There were never any secrets in the backyard; even the slightest rustle of leaves would be carried to every corner. By the next day, the entire household knew about the chance encounter between Li Wanran, Concubine Zhang, and the Fourth Prince in the garden the night before.
The part where the Fourth Prince carried Li Wanran all the way back to her courtyard, in particular, became the viral sensation of the year among the eunuchs and maids. Everyone spoke as if they had witnessed it with their own eyes.
“Mistress, you have no idea how much face that woman Zhang lost yesterday.”
Jinxing walked in carrying a tray of pastries and placed them on the table near Concubine Yi, speaking with a tone of pure schadenfreude. There was a look of immense satisfaction on her face, as if a great grudge had finally been settled.
Sitting at the table with an embroidery hoop in hand, Concubine Yi continued her work without looking up. She simply asked tonelessly, “What happened?”
Seeing that her mistress was interested, Jinxing excitedly shared the news she had gathered. “The sweeping maids in the garden said that Mistress Li and Lady Zhang ran into the Fourth Prince at the same time yesterday. But when it was time to leave, the Fourth Prince carried Mistress Li all the way back. As for Zhang…” Jinxing paused and let out a scoff before continuing, “The Fourth Prince didn’t pay her any mind at all. She had to walk back all by herself.”
As she spoke, Jinxing glanced through the half-open window toward Zhang’s eastern wing, her eyes filled with undisguised mockery.
In the past, Zhang had relied on the fact that she was slightly more favored than Concubine Yi and held more favor with Mistress Song. Every time she visited their quarters, she acted as if she owned the place. Whenever there was dirty or heavy work in her own rooms, she wouldn’t use her own servants but would instead order Jinxing around. Whenever they refused, Zhang would stand in front of their door and say nasty things just to disgust them. Therefore, hearing that Zhang had been humiliated brought Jinxing more joy than she could describe.
Hearing this, Concubine Yi slowly stopped her needlework and sat on her stool, lost in thought. No wonder Zhang had returned in such a rage last night, making a huge racket in her rooms. Moreover, usually at this hour, Zhang would have dressed herself up and rushed off to Mistress Song’s quarters. But now…
Yi lowered her eyelashes to hide the smile in her eyes. Zhang was being so quiet it was unlike her. As for Mistress Li… the image of Li Wanran appeared in Yi’s mind, and a faint smile touched her lips. She really hadn’t misjudged her yesterday.
Suddenly, Jinxing seemed to remember something else. She lowered her voice and leaned in close to Yi’s ear. “By the way, it’s said that back in the garden, Zhang wouldn’t let go of Mistress Li, which caused Mistress Li to twist her ankle.” Jinxing straightened up, looking disgusted. “That Zhang woman can never just behave herself.”
Now, looking at the momentum Mistress Li had gained, she was bound to rise in this backyard. Jinxing wanted to see how arrogant Zhang could be after this. At the thought that Zhang might no longer be able to torment her and Concubine Yi, Jinxing couldn’t suppress the upward curve of her lips.
It was only when Jinxing mentioned the twisted ankle that a visible reaction appeared on Concubine Yi’s face. She raised an eyebrow, set her embroidery hoop on the table, and walked into the inner room. Looking back at the confused Jinxing, she said softly, “Help me change my clothes. We are going to visit Mistress Li in a moment.”
“Yes.”
Just as Concubine Yi reached the entrance of Li Wanran’s courtyard, she ran into Mistress Song, who was just leaving.
She curtsied. “Greetings, Mistress Song.”
Song nodded with a gentle smile. “Are you here to visit Sister Li as well? I won’t take up your time then. Go on in; she is free right now.”
Yi didn’t say much. She nodded to Song and went inside. Once Yi had entered, Song and her maid began to walk away. At that moment, the gentle and pleasant smile that had been on Song’s face vanished completely, replaced by a look of indifference.
