The Noble Consort is the most favored in the harem

Chapter 129 - Borrowing someone's hand

Lin Wanyi felt immensely grateful to him.

To be honest, she really was lucky. Since entering the palace, the first person she met was Gong Qin. It was also because of him that she gained a loyal servant like Xiao Luzi. A series of events had been facilitated by him multiple times. Although she usually treated him politely, that kind of courtesy was quite common in the harem.

Sometimes Lin Wanyi genuinely didn't understand why Qin An, a deputy director of the inner court, would be so supportive of her.

"Well, I appreciate your help, Eunuch Qin."

As she spoke, she had Xia An send a pouch to him. Expressing her gratitude was naturally necessary, but the reward should not be lacking either.

Qin An did not decline; after accepting the pouch, he properly saw Madam Dong off.

"Mother, don't worry. I will take good care of myself in the palace. If there's an opportunity in the future, we can meet again."

Although she said this, the rules of the palace were strict. Who knew when they might have another chance to meet after this? Furthermore, she was quite worried about her brother's situation.

So, gathering her courage, she brought it up.

"Eunuch Qin, if it's convenient, could you please relay a message about my family? It's not a big deal, just that I want to know they are well and everything is fine at home."

Lin Wanyi spoke these words in front of so many people. In fact, she was also taking a gamble—betting on Qin An's support and hoping he would agree to help.

Qin An looked slightly surprised, but he quickly broke into a smile.

"Don't worry, My Lady. As long as it doesn't violate palace rules, I will make sure to take care of it for you."

Though he didn't say it outright, his meaning was clear. Lin Wanyi didn't ask for much; she simply wanted news that her brother had overcome his difficulties to be delivered to the palace. That way, she could worry a little less.

Lin Wanyi walked a long way to the entrance of the courtyard before finally stopping.

Once she could no longer see her mother's figure, she let out a long sigh.

As Lin Wanyi walked, her mind was racing with thoughts. The news her mother had brought was truly astonishing. Although there had been friction between the second and the main branches of the family, over the years, it had mostly just been talk without real action.

Why had they suddenly become so enraged this time?

After thinking it over, she concluded there was likely only one reason: Lin Guifei felt threatened, which prompted her to send out a message to suppress the main branch's arrogance.

Princess Rongkang was cautious and, although domineering, was clever enough not to leave others with a handle to criticize her.

Thus, this incident must have been instigated by the foolish and malicious Second Aunt Wang.

After this incident, she would probably keep her head down for a while.

However, once she regained her composure, she would surely retaliate!

But could the Dong family, merely a merchant family, withstand the relentless onslaught from the Prime Minister's residence, Prince Zhan's manor, and the Wang family?

The answer was evident.

With this thought, her eyes grew more resolute as she returned.

Since Lin Guifei felt a significant threat, perhaps it was time to find an even greater threat to divert her attention.

The only one who could contend with her was Yi Fei.

Just a few days ago, she had learned from Qiu Ming that the Liu family was in trouble, so Yi Fei, being a member of the Liu family, would surely be anxious and upset.

But how could she secretly establish contact with Yi Fei?

Perhaps, with Yi Fei's help, she could teach Lin Guifei a lesson?

Lin Wanyi's mind was filled with these thoughts.

When she returned to the courtyard, she found the Second Prince already waiting for her under the corridor.

When she entered, her expression seemed unhappy.

He immediately walked over to comfort her, saying, "Don't be sad. There will still be another opportunity to see First Madam Lin again."

Seeing the innocent expression on the Second Prince's face, Lin Wanyi smiled gently. She didn't want the family troubles to disturb his mood, so she responded, "What the Second Prince said is true. Did you enjoy the lunch today?"

"Mm, Chunqi specifically made me my favorite dishes. I ate two big bowls of rice!"

The "big bowls" he referred to were actually just ordinary bowls. However, compared to before, since coming to Huifang Courtyard, he had indeed been able to eat a lot more.

One evening, Du Momo mentioned that she felt the Second Prince's clothes were a bit short. After comparing them, they realized that it was indeed the case. So, the embroiderers had come to measure him again to prepare new clothes.

Lin Wanyi had also agreed to make him two sets of winter clothing, but she hadn't chosen the fabric yet.

The reason she needed to make winter clothes was that she had accumulated too many sewing projects. Since the Emperor had worn the cool garments and everyday clothing she made, the embroidered pieces that were sent over had been put aside.

With her spending most of her time in those clothes, she gradually found that they were becoming insufficient.

Lin Wanyi could only finish the cool garments and then make autumn clothing before choosing fabric for fur coats.

After all this busy work, she hadn't had a single relaxing day in the entire year.

Being able to manage the Second Prince's clothing was already quite good, so he had no complaints. In fact, he was quite looking forward to it.

"Being able to eat is a blessing, which means our Second Prince's health is gradually improving."

"Du Momo says the same thing. I'm older than the Third Prince, yet I'm still not taller than him. Once I eat more, I'll naturally grow taller!"

The Second Prince was brimming with confidence, but Lin Wanyi was not convinced.

Height had a lot to do with genetics. Yi Fei came from a family of military generals, so the children born in that family were likely to be particularly strong and healthy.

Therefore, the Third Prince would naturally be larger and more agile compared to others.

Lin Wanyi had never seen Su Fei and didn't know what kind of woman she was.

However, judging from the Emperor's side, it shouldn't be difficult for the Second Prince to grow taller.

So, she encouraged him, saying, "No problem! Our Second Prince will definitely grow tall!"

The two smiled at each other, which eased some of the worries that had been weighing on Lin Wanyi's heart.

She had dinner with the Second Prince, but the Emperor did not appear.

It was rare for Lin Wanyi to ask Qiu Ming to find out where the Emperor had gone. This made the servants of Huifang Courtyard curious.

"My Lady, what's this about?"

In the past, the Emperor had often come by, and she would be troubled. If there was a day when he didn't come, she would be relieved and enjoy her peace.

Why, today, was she inquiring about the Emperor's whereabouts? Was she suddenly enlightened?

"Oh, I didn't realize His Majesty had arranged so much behind my back. I thought these meetings were just following palace rules."

She had to admit that Madam Dong's arrival had made Lin Wanyi aware of some things that the Emperor hadn't mentioned.

"I guess His Majesty is worried that you would feel sad about the poisoning incident, so he arranged for your family to come and see you to ease your mind."