The Enchanting Imperial Concubine

Chapter 79 - Hitting a Wall

The Yan family, as the military commanders of Yuzhou, held command over fifty thousand troops, so naturally, the emperor would want to meet them. Upon hearing that Shu Fei was coming, the Yan family was delighted. However, soon after, news spread that Shu Fei, longing for the eldest Princess, had returned before even reaching Bianzhou.

There was certainly more to this than met the eye, but the Yan family, being unclear about the details, did not dare to act rashly. Moreover, although they controlled fifty thousand troops, Shu Fei's father, Marquis Yan Bin of Xinyang, did not have direct control. The fifty thousand troops were divided under the command of three generals, all of whom had followed the late emperor into battle. Marquis Yan Bin could only freely command ten thousand of them.

This arrangement was the late emperor's doing before his death, specifically to prevent the Yuzhou military from becoming too powerful by concentrating authority on one person. As a result, even though Marquis Yan Bin held considerable sway in Yuzhou, he dared not show disrespect to the new emperor. Although Shu Fei had given birth to the eldest Princess, she did not hold much power in the palace. If the Yan family truly worried Ning Chen, he wouldn't have sent Shu Fei back to the palace on a whim.

The group arrived in Yuzhou in the evening and stayed at a prepared residence. The Northern Tour of Zasake was a tradition among emperors of Nanqi, so preparations were made along the route.

The next day, a banquet was held, hosted by Ning Chen for the officials of Yuzhou. Yuzhou was vast, and there were more than twenty local officials, but only eight of them attended, all of the fifth rank or above. Among them were the three generals who had divided control of the Yan family's troops.

General Zhao and General Liu were both over forty and each commanded ten thousand troops. The youngest, General Huo Pingbei, led twenty thousand troops and was just over thirty. Having grown up in the military, his father had died on the battlefield, and although young, he had distinguished himself with military merit. He also knew Ye Zhe.

With Shu Fei gone, the highest-ranked among the concubines was Jing Fei, who now took on the responsibility of hosting, and entertaining the officials' families. Of course, this was done under Ning Chen's instructions, as Jing Feiwasn't foolish enough to overstep on her own initiative.

"Ming Meiren seems to be in low spirits? You're only eating and not speaking. If you're feeling unwell, you shouldn't drink wine. I'll have someone bring you something else to drink," Jing Fei said kindly.

Ye Yun smiled slightly. "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I'm fine, just feeling a bit fatigued from the journey and haven't recovered yet."

At this moment, Lin Jieyu chimed in with a smile, "The journey has indeed been exhausting. I've never been in the best of health, so I'll take the liberty to ask Your Highness if I may leave early later."

"You've always been frail. This trip is meant for you to relax, so you mustn't tire yourself out. Leaving early is fine," Jing Fei agreed without hesitation.

"Then I thank Your Highness in advance," Lin Jieyu said with a slight nod.

Everyone appeared to be in harmony, but just then, Li Wanrong interjected. She had gotten wind of what had happened recently. Though Shu Fei had been sent back to the palace, Ye Yun hadn't served the emperor either, and the emperor hadn't summoned her again since. During this time, other concubines like Fang Cairen and Chen Wanrong had dined with him, but not her. It seemed the emperor was holding a grudge.

Thinking over this, Li Wanrong concluded that Ye Yun was likely falling out of favor, so why not settle old scores?

"Everyone knows Lin Jieyu has always been unwell. But when did Ming Meiren also become frail? I haven't heard of you being sick. Could it be that you're suffering from something deeper, like a troubled heart? Ming Meiren always advises others to relax, but now that it's your turn, you seem different," Li Wanrong said provocatively.

"Does Lady Li know medicine?" Ye Yun asked calmly.

"Of course not, but I can make a reasonable guess based on what I observe," Li Wanrong replied, raising her chin.

Ye Yun turned her head, her gaze cold as she swept it over Li Wanrong. "So Lady Li is skilled in reading minds or faces now?"

"I... I am not, but isn't it obvious to everyone?" Li Wanrong stammered, clutching her handkerchief tightly to steady herself.

Ye Yun let out a cold laugh and lowered her gaze. "No one else has seen me sick, but you insist on saying so. If you're a 'clear-sighted person,' are you suggesting everyone else here is blind? Or perhaps you're cursing me with illness? My rank is higher than yours, and cursing someone of higher rank is a serious offense."

She was indeed in a bad mood, and she was truly tired, but dealing with someone like Li Wanrong was effortless.

Li Wanrong hadn't expected such a turn of events. Now cornered, no matter what she said, she was in the wrong, and though she was furious, she had no choice but to lower her head.

"Ming Meiren has misunderstood. I was only concerned for your health. I meant no offense. If I have overstepped, I beg your forgiveness," she muttered.

The banquet was still ongoing, and causing a scene would have been improper, so Ye Yun said nothing more and simply ignored her. Li Wanrong's face turned red, then white, as she stood awkwardly, unable to refute any further. She had been the one to provoke, yet now found herself powerless to fight back. Forced to apologize, only to be disregarded, she felt her face burn with shame. Ye Yun had entered the palace after her, and was younger, which only added to her humiliation.

Yet, the other women acted as if they hadn't noticed, continuing to eat, drink, and chat as usual.

On the main seat, Ning Chen exchanged drinks with the officials, but couldn't help glancing in Ye Yun's direction. Today, she wore a long dress of crabapple pink, with intricate cloud patterns embroidered into the silk. Her hair was styled in a 'chasing the moon' bun, and the delicate gold filigree hairpin with interlocking flowers he had given her last time perfectly complemented her attire.

Perhaps it was the wine, but a faint flush colored her cheeks, and her willow-like brows furrowed slightly as she looked down, appearing both melancholic and serene.

"Your Majesty," Yan Bin called out, raising his cup.

Ning Chen returned his attention to the officials, smiling as he raised his own cup in response.

After drinking, Yan Bin quietly glanced at Ye Yun. As a man, he could tell that the emperor had feelings for her just by the way Ning Chen had looked at her earlier.

Yet, there hadn't been any rumors about Ming Meiren gaining much favor. It seemed that this girl from the Ye family would eventually rise to prominence. He needed to find a way to inform Shu Fei in the palace to be more cautious.

After the banquet ended, Ye Yun stood at the entrance, not moving. When Li Wanrong came out, Ye Yun turned and slapped her.

"You—you—why did Ming Meiren hit me for no reason!" Li Wanrong cried, clutching her cheek in shock.

Ye Yun looked at her coldly. "Lady Li's mouth is filthy, and you showed disrespect to someone of higher rank. This slap is to wake you up. Don't think I'm an easy target."

Li Wanrong's chest heaved with anger. "Striking a concubine of the emperor is a serious crime. Aren't you afraid of what will happen if I report this to His Majesty?"

"Feel free to do so. Either way, I've already slapped you. Whatever punishment I receive is a matter for later," Ye Yun sneered before walking away without looking back.

This incident occurred right at the door, in full view of the other consorts. As they passed Li Wanrong, there was a clear sense of mockery in their eyes, making her feel even worse.

But how could she dare go to the emperor? She could only swallow her anger.

Today, she had hit a wall, and the pain was deserved.

Naturally, someone saw what had happened, and before long, Ning Chen heard about it.

"She's still the same as ever," Ning Chen chuckled.

Yuan Jiu laughed along. "Ming Meiren has always had a straightforward nature."