Chapter 10, Trouble

"Your Majesty summoned me here, for what purpose?" Ye Zhenzhen set down her brush and looked towards Ji Wujiao

Thus, after the young eunuch finished reporting the ceremony, Consort Li expressed, "Thank you, Empress Your Majesty," and then coldly glanced at Su Yue, saying, "I did not know that the servants of the Kun Ning Palace were so well-versed in etiquette, as they do not kneel upon seeing me."

The Bixin Pavilion is built on a small artificial island in the Taiye Pool, named for its location amidst a vast expanse of blue sky and clear water. In the summer, one can enjoy tea and the scenery in the pavilion while savoring the cool lake water; on sunny days, the fragrance of lotus flowers wafts through the air, and on rainy days, one can admire the graceful dance of rain and mist, providing a delightful experience. Alternatively, in winter, one can gather around the stove for drinks, appreciate the snow, compose poetry, and steal a moment of leisure from the hustle and bustle of life, which is also quite pleasant.

The queen's family wealth is quite substantial. Aside from food, she is not stingy with other things; when she is in a good mood, she will order gifts to be distributed to the various palaces, with reasons that are varied and numerous, and no one bothers to investigate further. At such times, the palace maids and eunuchs of Kun Ning Palace will run around the various palaces holding items, like a generous benefactor.

The one delivering the rewards to the Luhua Palace was Su Yue. She was accompanied by two young eunuchs, each carrying items, which were merely some jewelry, antiques, and fabrics. She herself had her hands empty. Upon arriving at the Luhua Palace, she bowed respectfully to Consort Li and said, "Your Highness, Consort Li, in recent days, the Empress has been preparing for the Longevity Festival, and all the ladies of the various palaces have been working diligently. The Empress has specially prepared these rewards to comfort Your Highness for your hard work. Please take a look."

I certainly will not deal with Consort Li at this moment. Ye Zhenzhen waved her hand, interrupting the agitated Su Yue, who was filled with emotions about the situation. Currently, the greatest threat to her position in the harem is the Virtuous Consort. Consort Li is a good dog; she can actively pounce on the Virtuous Consort without needing any direction. With such a useful weapon at her disposal, why should she be in a hurry to dispose of it

Thus, now Fan Chun knows that her persuasion is futile, so she can only keep silent. She walks in front of Su Yue and lightly slaps her face with her hand. At this moment, she only hopes that this slap will not leave a mark on Su Yue's face, and that Su Yue will not complain about it in front of the Empress.

Ji Wujiao's expression also showed some difficulty in maintaining composure. Logically speaking, he and Wang Zhaoyi were not the lovesick couple from a clandestine romance. The two were merely here to enjoy each other's company and relax, so what was the problem? Although the location was somewhat secluded, it shouldn't be reduced to the status of "wild mandarin ducks"

Thus, as Li Fei thought more about it, her anger grew; she hated Wang Zhaoyi, she hated Xian Fei, but most of all, she hated the Empress who had thwarted her good intentions. Coincidentally, the next day, the Empress sent someone to distribute rewards.

Until the grand banquet for the ministers in the evening, Ji Wujiao's vision was still swirling with dark circles.

Only then did Li Fei feel somewhat satisfied

Su Yue felt relieved upon hearing Ye Zhenzhen's words. She knew that although the Empress had a rather peculiar temperament, she ultimately prioritized the greater good.

Ye Zhenzhen cupped Su Yue's chin, carefully examining her swollen face, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly as she suppressed her anger, "Who did this!"

In summary, Fan Chun often provides counsel to Consort Li. Most of the time, Consort Li listens to her, but when her temper flares, even the advice of the Heavenly King is of no use, let alone that of a mere palace maid.

Lady Li calculated the number of toads she had compared to those of Lady Xian and found that Lady Xian had more than she did. Although Lady Zhuang had more than both of them, that was a different matter

To express their esteem, the rewards for the three consorts in the palace were, as usual, delivered by Ye Zhenzhen's personal maid

What a cunning servant, making excuses after committing a mistake, Fan Chun, slap him! Li Fei was relentless.

Wang Zhaoyi was instantly both shy and ashamed, her face flushed. She cautiously glanced at Ji Wujiao, then lowered her head, and in her gentle gaze, a hint of sharpness and resentment flashed by.

However, Ye Zhenzhen's expression turned cold, "This tone cannot be ignored."

It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned the Wanshou Festival; as soon as those three words were spoken, Li Fei's expression became even more unpleasant.

She actually gave that dancer to him; due to the feelings of the emperor and empress and the emperor's demeanor, he could not refuse to accept it. It seems to be yet another moment of powerlessness.

"Shut your mouth!" At this moment, Consort Li was filled with rage and could not heed any advice.

Thus, all the way, Ye Zhenzhen pondered and could not figure out what kind of scheme Ji Wujiao was concocting. It was not until she arrived at Bixin Pavilion that she discovered the Emperor and Consort Wang were secretly meeting there

"Have you not eaten?" Li Fei expressed her dissatisfaction

Everyone present seemed to be captivated, their eyes fixed on the dancer's head; wherever she swayed, their gazes followed.

Ye Zhenzhen straightened her body, realizing that the atmosphere was not quite right. Uncertain of what had happened, Wang Zhaoyi's eyes were red, and there were still tears glistening in her gaze. Ji Wujiao stood in the pavilion, his expression calm.