Her maid, Tinghe, looked back and rolled her eyes. “That Yi woman is far too sycophantic. She was never this proactive with us before.”
Song listened and simply said airily, “Don’t speak nonsense.” There was no actual hint of a rebuke in her tone.
Tinghe continued with a look of disdain, “That Mistress Li doesn’t look like a good sort either.”
She’s just a vixen! The Fourth Prince just got back, and she couldn’t wait to run out and seduce him, Tinghe thought indignantly. However, she was a bit confused and looked at Song. “Mistress, when you went to see her, you could have just brought anything. Why did you have to give away that ivory carving of the twelve zodiac signs? That was your…”
“Since when do I need to explain my actions to you?” Song interrupted her impatiently.
Tinghe was so frightened she immediately knelt to admit her fault. Song only gave her a cold glance before walking away. Recalling the gift she had given the Li woman, a flash of triumph appeared in Song’s eyes. She hoped the girl wouldn’t disappoint her “kindness.”
Inside, Concubine Yi was sitting on the daybed chatting with Li Wanran. Both were intent on narrowing the distance between them, and the atmosphere in the room was very pleasant. After hearing Li Wanran say that her injury wasn’t serious, Yi’s gaze fell on the scrolls on the low table that Wanran hadn’t yet put away.
Filled with curiosity, she asked, “I saw this scroll the moment I sat down. I’m quite curious; what kind of painting is it? May I see?”
It was just a painting; Li Wanran wasn’t so petty. Hearing the request, she handed it over directly. “It’s nothing. Look if you wish. It’s a landscape of Jiangnan. Mistress Song brought it when she visited this morning. She brought several things, saying that since it’s inconvenient for me to move around right now, she was afraid I’d be bored and gave them to me to pass the time.”
Yi slowly unrolled the painting, and the unique charm of Jiangnan immediately leapt out at her. The scene depicted a small Jiangnan village shrouded in misty rain. Various pedestrians traveled the country roads, and villagers were working in the fields near the settlement.
She rolled the painting back up and returned it to the table, praising, “Though this isn’t the work of a famous master, it is very well done. Mistress Song was very thoughtful.”
Li Wanran nodded and joked, “I’ll be relying on studying this painting to kill time in the coming days.”
Though she was joking, it was practically the truth. She couldn’t let her foot touch the ground; it hurt the moment she tried. She sincerely hoped the medicinal wine the physician gave her last night would help her heal quickly. Otherwise, it would truly interfere with her business. Her “Great Conquest Plan” had only just begun. Although… although there had been a tiny error so far, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t a big problem; she could still keep things steady!
Yi let out a soft laugh and pulled out a pale pink butterfly-shaped sachet from her person, placing it before Li Wanran. “I embroidered this a few days ago. It’s filled with some calming spices. Take a look; is it passable?”
Seeing the sachet, Li Wanran’s eyes lit up. She picked it up to examine it closely, her eyes full of genuine liking. “You embroidered this so beautifully. The butterfly looks like it’s real.”
Embarrassed by the praise, Yi lowered her head slightly with a smile. “I’m glad you like it. I have no other skills; only this embroidery is worth showing.”
“It’s more than worth showing!” Li Wanran looked at the sachet over and over, reluctant to look away. When she saw Yi’s expression as if it were nothing special, she really wanted to reach out and shake her shoulders. She wanted to shout in Yi’s ear that in the modern world, she could have become filthy rich with this level of skill.
Seeing that Li Wanran’s appreciation of her work was without a hint of pretense, Yi was exceptionally happy. She was glad that something she had worked hard on had been recognized. At this moment, the politeness on her face was no longer just a surface-level courtesy.
With a beaming smile, Yi said, “If you like it, I’ll make you a few more in different styles tomorrow.”
Li Wanran quickly shook her head and reached out to stop her. “Don’t busy yourself. This is fine work that drains the heart and soul. This little butterfly is enough for me.” With that, she tilted her head and dangled the sachet in front of Yi.
