her? Perhaps... perhaps His Majesty already knows?"
Emperor Jingxuan indeed already knew about Lu Yuanduo using the pretext of delivering some wretched pastries to that boy Sui to speak with his Consort for a quarter of an hour.
His expression unchanged, he removed the imperial crown with its hanging beads and tossed it onto the desk, asking casually, "What did they speak of?"
The young eunuch hesitated. "They were too far away, Your Majesty. This slave did not dare get closer to listen, for fear Her Highness would notice."
Emperor Jingxuan said nothing, merely fiddling with the beads of the crown, his hand somewhat forceful.
Jiang Fusheng watched with trepidation. Just as the beads were in danger of being snapped off, he stepped forward, bowing, and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, shall this slave summon Fuling to ask?"
His words were immediately refuted by Emperor Jingxuan. "Interrogating her maid behind my Consort's back? Are you trying to get me in trouble?"
His gaze was deep, his tone cool.
Jiang Fusheng hung his head low. "This slave considered poorly."
"It's just a few words of conversation. Making a fuss over nothing. Are you all so full and idle you have nothing better to do?" Emperor Jingxuan said displeased.
"Pass down the order: henceforth, anyone who groundlessly discusses this matter and damages the Consort's reputation is to receive a hundred slaps on the mouth, regardless of status!"
Meaning, palace consorts were also forbidden from gossiping about this matter.
Having received this pardon-like order, the young eunuch rose and hurried out to deliver the decree, even forgetting this was normally Eunuch Jiang's duty.
Having his job snatched, Jiang Fusheng gritted his teeth inwardly but dared not withdraw rashly.
He watched as the bead at the end of the string turned to dust in Emperor Jingxuan's hand, his heart trembling.
Was this really making a fuss over nothing?
After careful thought, he swallowed, slapped his forehead, and said with a forced laugh, "Your Majesty, this slave is at fault. I forgot to tell you earlier."
Feeling the gaze from above, he spoke concisely, "Last night after the palace banquet dispersed, on the way back to the palace, the young master happened to meet the Duke of Lu and spoke with him for a while, even gifting him an umbrella."
"Perhaps the young master mentioned the Wuxiangzhai shop outside the palace then. Today, the Duke likely brought the pastries on his way and happened to run into Her Highness. They spoke for a short while."
Hearing this, Emperor Jingxuan uttered an "Oh," his tone flat. "A trivial matter. No need to tell me."
Otherwise, saying all this would make it seem he didn't trust his Consort. Who occupied her eyes and heart, he knew perfectly well.
That boy Sui was just greedy. Lu Yuanduo was merely trying to ingratiate himself, and the Consort was just politely saying thank you.
Jiang Fusheng stole a glance at his master's increasingly stern and tense face and dared not make a sound.
Precisely because it was a trivial matter, he had to mention it. Otherwise, who knew if it might become a major issue in the blink of an eye?
Fortunately, a heavenly sound arrived. Xiao Dezi, guarding the door, looked into the distance, his face brightening with joy as he came in to announce:
"Your Majesty, Consort Zhao is here."
Jiang Fusheng breathed a sigh of relief, but when he turned, he saw his master sitting upright behind the imperial desk, holding a brush in one hand and opening a memorial with the other, looking exceptionally busy.
Upon hearing the announcement, he made an acknowledging sound, appearing very composed.
Seeing this, Jiang Fusheng clicked his tongue inwardly, bowed, and withdrew.
As soon as Yun Wan stepped into the hall, she sensed an unusual atmosphere. She thought to herself that her guess was correct; the child's father knew.
Of course, with his eyes and ears all over the palace, she hadn't intended to hide it anyway.
Handing her cloak to a palace maid, Yun Wan carried an exquisite food box and glided forward with graceful steps.
"Your Majesty," she called out softly.
Emperor Jingxuan sat upright, his tone indifferent. "My consort is here. I am currently occupied with urgent matters and cannot spare a moment. Please make yourself at home."
He did not look up, his gaze fixed intently on the memorial in his hand.
From Yun Wan's perspective, his brows were tightly knit, his expression solemn, completely absorbed in state affairs, unable to spare a single thought elsewhere.
That would be, if Yun Wan hadn't recognized that the memorial in Emperor Jingxuan's hand had actually been sitting on the imperial desk for half a month.
Besides, it was the first day of the Lunar New Year. What minister would dare to create some matter so urgent that it absolutely required a memorial?
The Emperor was angry.
Yun Wan reached this conclusion.
She lowered her eyes, suppressing a faint smile. "Since Your Majesty is entangled with numerous affairs, this humble consort will sit idly by for a moment and not disturb you."
With these words, she walked to an empty side table, set down the food box, and remained perfectly composed.
Noticing that the small study desk belonging to Sui beside the imperial desk was somewhat messy, Yun Wan bent down to tidy it, sorting and arranging the items properly.
Suddenly sensing an intense gaze, she turned her head and just caught a glimpse of Emperor Jingxuan lowering his eyes to turn the page of the memorial, as if the previous gaze had been an illusion.
The corner of Yun Wan's lips lifted slightly. She stepped forward lightly. "Your Majesty, your imperial desk is somewhat untidy. Does it need this humble consort to organize it for you?"
A flicker passed through Emperor Jingxuan's eyes, and he mumbled, "Troubling my consort."
Yun Wan scoffed inwardly. 'My consort' this, 'my consort' that. The old man was indeed very angry.
Fine, she would humor him.
