Just then, the carriage sent by the palace to pick up Yun Wu arrived.
"Wu'er, your elder sister was wrong today. I will punish her severely. Go to the palace with peace of mind. If you need anything in the future, just tell the family—I will support you fully! Someone! Confine the eldest young lady to her courtyard! She is not to take a single step outside until she is married!"
Yun Qingnan spoke while enduring the unbearable itching all over his body, then instructed the steward to withdraw two thousand taels of silver from the accounts for Yun Wu to take with her.
One thousand taels, doubled directly to two thousand.
Having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time Yun Wu had received such a generous benefit from her father's hands.
"Father, no need to see me off. Please hurry and summon a physician to treat you!"
As Yun Wu said this, her gaze swept past Madam Wen and Yun Liao, who dared not speak but could only glare at her with vicious hatred. She accepted the banknotes with neither humility nor arrogance.
Only as she turned to leave did a cold smile curl at the corners of her lips.
Even living a second life, her elder sister remained just as foolish.
Yun Liao had wanted to use the drugged pastries to make her break out in red rashes all over her body after entering the palace, to humiliate her—even hoping her skin would ulcerate and cause the emperor to abandon her in disgust, or have her thrown directly into the Lenggong to wither away on her own…
What she hadn't expected was that the pastries had been turned against her instead!
That drug typically took two to three hours to take effect.
But if paired with tea, a certain component in the tea leaves would cause the drug to take effect immediately.
Today, she had first said a few pleasant words to her father, then offered him two cups of tea, and made both him and her stepmother fall into the trap.
Aside from the unbearable itching all over, their skin would ulcerate for several days before healing.
This was not only a small act of revenge against them, but also ensured her father would forever hold a grudge against her elder sister from now on.
At this moment, there was no one else around.
Tuan Jiao couldn't help but say in a low voice, somewhat gleefully: "The master has been deceived by the eldest young lady for so long—this time he's finally seen her true colors!"
"I wouldn't be so sure," Yuan Rong muttered in disagreement. "Maybe he's just suddenly had a moment of conscience toward our young lady!"
Hearing this, Yun Wu couldn't help but find it amusing as she glanced at her two maidservants.
"Father is merely driven by self-interest."
Her tone was indifferent, carrying a hint of mockery. "Did he not know before how vicious the eldest sister was? No—he knew perfectly well."
"Otherwise, today, the moment I said the poisoned pastries had been swapped by the eldest sister, he wouldn't have believed it without even investigating."
"Because he knows the eldest sister is exactly the kind of person who would do such a thing to me."
"It's just that in the past, the eldest sister's viciousness was mostly directed at me and never harmed him, so naturally he treated it as none of his business and looked the other way."
"But today, he was the one harmed. Father is petty and small-minded—he will surely hold a grudge against the eldest sister from now on. That's the first thing."
"The second is that if those pastries had been brought into the palace by me—whether I ate them or shared them with the other three entering the palace with me—when the poison took effect, my being thrown into the Lenggong would be the lesser concern. The greater concern would be the Yun family being charged with attempting to sow chaos in the imperial harem and harm the emperor."
"Father is a man of humble origins who has clawed his way through officialdom for a decade or two. He only barely obtained his current power and position. How could he tolerate the eldest sister ruining things and destroying everything he worked so hard to achieve?"
"Not to mention, the other three entering the palace with me are all daughters of high ministers. If something happened to them along with me, would the families behind them let Father off?"
"With such consequences, Father isn't stupid. As long as he thinks it through, he'll know how to treat the eldest sister from now on."
Yun Wu could almost be certain that after today, it would be difficult for Yun Liao to get any benefit from her father again.
As for the matter of Yun Liao trying to harm her time and again, there was no need for Yun Wu to personally seek revenge.
Evil people will be dealt with by other evil people.
Once Yun Liao married into that bizarre Qi family with its mountain of scandals and filth, she'd have plenty to suffer.
As they spoke, they arrived at the mansion's front gate.
