The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 266 - Willing to Let Go

"Just eat as much as you like; why worry about it?"

Ning Chen didn't quite understand, casually pushing the plate of snacks closer.

Ye Yun didn't say much in response and followed his suggestion, taking another piece.

In this era, no one knew about gestational diabetes or anything like that; even if she mentioned it, they wouldn't understand.

Even if she wasn't worried about that, Ye Yun was concerned that her figure would become too distorted, making it difficult to recover after giving birth.

After chatting for a while, Ye Yun's mouth hardly stopped moving.

By the time she realized it, most of the four plates of snacks were nearly gone.

She rubbed her already round belly and felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Emperor, let's go for a walk. I ate a bit too much and want to digest it."

Ning Chen glanced outside. It was a rare sunny day, so he nodded.

"Sounds good; I haven't been out for a while."

"But I don't want to go to the Imperial Garden. After visiting it too many times, no matter how beautiful the scenery, it loses its charm," Ye Yun said lazily.

She felt that way, and so did Ning Chen.

Although the Imperial Garden was filled with various types of plants, no matter how large the garden was, it became tiresome after a while.

After thinking it over, he suggested, "How about we go to Zhao Chun Pavilion? In just over half a month, you'll be moving over there. They're currently making renovations, so if there's anything you don't like, you can have them change it."

"That sounds good. I haven't been there yet, and I'm quite curious," Ye Yun smiled and asked Huiyue to fetch her a cloak.

When they headed out this time, she brought along Bai Zhu and Liang Momo, without calling for anyone else. She also wanted Liang Momo to help inspect the new residence. After all, with so many people in the palace, there could be items mixed in that shouldn't be there. If they weren't discovered in time, it could harm not just one, but two people.

Since they agreed to go for a stroll, they decided to walk. Half an hour round trip would suffice. However, to prevent Ye Yun from getting too tired, the servants still followed behind with a sedan chair, just in case. Now that she was like a precious golden child, Ning Chen carefully held her hand the entire time, afraid she might stumble or fall as soon as they stepped out of Yuxiu Pavilion.

The servants, worried about anyone accidentally bumping into these two esteemed figures, sent a group ahead to clear the path. On this route, they passed by Shouxi Pavilion where Qin Baolin resided, and Yikun Palace where Qi Wanrong lived.

Ye Yun didn't pay much attention until they neared Shouxi Pavilion, where Qin Shi, dressed in a light purple cross-collar jacket and skirt, stood outside the entrance.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Emperor and to Ming Xiuyuan," Qin Shi greeted them as they approached, bowing politely without raising her head, presenting a perfect image of humility.

Ye Yun could understand why a young concubine might want to see the Emperor. As long as they behaved, she turned a blind eye to it. Besides, when the Emperor's entourage passed by your door, it was only proper to come out and greet them. So, Ye Yun merely smiled without saying anything.

Ning Chen waved his hand, "You may rise. It's cold, go back inside. I'm just taking Xiuyuan for a walk; no need to stand here and greet us."

"I didn't mean to disturb Your Majesty and Xiuyuan," Qin Shi replied softly, "but since it's a sunny day, the snow is melting and it's perhaps even colder than usual. Xiuyuan is with child and must avoid the cold, so I waited here to offer her a warm hand stove."

Qin Baolin spoke softly as she took a hand warmer from the maid. The pouch embroidered with an open pomegranate looked festive and beautiful. "Since you've been walking for a while, I worried that Xiuyuan's hand warmer might have cooled, so I waited here to bring a new one for her." With that, she offered the hand warmer with both hands.

Ye Yun lowered her eyes slightly, "Qin Baolin, you are very considerate." She signaled for Liang Momo to accept the warmer. Without any suspicion, she switched to using it, as the one she brought from Yuxiu Pavilion was indeed no longer warm.

After taking it in her hands, Ye Yun realized that Qin Shi had put much thought into it. The pouch for the hand warmer was made from fine fabric. Given Qin Shi's current status, she might only receive two bolts of this quality of material per year—enough for just one set of clothes. Yet, she had used it to make a hand warmer pouch and even gifted it along with the warmer itself.

She was certainly generous. It was clear that if Qin Shi hadn't given this to Ye Yun, she would have used it to curry favor with someone else.

Ning Chen glanced at the warmer briefly, then at Qin Shi, before waving his hand. "You've been very attentive. I noticed that your hair ornaments are few and outdated. I'll have some sent to you later."

Qin Shi's eyes lit up with joy, and she quickly curtsied. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. Since you're accompanying Xiuyuan for a stroll, I shall take my leave."

"Very well, go ahead," Ning Chen nodded.

Without lingering, Qin Shi kept her head lowered as she returned to her courtyard. Her actions were truly respectful, displaying perfect restraint. She managed to flatter Ye Yun, gain some favor from Ning Chen, and yet didn't overstep or make Ye Yun feel uncomfortable. Qin Shi truly was a clever woman.

Holding the hand warmer, Ye Yun glanced at the gate of Shouxi Pavilion, her eyes deep in thought.

Ning Chen, however, wasn't affected by this small interruption. He took Ye Yun's hand again and continued walking with her. This time, as they passed Yikun Palace, Qi Wanrong didn't come out to greet them, as expected. Qi Shi had always been aloof and disliked competition, so it was unsurprising that she didn't want to show her face now.

Ye Yun's guess was spot on. After they had passed by, Yuxin, one of Qi Wanrong's maids, peeked out. She returned inside, speaking softly, "Wanrong, the Emperor has already passed, and he was holding Xiuyuan's hand."

Qi Shi was practicing calligraphy. Hearing the latter part of the sentence, her hand shook slightly, spilling a large blot of ink on the paper. Staring at the black stain, Qi Shi felt a wave of irritation and tossed the brush aside.

"The Emperor dotes on Xiuyuan, and since she's with child, such affection isn't surprising." Her voice was low, as if she were speaking to her maid but more likely to herself. She turned her head and her gaze fell on an autumn landscape painting hanging on the wall. It depicted chrysanthemums with a small inscription. This was a gift from Ning Chen, painted by his own hand in the past.

It was clear that back then, Ning Chen was still not fully mature. Though he painted chrysanthemums, the piece exuded a sharp and vigorous energy—an energy that Qi Shi deeply admired.

Just last year, when she was still in her maiden home, the Emperor had passed through the city on a southern tour. She caught a glimpse of him from afar at a teahouse by the city gate. From that one look, she had fallen for him.

But now, having entered the palace, she realized it would have been better to keep him as an unattainable dream forever. She truly disliked watching him be intimate with other women.

But in the end, Qi Shi's deep affection was in vain. Ning Chen's heart wasn't with her, so how could he notice her feelings?

At that moment, what Ning Chen cared about was whether Ye Yun was satisfied with her soon-to-be new residence. Carefully holding her hand, he led her over the threshold into the courtyard of Zhaochun Pavilion.

Pointing to a corner, he said, "Since you love growing flowers, I had a stone trough built along the wall. Once you plant something there, it will look as if the entire courtyard is surrounded by blooms."