The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 334 - Leaving a Way Out

The two maids, who had initially felt somewhat pleased, put away their smiles upon hearing this. They had also heard about Ye Yun's past "deeds." Back when Yi Shunyuan was pregnant with the Third Prince, she had experienced setbacks at Ye Yun's hands. Not to mention Ye Yun's current status; stepping on Wan Meiren was indeed quite easy.

The reason they weren't afraid of Yi Shunyuan was that Wan Meiren had already figured out a bit about Yi Shunyuan's temperament. This one always liked to pretend to be virtuous and magnanimous, much like the Empress. She wouldn't explicitly put her in a difficult position, making it hard for her to save face.

On the second day, they gathered for court greetings in the garden. All the concubines were present in Wutong Hall, except for the pregnant Wan Meiren.

As soon as Ye Yun arrived, she caught sight of someone whose expression didn't look good, as if she hadn't slept well. Shaking her Su embroidery fan, she smiled and said, "Look at Yi Shunyuan; she seems to have had a bad rest. I guess she's worried about Wan Meiren, huh?"

Since they were usually the targets, today she decided to poke at others instead.

"Wan Meiren is pregnant with the dragon heir; everyone naturally needs to care for her more. Does Ming Shunyi not care at all?" Yi Shunyuan replied blandly.

"Tsk... it's not my belly. I know how it feels. Why should I worry? Look at the corners of your eyes; you've even got fine lines," Ye Yun shot back, sitting down with composure.

Yi Shunyuan felt her face flush with anger from that remark. She couldn't decide whether to be annoyed at Ye Yun for worrying about her or to be concerned about whether she really had developed fine lines.

While she was fuming, the Empress had already come out of the inner hall, supported by a servant.

Everyone rose to pay their respects.

"Don't stand on ceremony; just sit," the Empress said with a smile, waving her hand. "Being in the garden is indeed more comfortable than in the palace, but no matter how comfortable it is, we can't entirely forget the rules."

"Yes, we will remember your teachings," the concubines responded in unison.

The Empress nodded in satisfaction. Finally, she turned to Yi Shunyuan and said, "Wan Meiren is pregnant and inevitably a bit spoiled. If she feels discomfort, she may call for the Emperor out of fear, but Yi Shunyuan shouldn't hold it against her."

"Your Highness can rest assured; I have also been through childbirth and understand the hardships of pregnancy. I won't blame her," Yi Shunyuan replied with a smile.

The Empress smiled back. "I trust your temperament, but I worry that others might have too big a temper, causing some trouble."

As she said this, her gaze subtly landed on Ye Yun, almost explicitly pointing at her.

But since she didn't say it outright, Ye Yun wouldn't take the bait herself.

Raising her delicate brows, she said, "Yes, before, when the Eldest Prince was just a little boy, both Hui Zhaorong and the Second Princess were injured because of him. Your Highness should have the servants take extra care to prevent the Eldest Prince from throwing a tantrum outside. If he were to push someone down, it would be one thing, but if it were Wan Meiren, that would be disastrous."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's eyes turned a bit colder. "That was in the past; now the Eldest Prince has been taught to be well-behaved and sensible by me. Just yesterday, he received praise from the Emperor. Ming Shunyi need not worry at all."

"Your Highness is indeed different. With your guidance, the Eldest Prince listens; what others say has no effect," Ye Yun said with a seemingly amused smile.

Little did they know, she was close with Hui Zhaorong, and the Yang Momo by the Eldest Prince's side might be the issue. It seemed that now she was also realizing it belatedly.

Now, the one benefiting the most was the Empress. It was easy to imagine that if there were problems with Yang Momo, it would surely be linked to the Empress. A child could only throw so much of a tantrum, and most of it was incited by those around him.

However, Hui Zhaorong didn't actually want to raise the Eldest Prince, so letting him go was just fine; she didn't want to delve deeper into the matter of Yang Momo. Today, Ye Yun had slightly touched on this issue, indicating a sense of testing.

But the Empress remained calm, revealing no telltale signs on her face. "The child is still young; with careful teaching, he will naturally learn gradually."

Yet, even though her expression was composed, the pauses in her tone revealed something unusual. It seemed that the Eldest Prince's tantrums in Yongning Palace were indeed related to the Empress.

However, Ye Yun only thought that it was the servants deliberately instigating trouble, and she didn't consider the possibility of the Empress secretly influencing the child. After all, who could bear to harm such a young child?

As the greetings concluded, it started pouring rain shortly after they left Fengxi Palace. Summer rains came suddenly, and since Ye Yun lived some distance away in Jiaotang Garden, she had no time to rush back.

Fortunately, there was a pavilion nearby where she could take shelter for a while. Coincidentally, she found herself trapped inside with Qin Wanrong.

Qin Wanrong had arrived first and slightly curtsied upon seeing her. "My residence isn't far from here; I've sent my servants back to fetch an umbrella. Once they arrive, we can send Shunyi back first. This pavilion is small, and the wind is strong; we wouldn't want Shunyi to catch a cold."

"In that case, I thank you, Wanrong." Ye Yun smiled faintly and glanced her up and down. "Qin Wanrong seems to have lost quite a bit of weight."

"Last year, when the Second Prince fell into the water, I jumped into the lake to save him. In the dead of winter, I inevitably caught a chill, and it's only in the past six months that I've been recovering. I've been taking medicine, but I couldn't eat much, so I lost weight," Qin Wanrong replied with a smile.

Indeed, her complexion didn't look particularly healthy. It made sense, considering how cold the winters were in the capital, where it still snowed in November. Jumping into the lake to rescue someone would naturally lead to catching a cold. The problem was that the servants had been focused on the Second Prince at that time, so they inadvertently neglected Qin Wanrong, causing her to suffer a bit longer.

"You're still young with a good foundation; your health will gradually improve," Ye Yun casually remarked.

Qin Wanrong nodded. "Fortunately, Jing De Fei has taken good care of me; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to afford such good medicine for the past six months."

This was the truth, as Wanrong's monthly allowance was not enough to cover such expenses. Moreover, looking at her attire, it didn't seem shabby, likely supplied by Jing De Fei as well.

"You saved the Second Prince; the Empress is grateful, and being kind-hearted, she naturally wants to take good care of you," Ye Yun continued speaking in an official tone, not wanting to engage in deep conversation.

However, Qin Wanrong let out a meaningful light laugh. "There's no kindness in the palace, really."

As soon as she finished speaking, the rain lightened, and a little eunuch huffed and puffed as he ran over, bringing an umbrella.

After thanking Qin Wanrong, Ye Yun and her maid, Huiyue, left under the umbrella.

"Shunyi, what do you think Qin Wanrong meant by that? De Fei treats her quite well," Huiyue whispered.

"Tell me she doesn't fully wish to rely on De Fei," Ye Yun replied, lowering her gaze. "In simpler terms, she's leaving herself a way out, not drawing a clear line."

Of course, there might be other meanings as well. For instance, Jing De Fei might not be as gentle and harmless as she appeared on the surface.

Qin Wanrong was a smart person; although she had allied herself with Jing De Fei, she hadn't made enemies of others, suggesting she had the potential to rise above.

Ye Yun raised her eyes to the lush greenery in the distance, reminiscent of the harem, where everyone was still young. In a couple of years, newcomers would enter, and competition would surely ensue.