The Noble Consort is the most favored in the harem

Chapter 101 - Blood Relatives

In the evening, Lin Wanyi served dinner to the emperor and his son. Shortly after the meal, the medicine for the second prince and Lin Wanyi was brought in. They exchanged a smile and drank it all in one go. To counter the bitterness, they each took a piece of candied fruit. The emperor found it amusing and remarked, "You two drink medicine like it's water now, without even blinking."

Realizing his words might be inappropriate, he felt a pang of guilt, knowing their need for constant medication was due to his inadequate protection. Lin Wanyi noticed his expression and, feeling a bit guilty herself since she had poisoned herself, tried to lighten the mood. She said, "Actually, the medicine prescribed by the imperial physicians isn't that bitter. It's just that sipping it slowly with a spoon makes the bitterness unbearable. It's better to drink it all at once, so by the time your mouth reacts, the medicine is already in your stomach."

The second prince agreed, "Yes, the medicine here is much better than what the nannies used to prepare. The previous ones were so bitter that I could hardly drink them."

The emperor's eyes darkened, realizing someone had tampered with the medicine. Unfortunately, Imperial Physician Dou had yet to identify the poison, so they couldn't treat it properly. They could only focus on maintaining their health for now.

After chatting for a while, Du Momo suggested it was time for the second prince to rest, as he was still young and needed plenty of food and sleep. The emperor agreed, and Du Momo smiled, a rare sight that softened her usually stern demeanor.

After the second prince left, Lin Wanyi approached the emperor, noticing his expression becoming serious again. She didn't ask questions but quietly massaged him, helping him relax. The familiar scent and the gentle breeze allowed the emperor to enjoy a rare moment of peace.

Meanwhile, Yi Fei had been anxious for several days. "How is my third cousin's situation?" she asked, her face filled with worry since learning he had been taken by the Yingtian Prefecture. Her grandmother had fainted several times from crying, and letters were constantly being sent to the northwest, but there was still no news.

In the harem, Yi Fei was not favored. Her current position was solely due to the Liu family's achievements. She wanted to plead with the emperor to spare her cousin's life but had no opportunity to do so. Her maid tried to comfort her, "Your Highness, don't worry. I believe there's still hope. If the emperor truly wanted to kill the third young master, he would have done so immediately. Why bother imprisoning him?"

"It's probably just killing the chicken to scare the monkey."

Ruyi was comforting her, fanning herself with a round fan. The hot weather was already making people irritable and uneasy, and encountering such a situation only added to the anxiety.

"That's what I said, but who is the Yingtian Prefecture? They dared to come to my mansion to arrest people. The Emperor must have issued a death order to investigate. The whole family is doomed. Even if I want to bribe them, I can't find anyone to pay. How can I not be anxious?"

Sometimes, she felt that her grandmother doted on this cousin from her third uncle's family too much and that he was not presentable enough, especially compared to her eldest and second brothers in the Northwest Army. But after all, they were blood relatives. He usually called her "elder sister." How could Yi Fei really watch him die?

"Your Highness, please don't panic. You are the pillar of our mansion in Shengjing City. Isn't the old madam at home waiting for your reply?"

"Reply? I don't even know how to tell Grandmother about this."

This was where Yi Fei felt she was in a dilemma. Her grandfather was so wise and powerful, but her third brother's actions would ruin the reputation of the Northwest Marquisate, the achievements that the Liu family had earned over the years at the cost of hundreds of lives, and their reputation among the people.

Logically speaking, this black sheep should be dealt with properly. But how would she explain this to her grandmother? When she thought about how her third brother was raised by her grandmother, if something happened to him, wouldn't her grandmother also be devastated? She was so worried these days that she couldn't eat anything and had lost some weight.

She was just feeling distressed when she saw Bai Pin and Lady He walking in from outside. Seeing Yi Fei's upset look, they immediately asked, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

Yi Fei put away her sad expression, calmed down, and asked, "Why are you here?"

Bai Pin chuckled and asked someone to bring a basket of peaches over, then said, "These are freshly picked from the peach forest. I thought they were fresh, so I especially sent some for Your Highness to try."

"Well, that's thoughtful. Please accept them."

"Yes, I obey your command."

Ruyi walked up to the young eunuchs carrying the baskets and called out to them to go outside. Ruhuan was busy serving tea to Bai Pin and Lady He. 

After the two of them sat down, Madam He picked up the tea, took a sip, and said in a flattering manner, "The tea here is especially delicious, Your Highness. I always drink several cups every time I come here."

In the past, when she said such things, Yi Fei would at least respond. But today, no one responded, which made Lady He feel a little uncomfortable. However, she came from a merchant family and was least afraid of embarrassment. After thinking about it, she changed the subject.

"Your Highness, have you heard? Lin Guifei suffered a great setback."

After hearing this, Bai Pin also chuckled, with a look of pride in her eyes as she watched the fun.

"What do you mean?"

Yi Fei was now very troubled by the things happening at home, and even if the people below her knew what was happening outside, they dared not disturb her easily. So she didn't know what Lady He was talking about.

"I heard that Lin Guifei was planning to hold a birthday banquet for the Second Prince at the Lotus Lake Waterside Pavilion, but the Emperor rejected her plan. Not only that, but he also posthumously honored Su Fei for the Second Prince's filial piety and invited monks from Baolin Temple to the palace to chant scriptures for several days."

Yi Fei frowned upon hearing this. Why would the Emperor suddenly decide to honor Su Fei? Could it be a deliberate act to show her something? After all, in the harem, only she and Su Fei had given birth to princes. Now that Su Fei had been promoted to a higher rank, even though she was deceased, her status was still on par with Yi Fei's, regardless of any special titles