Fan Chun is the most capable person by Lady Li's side; this palace maid is somewhat intelligent and can be considered half of Lady Li's strategist. The other half is Lady Zhuang, but unfortunately, she now seems to have the intention of raising her own banner and claiming her own territory.

However, she miscalculated... How could Lady Li Fei possibly be an ordinary person

The Wanshou Festival provides such a wonderful opportunity for playing the zither to celebrate longevity. In terms of zither performance, there is no one in the entire harem who can match her. The plan was going smoothly until Ye Zhenzhen summoned that goddess-like dancer.

Ye Zhenzhen originally intended to annoy Ji Wujiao, but inadvertently harmed someone—Li Fei

The close maid of Lady Li, Fan Chun, hesitated as she looked at Su Yue, "Your Highness..." After all, this is someone close to the Empress; haven't you offended enough people in the harem already

The plan to regain the emperor's favor failed, and that night, the emperor turned over the card of Consort Wang.

But what is that faint sense of guilt in my heart

Su Yue's expression changed suddenly, and she hurriedly knelt down, "Your Highness, please do not be angry! It is all the fault of this servant, a thousand mistakes and ten thousand errors are mine. Your Highness, your situation in this harem is perilous, and there are many who see you as a thorn in their side. The Emperor cannot protect you, so you must not act impulsively and disrupt the situation..."

Your Highness, please do not be angry. It was I who first provoked Lady Li. In the future, I will certainly be cautious in my words and actions, so as not to cause you any worry

At this moment, with the autumn wind rustling and the grasses withering, what is he doing at Bixin Pavilion? Is he unable to think clearly?

In the midst of a futile spring, I let out a long sigh, gathered all my strength, and with a sharp "crack," I delivered a crisp slap.

Ji Wujiao's expression was calm, "The Empress can see for herself."

"What a lovely pair of wild mandarin ducks!" Ye Zhenzhen sincerely praised

The Queen is exempt from formalities

In fact, Su Yue being reprimanded for such a mistake is somewhat unjust. Although it is customary for palace maids to pay great respect when encountering a consort, she is a senior maid beside the Empress, and today she is here to deliver the Empress's rewards. Therefore, a simple bow would suffice, and generally, consorts would not pursue the matter further. While the rules of the palace are strict, not every single one must be adhered to.

Li Fei was very afraid of losing the emperor's favor, and indeed, the emperor's attitude towards her had been noticeably colder than usual. She was plotting how to eliminate Xian Fei while also trying to find ways to regain Ji Wu Jiu's attention.

Upon hearing these words, Su Yue felt an ominous premonition and quickly knelt down, "Your Highness, please do not be angry. The maidservants of Kun Ning Palace were personally trained by Aunt Tan, who is by the Empress Dowager's side, and they are naturally well-versed in etiquette. I was in a hurry to deliver the rewards to Your Highness and, in my haste, neglected Your Highness. I humbly ask for Your Highness's forgiveness"

Su Yue was at a loss for words. She felt that today it was her own thoughtless remarks that led to her being reprimanded, and being struck twice could be considered a lesson. The Empress was now in an awkward position; she could no longer cause trouble and add to the Empress's burdens. Therefore, in the afternoon, she chose to keep her distance, leaving Su Feng and another senior maid to attend to the Empress. Unexpectedly, after asking Su Feng a couple of questions, the Empress grew suspicious. Su Feng, feeling that Su Yue had been wronged, became anxious and revealed everything, tearfully pleading with the Empress to take Su Yue's side.

Your servant pays her respects to Your Majesty

Su Yue was actually being intentional. Although she had a calm demeanor and often advised Su Feng not to act impulsively, she was still young and hot-tempered. She did not like the beautiful concubine and thought to vent her frustration verbally, seeking to relieve the Empress's anger. She calculated that since she was on the Empress's side, others would not dare to treat her poorly, as one must consider the owner when dealing with a dog.

"If she hits you, she is hitting me," Ye Zhenzhen said with a cold smile. "Regardless of anything, I am the Empress. Anyone who dares to bully those from Kun Ning Palace is truly tired of living!"

The Emperor actually ordered her to stop playing the zither ahead of time, which was the first time this had happened since she entered the palace

In other words, since the time the virtuous consort entered the palace, she has had more instances of serving the emperor than he has had with her.

On the stone table lay several sheets of rice paper, upon which unfinished paintings were displayed. Ye Zhenzhen approached and glanced at a particular piece, rich in ink and brushwork, depicting a vast scene of autumn waters, which was painted by Ji Wujiao; another piece illustrated a pair of mandarin ducks sleeping entwined among withered grass, presumably the work of Wang Zhaoyi

Feng Youde led Ye Zhenzhen down the stone steps. As Ye Zhenzhen approached the shore and took a look, she thought to herself, "People are dying every few days, and each one looks worse than the last. This life is unbearable."

This Ye Zhenzhen is simply like a spell

As the heart that had fallen with the bright moon was being lifted again, just as one was about to offer counsel, at that moment, a eunuch from the Qianqing Palace came to deliver an imperial decree, stating that the Emperor wished for the Empress to meet him at the Bixin Pavilion

As long as it is a matter concerning Ji Wujiao coming to the door, it will never be a good thing. Ye Zhenzhen made such a mental preparation and immediately went to Bixin Pavilion