Back at home, Li Wanran had also learned needlework. Though her skills were average, she knew exactly how much strain a good piece of embroidery put on the eyes. Therefore, she could only refuse Yi’s kindness. After all, her skin wasn’t that thick.
After refusing, to prevent awkwardness, Li Wanran immediately changed the subject. She handed the painting on the table to Banxia and instructed, “Go and put this painting away. Once you’ve done that, go to the kitchen and get some pastries.” After entertaining two groups of people in one morning, she had talked herself into a state of hunger.
She then looked at Concubine Yi and asked about her preferences. “Is there anything you’d like to eat? I’ll have Banxia bring a few plates.”
Yi shook her head, saying she would eat anything. Only after Li Wanran confirmed multiple times that she wasn’t just being polite did she let Banxia leave.
As they were talking, Yi suddenly turned to look out the window for a while. She pointed at a person outside and asked, “Sister Li, is that maid one of yours?”
Li Wanran followed her finger and saw Caiwei sitting at the stone table in the courtyard, embroidering something. She looked at Yi with confusion. “You mean Caiwei? What about her?” Is something going on? Wanran thought with a slight headache.
After seeing Caiwei’s performance last night, she had stopped letting her into the room to serve. She could understand Caiwei’s behavior before the Fourth Prince arrived; after all, everyone wanted to climb higher. There was nothing to criticize there. Thus, even though she knew Caiwei was looking for a chance to transfer, Wanran had never said a word to her. But as the one being “abandoned” by Caiwei, she was also allowed to be dissatisfied and stop trusting her, right?
Hearing Li Wanran’s confusion, Yi withdrew her gaze and smiled. “It’s nothing. I just suddenly remembered seeing her several times in the courtyard where I live.”
Li Wanran breathed a small sigh of relief; as long as there was no drama. She picked up her teacup and took a small sip before saying nonchalantly, “Young girls are playful. When they get to a new place, they inevitably find everything fresh and exciting.” However, remembering everything that had happened recently, she felt that Caiwei was an unstable factor. It seemed she needed to find an opportunity to let her leave.
Then, she was suddenly embarrassed by her own words. Young girl? She sounded as if she were ancient. No matter what, this lady would be forever young!
Yi was also amused by her words. “If someone heard what you just said without knowing the context, they would think it was spoken by someone over fifty. Who would imagine the person saying it is still a young girl herself?”
Li Wanran pretended to be embarrassed and covered her face with her handkerchief, which only made Yi laugh harder. When Banxia returned with the food box, she entered to find them laughing together in a heap.
While Li Wanran was having a delightful time with the young beauty, things were not so wonderful on Yinzhen’s side.
Because he had missed Consort De when he went to see her yesterday, he had rushed to her palace early this morning to pay his respects. This time he saw her, but there was a constant, uncomfortable atmosphere lingering between mother and son. To ease the tension, Yinzhen took the initiative to mention some interesting things that happened while he was away on business.
But no matter what he said, Consort De simply offered a faint smile, sitting in her seat above him while holding her teacup steadily. The most she said was, “Is that so?” or “That’s quite good.” She looked like a simple, smiling puppet, being utterly perfunctory.
Yinzhen couldn’t keep pressing his warm face against her cold attitude forever. Seeing that his throat was dry from talking while Consort De remained unresponsive, not even offering a word of concern, he lost the desire to continue. With a cold face, he mimicked her by picking up his teacup and sitting silently in his chair, like a child waiting for his parents to notice he was unhappy.
The two of them truly didn’t look like a mother and son who hadn’t seen each other in a long time. They looked more like strangers who had met up for a casual tea tasting. The head maid serving Consort De wanted to step in to smooth things over, but remembering the stubborn natures of both masters, she didn’t know what to say.
While the maid was still struggling with the situation, a crisp voice came from outside: “Mother!”
