Hearing this, the official’s expression immediately changed, guilt flashing across his face. Clearly, the emperor had seen through everything.
It was obvious that all these ministers harbored ulterior motives—not that they doubted whether the Heavenly Maiden truly possessed skills, but they feared she might uncover their own wrongdoings.
Indeed, bringing this pair of siblings to the palace had been a wise decision. All they desired was the prestigious title of “Heavenly Maiden” and “Imperial Mentor.” It was merely a title, after all. If they could genuinely serve the emperor while holding such titles, it would be even better.
From that day onward, no minister dared to question Yun Shang and Ah Du. Whenever they appeared in the palace, respect was shown immediately. The emperor even built a new residence, the “Heavenly Mechanism Palace,” for the two of them to live in.
Ah Du remained as diligent as ever. The palace provided everything he could possibly need, and combined with the skills he had learned from the old man, his abilities continued to grow steadily.
Meanwhile, Yun Shang would stroll around the palace in her free time, curious to see if she could encounter anyone interesting.
“Your Highness, lately His Majesty spends so much time in the Heavenly Mechanism Palace, claiming to discuss important matters with the Heavenly Maiden and Imperial Mentor. Yet I fear things are not as simple as they seem. From afar, I once glimpsed the Heavenly Maiden—so graceful and beautiful. Could it be that His Majesty has other intentions?”
A palace consort, dressed in fine attire, wandered through the imperial garden, her face troubled. Clearly, she had no mind to appreciate the blooming flowers around her.
Hearing the palace maid whisper such concerns, her frustration only grew. These were exactly the thoughts she had been harboring herself—now spoken aloud by another.
“Silence! If His Majesty hears such talk, it could cause trouble. Haven’t you noticed he has been completely captivated by that pair of siblings?”
Wei Yao frowned and interrupted impatiently. At this point, complaining or speculating was useless; there was no way to pull the emperor back.
It was strange indeed—how could a single trip to the countryside result in bringing back a Heavenly Maiden and Imperial Mentor? And claiming that they possessed extraordinary abilities… yet why did he fail to notice anything unusual about them? Surely the emperor had been dazzled by the girl’s beauty, and so whatever she said became his will.
For a long time, Wei Yao had been thinking this way. Before the emperor went to the countryside, she had been the most favored consort in the harem. But now…
The emperor spent almost all his time in the Heavenly Mechanism Palace with the Heavenly Maiden and Imperial Mentor, neglecting her for nearly half a month.
When a favored consort is suddenly ignored, the treatment she once enjoyed disappears, especially with other consorts mocking or looking down on her. Wei Yao had always been proud and high-minded—how could she tolerate such indignity?
Moreover, she had responsibilities to her own family. Raised as the daughter of a high-ranking family, cherished since childhood, entering the palace had been a lesson in the world’s harsh realities.
When favored, she had been elevated above all others, receiving respect and attention. Now, deprived of that favor, she felt the gap acutely—a sudden fall from privilege, a shock to her accustomed life.
“Earlier, you said you glimpsed the Heavenly Maiden from afar. Did you truly see what she looks like, what kind of person she is? Is she really so beautiful? Does she really possess such wondrous abilities?”
Annoyed, Wei Yao plucked a flower in full bloom and began pulling its petals one by one, letting them fall carelessly to the ground.
“I did not see the Heavenly Maiden’s face clearly, only from afar. But her figure… she is indeed a young and beautiful woman,” the palace maid replied hesitantly.
“Qing’er, do you think the Heavenly Maiden is more beautiful than me? The emperor once said I am the most beautiful woman in the harem. Could it be that because she is more beautiful, His Majesty’s heart no longer belongs to me?”
Wei Yao’s confidence in her own appearance made the slight all the more unbearable. Now, with a woman drawing even more attention than her, it felt like a bitter pill.
“I dare not speak so, my lady. I did not see the Heavenly Maiden’s face clearly. From what I observed, you, my lady, are still the most beautiful. The emperor said the Heavenly Maiden and Imperial Mentor are celestial beings, capable of wondrous feats for His Majesty’s service. That is why he values them, nothing more, nothing less,” Qing’er tried to comfort her mistress.
Having grown up pampered in the noble household and once favored by the emperor, Wei Yao must have felt the sting of sudden neglect. She hadn’t even seen the Heavenly Maiden’s face fully, but her figure alone implied extraordinary beauty.
“You don’t need to soothe me. I suspect the Heavenly Maiden is indeed very beautiful. I’ve never believed she or the Imperial Mentor possess any extraordinary powers. The emperor merely desires her beauty, and keeps her in the palace to satisfy her. That’s all,” Wei Yao said with a dismissive smile.
Having spent so long in the palace, she understood the emperor’s temperament. To appease a beauty, he could do the most ridiculous things. Wei Yao herself had experienced such favors once, receiving countless rewards for pleasing him.
It was only because she had once enjoyed so much that her sudden deprivation now felt so jarring. Born a noble lady, once the most favored consort in the harem, she had assumed life would always be bright and favorable—but now everything had been snatched away.
“The flowers bloom so beautifully, yet my lady seems troubled, tearing each petal in half. Do you not feel it is a waste?”
As Wei Yao lost herself in her thoughts, a sudden fragrance caught her attention. Before she realized it, the flower in her hand had been taken by the young woman before her.
“How dare you! How dare you snatch something from me!”
Wei Yao’s eyes flared with anger, her long-suppressed frustrations finding an outlet.
The young woman before her was not dressed like a consort, and her face was stunningly beautiful. A bad premonition stirred in Wei Yao’s heart.
Who could roam freely in the palace like this, if not a consort? Could this woman… be the emperor’s so-called Heavenly Maiden?