The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 1)

Chapter 8 - Cassia Seeds

"Your Majesty, it's not that I want to shirk my duties. It's just that caring for the First Princess takes all my energy, and I fear I cannot manage other matters. As for Wen Fei, she has served the Emperor for a long time. I believe she can take good care of herself."

Shu Fei was unwilling to accept this troublesome task.

Wen Fei was favored, and many in the palace would be glad to see her lose the dragon heir. If something happened to Wen Fei under her watch, Shu Fei feared she would be the first to be blamed.

Despite this, the Empress was adamant about putting the burden on her. After a heated argument, Shu Fei was ultimately defeated.

This was the advantage of being the Empress as the legitimate wife. Regardless of the arrangements made for the concubines, as long as the Emperor did not speak up, the concubines had to obey her.

After the audience dispersed, everyone returned to their quarters.

Ye Yun wasn't feeling well, so her maidservant helped her walk slowly. Soon, they were caught up with by Yao Baolin.

"Sister Ye, you look unwell. Are you ill?" Yao Baolin inquired with concern after greeting her.

"Thank you for your concern, but it's just that my period has arrived, so I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable. It's nothing serious."

Due to abdominal pain, Ye Yun spoke weakly, looking quite pitiful.

Yao Baolin observed her carefully and then said, "I see. I won't trouble you any further. You should rest and perhaps call an imperial physician to check on you."

Ye Yun nodded and didn't say much more.

Her physical discomfort was compounded by her anxiety over not being on the list of people allowed to leave the palace. This was not a good sign, and she needed to think of a solution.

After Ye Yun left, a mocking voice came from behind.

"Has the Yao family run out of people to flatter? Even coming here to fawn over others like a lapdog."

Yao Baolin turned to see that it was the Empress Dowager's niece, Chen Suyun, and Chen Baolin.

"Ye Wanrong holds a higher position than you and me. It's only right that she receives such greetings. If you have this much interest, you'd better think about how to catch the Emperor's eye. Don't always rely on the Empress Dowager. A forcibly picked fruit is never sweet."

Yao Baolin had no desire to respond any longer and turned to leave.

The two had never gotten along since their days in the inner court, and there was nothing to be said now.

Back in her quarters, Qiwen also questioned, "Why should you be courteous to Ye Wanrong? Even though her position is higher, she is not favored by the Emperor. With the Empress Dowager's favor, the Ye family cannot compare. It only gives Chen Baolin a chance to gloat."

"She has always been displeased with me and would stir up trouble even without a reason. Ignore her. You should also be careful with your words. In the palace, you must be cautious at all times. Any mistakes can be exploited, and it's not worth the risk."

Yao Baolin's reprimands were not severe, and she fell into deep thought.

In this life, everything seemed to repeat the same patterns as before, but the Ye family appeared to have changed their character, no longer as submissive as in her previous life.

Such subtle changes made her uneasy. She had fought hard to get this chance to start over and would not allow any disruptions.

Meanwhile, in the Yuxiu Pavilion, after Ye Yun had the physician examine her, she discovered something unclean in her tea.