Along with the voice came a fast-running little toddler. The moment he heard the voice, Yinzhen immediately looked at Consort De. Sure enough, the indifferent expression that had been on her face was gone. Her eyes were instantly filled with love, and her face was covered in smiles.
Seeing this, a storm seemed to erupt in Yinzhen’s eyes. He quickly lowered his gaze, not wanting anyone to see his loss of composure. However, his hand gripped his teacup so tightly it looked as if he might crush it.
The little toddler rushed straight to Consort De like a kite with its string cut. She hurried to stand up and support him, afraid he would fall. “Look at you, you little monkey. Why are you running so fast? What if you fall? Look at all this sweat.” Consort De gently scolded the child while using her handkerchief to tenderly wipe the sweat from his forehead.
“I missed Mother. I wanted to see Mother sooner,” the little fatty said, acting spoiled in her arms. These words made Consort De’s heart feel like it was overflowing with honey, and her gaze toward the boy grew even softer.
Yinzhen sat expressionless in his chair, quietly watching this scene of motherly love that made him want to laugh out loud. He sneered in his heart: Mother, I’m afraid you’ve forgotten there’s another son sitting in this hall.
The two of them, deep in their private conversation, truly seemed to have forgotten the other person in the room. Consort De patted Yinti’s face and looked at the maid. “Go to the small kitchen and bring up all the snacks I had them prepare for the Little Prince.”
“I want to eat Steamed Milk Skin with Sugar,” Yinti added quickly, afraid he’d miss out.
Consort De looked at his greedy expression and tapped his forehead. “What’s the rush? Since when does Mother not have your favorite snacks ready?”
The maid who had received the order didn’t leave immediately. She hesitated for a moment before slowly looking at Yinzhen, who had become like invisible air. “Does the Fourth Prince have anything he’d like to eat? I will bring it for you as well.”
Hearing this, Consort De realized she had neglected her eldest son, and her face became a bit uncomfortable. She retracted her smile, cleared her throat twice, and looked at Yinzhen. “Whatever you want to eat, just say the word. I’ll have the kitchen make it for you.”
Standing beside her, Yinti took advantage of the fact that Consort De couldn’t see and made several faces at Yinzhen. He had intentionally pretended not to see his Fourth Brother just now; after all, every time his brother saw him, he had a cold face. He didn’t act like an older brother at all. Eighth Brother and Ninth Brother were much easier to talk to and more fun! Especially after seeing how Fifth Brother and Ninth Brother got along, he was even more dissatisfied with his own Fourth Brother.
Yinzhen only gave him a cold look and said nothing. He stood up and said in a deep voice, “I had breakfast before I came. I won’t trouble Mother. It is getting late, so I shall return.”
The moment he finished, a voice spoke up beside his ear with undisguised haste. “Fine, then Mother won’t keep you.”
The head maid, Mother Li, took a deep breath, feeling exhausted. She looked at Consort De and thought speechlessly: My Lady, why did you say that so fast? It’s as if you were afraid the Fourth Prince wouldn’t know you were hoping he’d leave. She looked helplessly at the Fourth Prince. Sure enough, his face was even colder.
Consort De also realized what she said was a bit inappropriate, but she only cleared her throat and made no move to fix it. Yinzhen struggled to restrain his anger, gritting his teeth as he said, “I take my leave.”
With that, he turned and left without looking back.
Su Peisheng, who was waiting outside, looked up to see his master striding out with a dark face, walking straight past him. Carrying a heart full of anxiety, Su Peisheng hurried to follow. After returning to the Prince’s quarters, Yinzhen locked himself in his study alone and forbade anyone from entering to serve.
Su Peisheng stood guard outside the study door. He shook his head and sighed secretly. For all these years, every time the Fourth Prince went to pay his respects at the Palace of Eternal Harmony, he would return fuming seven times out of ten. He didn’t know how long he would be angry this time…