Raising her hand, she casually tidied the imperial desk, which wasn't messy at all. Seeing his hand remain motionless, Yun Wan feigned surprise, "Your Majesty, you should turn the page."
Slender, pale hands moved before his eyes, the air filled with the delicate fragrance of their owner. Emperor Jingxuan's attention was forcibly diverted, his mind unable to find peace.
Snapping back to reality, he maintained a calm demeanor and said unhurriedly, "This person's writing is overly verbose. There is no need for me to read the rest."
After speaking, he picked up the vermilion brush and drew a large cross on it.
Discarding it, he picked up the next one.
Yun Wan was speechless. Having casually tidied the imperial desk, she returned to sit at the tea table. After cleansing her hands, she had someone bring clean tea utensils and personally began to grind the tea leaves into powder.
The tea leaves were ground into powder and poured into a tea bowl. Next came boiling water for brewing tea.
Snowwater collected from plum blossom petals, after settling and boiling, carried a faint plum blossom fragrance, cold and clear.
The snowwater brewed the tea, its delicate fragrance curling upwards, instantly spreading through the hall. Accompanied by the misty steam and plum blossom scent, it was intoxicating.
Yun Wan took a small sip, her brows relaxing, finding the flavor quite good.
Then she set down the tea bowl, showing no intention of paying attention to anyone else.
Until a light cough came from the direction of the imperial desk. Yun Wan looked up, following the sound.
Emperor Jingxuan twitched his lips, his expression blank. "I... am somewhat thirsty."
Yun Wan seemed to realize. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled softly at him. "Your Majesty is toiling so hard. Why not sit and rest for a moment?"
A struggle flashed in his deep, dark eyes, ultimately returning to stillness.
Emperor Jingxuan rose leisurely, set down the vermilion brush, and strode over. "Very well. Since my consort warmly invites me, I shall rest for a moment."
He seated himself opposite her. Yun Wan poured him a cup of tea, then picked up a piece of chestnut cake from the plate and brought it to his lips. "Your Majesty, try this chestnut cake."
Emperor Jingxuan's expression changed abruptly. "What do you mean by this, my lady? Are you offering me someone else's attentions to fob me off?"
Hearing 'chestnut cake', he immediately thought of the Wu Xiang Zhai shop outside the palace, assuming it was the portion Lu Yuanduo had sent today, and his face instantly turned grim.
Yun Wan was taken aback. "What is Your Majesty saying? This was made by this humble consort's own hands."
The Qiyun Palace had its own small kitchen. When in the mood, she would occasionally make one or two of her specialty pastries herself. This chestnut cake was her first attempt.
"Not only that, but this plum blossom snowwater was also collected by this humble consort personally." She pointed to the various items on the tea table.
Being misunderstood, the smile faded from her lips, and her mouth formed a straight line.
In an instant, realizing what nonsense he had spoken, a flash of regret crossed Emperor Jingxuan's face. "I... spoke carelessly for a moment. My lady, please do not be annoyed."
He took the chestnut cake, finished it in two or three bites, then gulped down a cup of tea, not forgetting to praise it as delicious.
Seeing this, Yun Wan chided him, "This humble consort is not annoyed. The one clearly annoyed is Your Majesty."
"You are annoyed because this humble consort met Duke Lu this morning and exchanged a few words with him, correct?"
"My lady asks a question to which she already knows the answer." Mentioning the culprit, Emperor Jingxuan's expression darkened.
Yun Wan chuckled lightly. "Your Majesty wrongs this humble consort."
"Duke Lu suddenly sent pastries today. This humble consort happened to encounter him and asked a few questions."
"Afterwards, he mentioned that the elderly lady in his household was seriously ill, paralyzed in bed. He pleaded with this humble consort to spare his mother, to leave her a way to live. But his mother's paralysis is entirely her own fault. This humble consort refuses to bear that blame, so naturally, I had to explain and defend myself a little."
She selected a few key points to tell him. Seeing his expression soften considerably, she teased, "Could it be that Your Majesty is jealous?"
Emperor Jingxuan stubbornly changed the subject. "Back then, my lady threw my ring right into his family's horse pen."
This was something he could remember for a lifetime.
Yun Wan was left speechless, choked with exasperation. "That's ancient history from who knows when! If Your Majesty continues like this, this humble consort will truly get angry."
"Such a temper. Clearly, my lady was in the wrong first."
"That's also because you spoiled me."
Yun Wan said, "Now, this humble consort's heart and child are both yours. What are you worried about?"
Such words were also the first time she had spoken them. After saying them, the roots of her ears uncontrollably turned red.
Emperor Jingxuan was stunned, his heart pounding like thunder.
"My lady, say it again. Whom does my lady's heart hold?" He leaned over, cupping Yun Wan's face, his gaze burning.
Yun Wan gave him a sidelong glance, her cheeks shy. "I won't say it."
Emperor Jingxuan persisted relentlessly. "My lady, please say it once more, alright?"
It was the first time he had heard such moving sweet nothings from his lady's mouth.
Finally worn down by him, Yun Wan admitted helplessly, "It's you. It's Your Majesty. It's Xuan Lang. Are you satisfied now?"
As the two were being intimate and chatting, Sui entered, crestfallen.
Yun Wan gathered her smile and beckoned to him. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Why do you look so downcast?"
Emperor Jingxuan also noticed his unusual demeanor and frowned, asking, "Weren't you going to play with Pei Qian and Chenghui? Who upset you?"
"Father, Mother, ah!"
Sui buried his head in Yun Wan's embrace, his voice muffled.
"We've broken off our friendship!"