The palace carriage was already waiting.
Yun Wu lifted her skirt and was just about to step onto the mounting stool when she saw a tall, slender figure approaching.
The newcomer wore a set of clean but old clothes, with handsome features and a refined, scholarly bearing. Upon catching sight of her, he seemed caught off guard, his steps faltering slightly.
It was Qi Jinxiu.
He appeared to be here looking for Yun Liao.
Yun Wu merely glanced at him once and was about to board the carriage.
"Wu'er."
Qi Jinxiu suddenly called out to her, his tone deliberately profound: "Once you enter the palace gates, it's as deep as the sea. Today you may be adorned in flowers and brocade, but tomorrow the flames may burn hot beneath your cauldron… Take care of yourself!"
Hearing these words, Yun Wu abruptly turned around.
She looked at him, one eyebrow raised, and a conjecture suddenly leapt into her mind.
Qi Jinxiu had also been reborn!
Otherwise, where would he find the audacity to break off his engagement with her?
It was simply that he believed that with his experience from his previous life, even without her help in pointing out the key points, he could rely on his past-life memories to once again become a powerful minister, rise to Shoufu, and ascend smoothly to the peak of his career…
Especially since in his previous life, although he was a powerful minister, he had been suppressed by her at every turn—he hadn't even dared to take a concubine.
Now, naturally, he wanted to be rid of her, to hold a beautiful wife and lovely concubines in his arms, and enjoy all the pleasures of a man with multiple wives.
A faint, mocking smile curled at the corner of Yun Wu's lips.
Unfortunately, even with a second life, in the end he would only come to see one reality—without her, he was nothing!
At that moment, Qi Jinxiu saw Yun Wu smiling at him with such delicate beauty, and his heart stirred.
He thought to himself, she truly still loved him, unable to let him go.
"Wu'er, the fate between us has run its course. Don't cling to it with too much sorrow. Once you enter the palace, keep a low profile—perhaps you can still preserve a thread of hope for survival," Qi Jinxiu said gently.
Yun Liao and Yun Wu had exchanged their lives.
Yun Liao's ending in her previous life was the fate that awaited Yun Wu from now on—of this, he was deeply convinced.
"You and your legitimate elder sister truly are a perfect match."
—The fate has run its course.
The two of them had said the same words.
One could only wish those two be bound together forever.
As for his self-flattering delusion, Yun Wu merely responded with this cold, mocking remark, then gave him not a single extra glance. Stepping onto the mounting stool, she entered the carriage, cutting off his gaze that feigned lingering attachment.
Soon, the carriage slowly began to move.
Having been thoroughly ignored, Qi Jinxiu seethed with anger inwardly, yet dared not say anything.
In any case, once he became the Shoufu of the court in the future, even if Yun Wu were still alive, she would have to bow her head and submit before him!
Before long, the carriage came to a stop at the imperial palace.
Yun Wu crossed paths with the other three newly conferred women.
"How is she here?"
The moment they caught sight of Yun Wu, the three exchanged glances, a tacit understanding passing between them.
Yun Wu naturally noticed.
However, she had always been composed and would not let the strange looks of others stir any ripples in her heart.
After all, she entered the palace for herself, not for anyone else.
"Honored ladies, please follow me."
At this moment, an older palace maid appeared, leading them toward the inner palace.
But soon everyone realized that the maid was bringing them to Qianqiu Dian on the western side of Yuhua Yuan—the very place where the Empress Dowager had celebrated her birthday just a few days prior.
Almost the moment she arrived, Yun Wu understood: the emperor was still brooding over what she had done to him that time, and he wanted to catch her off guard on this very first day of her entry into the palace, to drag out the audacious one who had dared such a thing.
But no.
First, it was not yet the time.
Second, the news Princess Pingyang had sent out—that the emperor was searching for her—had already spread throughout the harem, making her a thorn in the eyes of the imperial consorts.
