The Beloved Concubine of the Eastern Palace (book 2)

Chapter 206 - The Time Has Not Come

"Your humble servant greets Your Highness. Today... today I was delayed by something and arrived late to pay my respects. Please forgive me," Yun Qian said, arriving hurriedly in a new dress, her forehead beaded with sweat, and her hair disheveled and clinging to her face.

In this era, it was improper for a woman to have her hair in disarray in public.

Respectable women, whether maidens or married, always wore their hair up properly. Only courtesans and performers wore their hair loose.

The Crown Princess, a proper noblewoman, frowned at Yun Qian's appearance.

Lateness was one thing, but Yun Qian's lack of composure was unacceptable.

She waved her hand, "Min Si, take her to tidy up."

Though she wasn't scolded, Yun Qian felt mortified.

He Liangdi, sitting nearby, covered her mouth and sneered.

"A dog cannot change its nature. Even as a concubine, she behaves like a maid, proving her lowly roots."

Yun Qian wished she could disappear on the spot.

She had rushed to not be late and forgot her appearance.

Indeed, as He Liangdi said, she had been a maid, and habits were hard to break.

Yun Qian felt humiliated but couldn't argue back. She silently followed Min Si to the inner room.

Fang Yun, playing with a jade-handled fan, sipped her tea and smiled.

"Your Highness, this tea is truly excellent, sweet and refreshing."

"If you like it, take some with you," the Crown Princess smiled.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I've been working on some new embroidery. If you don't mind, I'll send it over for you to enjoy."

Fang Yun nodded respectfully.

This was to thank the Crown Princess for speaking on her behalf at Weiyang Pavilion.

Even if the outcome would have been the same without those words, gratitude was still necessary.

Moreover, now that she was at odds with Yang Cefei, she needed the Crown Princess's support.

So far, the Crown Princess seemed far more upright than Yang Cefei.

Hearing Fang Yun's gesture, the Crown Princess praised her.

"Your craftsmanship is exquisite. I will certainly enjoy it."

Their cordial interaction in front of everyone signaled that they were on good terms, deterring any troublemakers.

As they chatted, Yun Qian returned, tidied up.

The Crown Princess made some remarks but didn't make things difficult for her.

Although she disliked Yun Qian, she didn't consider her worth targeting, unlike Fang Yun.

This allowed Yun Qian to relax, having feared further punishment.

Finally, the greeting ended, and Yun Qian left quickly, fearing another encounter with Fang Yun.

But Fang Yun had no intention of wasting further effort on her.

Yang Cefei was the real target.

Back at Biluo Pavilion, Fang Yun called for Yuan He.

"Any news on the person I asked you to find?"

"Forgive me, Liangdi. I haven't found him yet, but the clues are correct. He's well hidden, but he's no longer useful. He'll likely be discarded soon."

Yuan He responded respectfully.

Fang Yun nodded and dismissed him.

They were looking for her cousin, Chen Xun.

From Song Qiuhe's last words, Fang Yun learned her cousin, Song Qiuhe's son, was captured by Yang Cefei's people.

Chen Xun indeed had a heart condition, making treatment difficult, but his illness wasn't as severe as Song Qiuhe described. The "cousin" Fang Yun's doctor treated was actually a decoy arranged by Yang Cefei.

Yang Cefei used the excuse that the Marquis of Nanning knew a miracle doctor to take Chen Xun for treatment. In reality, Chen Xun was held hostage to control Song Qiuhe.

Because of this, Song Qiuhe never explicitly revealed Yang Cefei as the mastermind before her death.

Fang Yun knew that even if Song Qiuhe had pointed out Yang Cefei, Pei Yao wouldn't let Yang Cefei be punished for the crime. The Marquis of Nanning was too valuable to Pei Yao.

So Fang Yun decided not to use this information against Yang Cefei immediately. Instead, she planned to gradually uncover the truth and keep it as leverage for the future.

Even if it couldn't harm Yang Cefei now, in a year, two years, or longer, there would come a time when it could be used effectively.

Fang Yun was someone who bore grudges.

She might seem indifferent on the surface, but she kept careful track of everything in her heart.

It's not that revenge is forgotten, but that the time hasn't come.

Putting aside these thoughts, Fang Yun called for Qingrong to bring a book and began reading.

When the time isn't right, one should focus on self-improvement.

While she enjoyed a peaceful moment reading, the atmosphere in Weiyang Pavilion was far less pleasant.

With Yunrou gone, Yun Qian, although now Pei Yao's concubine, had to constantly please Yang Cefei, taking on the role of a maid, busy serving her.

After returning from paying respects, she went straight to Yang Cefei's room to serve her medicine.

Yang Cefei took the bowl, blew on it, but didn't drink immediately.

"What happened this morning? You went to pay respects and came back."

"I met Fang Liangdi," Yun Qian replied uneasily. "She deliberately made things difficult for me. I had no choice."

Yang Cefei already knew the story but asked again.

After listening, she coldly snorted, "Are you afraid of her?"

"No, I just thought that since you said to keep a low profile, I didn't want to cause trouble," Yun Qian explained quickly.

Yang Cefei's expression softened slightly. "Fang Yun making things difficult for you and embarrassing you is a slap in my face. Remember, when you leave Weiyang Pavilion, you represent me. Even if I am keeping a low profile, that doesn't mean we can be insulted."

"Yes, I understand."

Yun Qian nodded, then added, "I saw Fang Liangdi and the Crown Princess getting along well today. They seem very close. I suspect they might join forces."

"That's not new. The Crown Princess fears my family and sees Fang Yun as obedient. Naturally, she would support her."

Yang Cefei's eyes showed disdain, then she laughed lightly. "But Fang Yun may seem easy to control, yet she's cunning. I wonder if the Crown Princess can handle her, or if she'll end up raising a threat."

Yang Cefei knew this from her own painful experience.

Yun Qian remained silent, lowering her head.