The Enchanting Imperial Concubine

Chapter 122 - United Against the Outsider

With the plague finally over, the atmosphere in the palace had relaxed considerably.

To ward off any lingering bad luck, the Empress specifically announced that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival would be a grand affair.

Recalling that last year, they had celebrated at Lingxi Garden, it was unfortunate that they couldn't do so this year because of the plague.

Last year's Mid-Autumn Festival had been a royal family banquet, and this year's plans indicated that the officials and their wives from outside would also be invited to the palace.

This was good news; the concubines residing in the capital, like Ye Yun, would finally have the chance to meet.

Although there wouldn't be an opportunity to speak at the banquet, it was still a chance to see each other.

Once the plague was over, the first to share the Emperor's bed was still the Empress.

Ning Chen had always given her face.

Next was Wen De Fei, who had consistently maintained her position as the favored concubine, which was no surprise.

But the third was Su Wanrong.

Having been in the palace for nearly four months, this former princess from the grasslands finally had a clear path ahead.

The next day, Ye Yun got up early.

"Are you going to pay your respects today, Jieyu?" Huiyue helped her wash up.

Using the excuse of her injury, her mistress hadn't gone to pay her respects even once until now, having remained behind closed doors.

Ye Yun smiled, "How can I miss such a good opportunity to meet new sisters? Bring me that dress with the begonia pattern and gold embroidery. The Emperor has been favoring me lately; I should carry myself with some dignity."

When Su Wanrong had first entered the palace, she had been the first to bounce over to her, and Ye Yun had never liked her. After that encounter, she liked her even less.

Thinking that it had been a while since she had acted with any authority, she felt it was time to stretch her legs a bit today.

With the Emperor favoring her, she had the confidence. Furthermore, it would show others her demeanor of "being spoiled and acting willfully."

Fengxi Palace...

Whether it was a shared sentiment or the result of pent-up frustration, all the concubines in the room were dressed exceptionally brightly today.

Even Zhang Baolin, who typically dressed in understated white, was wearing a vibrant outfit.

"It's been a while since I've seen Ming Jieyu. Have you recovered?" Wang Xiuyuan was the first to speak to her. "I didn't want to disturb your rest, so I didn't come to check on you personally."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I've mostly recovered." Ye Yun smiled gently.

Zhao Jieyu could no longer hold back and, with a half-smile, needled her, "It's been a while since you came to pay your respects to the Empress. Why is it that today, with new people around, you're so eager to come? Are you worried?"

"I'm almost fully recovered, so it's only natural for me to come to pay my respects. But if you're implying that I came to see the new arrivals, that's unnecessary. I've known Su Wanrong for quite some time. Oh, I forgot; Zhao Jieyu wasn't able to accompany the Emperor to Zhasake, so you might not know."

Ye Yun spoke lightly, lifting her teacup to take a sip, her eyes smiling as she lowered them.

"Zhao Jieyu, I'm not sure what you're worried about. But perhaps you don't need to worry at all; there's nothing worth remembering about something that has never happened before."