She was newly arrived with no foundation whatsoever. If she were suddenly exposed, it would only make her path ahead extremely difficult.
Moreover, if he found her this easily, given the emperor's nature of favoring the new and tiring of the old, he would quickly grow weary of her.
Yun Wu could neither let the emperor know that the woman he sought was her, nor could she let him forget the matter and lose his desire to find her.
So she had to keep provoking him, making it impossible for him to forget her, vowing to find her no matter what.
For this, Yun Wu had already devised a plan.
"Honored ladies, please rest here for a while and enjoy some tea and refreshments. Chief Eunuch Chen of the Yuqian will arrive shortly—he has some questions for you."
After saying this inside the hall, the palace maid bowed and withdrew.
Leaving the others exchanging bewildered glances.
"What does he want to ask? Why hasn't he come yet? Since when does one get locked up like a criminal the moment they enter the palace?"
After waiting for a long while, Guan Yu, the eldest of the four, furrowed her spirited brows and spoke with displeasure.
Guan Yu had been conferred the rank of Pin, Zheng Wupin, the highest among the four.
She came from a military family and carried the straightforward, impatient temperament of one accustomed to martial arts.
"Who knows?"
To Guan Pin's left, a plump and charming young girl spoke up.
This girl was called Jiang Tian'er, conferred as a Meiren. She casually replied while stuffing dried fruit from the table into her mouth, utterly unconcerned.
She was Cong Wupin, half a rank above Yun Wu.
Beside her sat a woman with an air of scholarly refinement, as gentle as a flower reflected in still water. Her name was Cui Lianxing, conferred as Cong Liupin Guiren, the lowest rank among the four.
At this moment, she sat there drinking cup after cup of tea, seemingly disinclined to converse with anyone.
Yun Wu sat beside her, glanced at her, then picked up her own tea and took a sip, while her gaze swiftly swept over a burning incense burner in a corner not far from her.
Her fingertips brushed over the pearl strand around her neck, and with a subtle motion, she removed one "pearl" from it.
Then she set down her teacup, tilted her head slightly, and signaled Tuan Jiao with a look.
Tuan Jiao picked up the teapot to refill her tea.
Meanwhile, her fingertips quietly smeared something onto the handle of the teapot.
At that moment, Guiren Cui finished another cup, and her attendant Zhuxin behind her hurriedly picked up the teapot to pour her another.
But the moment she lifted it, her hand slipped—the entire teapot tilted spout-downward, and the scalding hot tea poured out toward Cui Lianxing!
At the critical moment, Yun Wu rose with lightning speed and pulled Cui Lianxing aside.
The steaming tea narrowly missed the two of them, splashing entirely onto the table.
In that instant, everyone's attention was drawn over.
"Are you two alright?"
Consort Guan and Jiang Meiren were both startled and quickly rose to inquire about the two's condition.
"No harm done—fortunately, Yun Cairen pulled me aside just in time."
Cui Guiren frowned slightly, stepping back from Yun Wu, then turned to Zhuxin with a displeased tone and demanded, "What's the matter with you?"
"Your servant… accidentally slipped!"
Having just entered the palace and already caused such a huge blunder, Zhuxin was on the verge of tears.
She had no idea that something had been smeared on the handle, and simply believed it was her own fault.
"She's young and has just entered the palace—she's probably still frightened inside. Fortunately, nothing happened, so let's spare her this once." Yun Wu spoke in a gentle tone, as if she hadn't noticed Cui Guiren's earlier distancing from her.
Hearing this, Zhuxin immediately looked at her with gratitude.
Consort Guan and Jiang Meiren exchanged a glance, sharing an unreadable look.
Cui Guiren's expression shifted slightly.
Thinking that since she had just entered the palace, she truly couldn't afford a reputation for mistreating her maidservant, she finally nodded and let the matter quietly pass.
And in the brief commotion of that moment,
Yuan Rong, taking advantage of no one's notice, had smoothly cast the "pearl" Yun Wu had slipped her into the nearby incense burner.