They had not been sitting in the Madam of Nanning’s small courtyard for long before Qingshuang rushed in, a look of urgency on her face. However, upon seeing her own mistress, she forced herself to regain her composure.
“What has happened?” The Madam of Nanning turned her gaze, her eyes shimmering with curiosity.
“In response to the Madam… nothing much has happened. It is just that Miss Ningning has woken up and is currently crying.”
Yu Yihe’s fingers, which were holding her teacup, suddenly twitched. She cast a glance at Qingshuang, then set down her cup and rose to take her leave.
“My daughter has quite a wake-up temper. I shall head back first, sister.”
The Madam of Nanning suspected nothing. She had a maid pack the clothes they had just selected, handed them to Qingshuang, and briskly saw her guests out. The mistress and servant walked out of the small courtyard and traveled along the bluestone path for a long while. Yu Yihe scanned the surroundings, and only when she was certain no one was around did she stop and ask in a low voice:
“Speak. What exactly happened?”
Her daughter, Ningning, had been well-behaved since birth; she had never once displayed a “wake-up temper.” Since Qingshuang had said those words, there must be a reason. Yu Yihe did not intend to wait until they returned to her own room to ask; that place truly had ears in the walls and was not necessarily any safer than the outdoors.
As expected, Qingshuang scanned the area once more. After confirming that there were only low shrubs where no one could hide, her expression instantly darkened. Her previous composure had clearly been a facade.
“Miss, I just overheard the conversation between Madam and Consort Zhaoyuan…”
Yu Yihe’s heart sank abruptly. She suddenly recalled the fragments of conversation she had heard earlier in the courtyard. Her intuition told her that what Qingshuang had heard was likely related to those words. She calmly signaled for Qingshuang to continue.
“Go on.”
“Miss, Madam and the Master plan to have you… have you…”
“Have me marry again?”
This was something Yu Yihe had considered long ago, and it was also her guess as to why Madam Yu had suddenly brought her to Qiqing Garden. With many high-ranking officials and nobles currently in the garden, it was clearly an opportune time for a match. Yet, despite all her conjectures, she never expected to hear the answer that came from Qingshuang’s lips.
She was utterly shocked: “Have me serve…”
Yu Yihe could not even bring herself to say those two words. She turned away, frowning as she muttered, “How could a man of his stature ever want someone like me to serve him?”
Setting aside the fact that the ruler of the world could have any woman he desired—and would hardly take an interest in a widow with a daughter—he was her younger sister’s husband. She would never harbor even a shred of such intent.
Thinking of this, Yu Yihe turned back abruptly and questioned Qingshuang closely, wondering if there was some hidden detail. But the answer she received only deepened her disappointment.
“Consort Zhaoyuan said some words to the effect that His Majesty didn’t seem very interested in meeting you this time, and that it might not work. She definitely knows about this plan.”
So, her mother and sister really intended to push her to serve the Emperor? But why? If the family still wanted to send a daughter into the palace, her cousin from her second uncle’s house would reach the age of hair-pinning in two or three years. They could simply send her.
Seeing the doubt on her mistress’s face, Qingshuang hesitated for a moment before dropping a hint: “I seemed to hear mention of a child, and the fact that you, Miss, have already given birth.”
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Yu Yihe. She thought of Consort Zhaoyuan, who had revealed her own struggles with conceiving. All the confusion of the past few days seemed to find an explanation.
According to protocol, candidates for the imperial harem were required to be virgins, but the Emperor did not need to follow such rules when taking additional consorts. In the annals of history, it was not uncommon for emperors to take women who had been married before. King Huiwen of Qin had taken Queen Dowager Mi when she already had a son; Emperor Jing of Han’s Empress Wang had a daughter before entering the palace… While such instances were fewer in the recent two dynasties, it was not considered overly scandalous.
Her sister’s body was damaged, making it difficult to conceive again, while she herself had successfully given birth to a daughter and was in good health. In her parents’ eyes, entering the palace to bear a child on her sister’s behalf was the most “suitable” arrangement!
Having realized all this, Yu Yihe could not help but recoil two steps. She had always known her parents were biased, but she never imagined their bias reached such an extent. Every single time, they managed to make her heart grow even colder!
Because her younger sister could not conceive, they wanted to use her womb to bear a child? Had they ever considered how many women perished within those deep palace walls? Had they thought about the pain of a mother being separated from her daughter if she were sent into the palace? Yu Yihe was both grief-stricken and enraged, her body trembling slightly, rendered speechless for a time.
However, it didn’t take long for Yu Yihe’s emotions to level out. One grows resilient after suffering enough. Once she calmed down, she couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. “They want me in the palace, but would that person even be interested?”
Yu Yihe was no fool. She quickly realized this might just be the wishful thinking of her parents and sister. Yet, she froze for a heartbeat as she recalled that person’s past behavior. A few moments later, she said, “…Even if that weren’t the case, I have plenty of ways.”
Making someone care might be difficult, but making someone lose interest was very simple.
But before that, Yu Yihe intended to wait and see. She wanted to see exactly what methods those people would use to push her into that person’s sight.
She casually brushed her fingertips past the corners of her eyes, and that faint trace of moisture vanished into the air.
“Qingshuang, do not let a third person know of this. Let us go back.”
“I understand.”
No one knew a mistress better than her servant. Having grown up with Yu Yihe, Qingshuang knew what her mistress meant with just a single look. Furthermore, regarding such a grave matter, she wouldn’t utter a single word even if her mistress hadn’t instructed her.
The two continued their walk back as if nothing had happened. They encountered a grand procession on the road and offered a bow from a distance to let them pass.
After they left, the woman in opulent robes sitting atop the palanquin took a deep sniff of a small jade vial held between her slender fingers before asking lazily, “Who was that just now?”
the maid beside her carefully observed the surroundings and replied after a moment of thought: “In response to Your Highness, the nearest courtyard belongs to the Nanning Earl’s Residence. However, that was not the Madam of Nanning. His Majesty issued an imperial decree a while ago permitting Consort Zhaoyuan’s relatives to enter the garden for a visit. That should be the second daughter of the Yu family.”
Consort Rong still had some memory of this. She leaned back, the corners of her lips curling. “Ah, so it was Yu Yi Fu’s second sister who was driven back home. Her story was discussed in the palace for quite some time back then…”
She bowed her head to take another sniff of the jade vial, her expression rapturous, yet her speech remained unimpeded: “His Majesty’s pity is a grace, and we as consorts should simply be grateful. Yet she actually went and called people in; that is rather nonsensical.”
The head maid, Ding Xiang, echoed with a sneer: “Your Highness is right. I still remember how embarrassed Consort Zhaoyuan was at the time; she didn’t step out of her door to see anyone for an entire month.”
“Hahaha~”
The laughter faded away amidst the summer cicadas’ chirping.