The events at Yuhua Yuan's Qianqiu Dian spread through the harem quickly.
The emperor had personally gone to search for someone.
Yet unexpectedly, someone had tampered with the incense.
Several of the new entrants had developed throat problems, causing him to return empty-handed, having failed to find the one he sought.
"This batch of newcomers has some impressive tricks up their sleeves."
At Yikun Gong.
Consort Shu lounged lazily on her beauty couch, flipping through a poetry collection with a casual tone, "I'm rather curious now—among those four, is there one the Emperor took a liking to at first sight?"
At Zhongcuigong.
Upon learning the news, Consort Rong curled her red lips coldly: "The Emperor won't even investigate—he's clearly trying to protect that wretch, afraid that if he digs deeper, he'd have to punish the very woman he's been pining for day and night!
"You there, keep a close watch on these new entrants!
"If the Emperor calls for any of them tonight, report to me immediately!
"I will not allow any of them to succeed in serving the Emperor on their very first day in the palace!"
At Yonghegong.
Zhaoyi Luo clutched her chest, wearing a frail expression as if her qi was unsettled, brows furrowed as she said gloomily to her personal maid: "How could Yun Wu have entered the palace?
"And to cause such a commotion—what bad luck!
"I don't want anything to do with her!
"If you find an opportunity today, go warn her not to try claiming kinship with me!
"I don't want to offend the Empress because of her!
"Remember to tell her—I'm not familiar with her!"
At Yongshougong.
The Empress flipped through the account books sent by Neiwufu, listening to her maid's report with divided attention.
Without even lifting her head, she said dismissively: "Tell Neiwufu to properly arrange all matters regarding the new entrants' food, clothing, lodging, and daily needs.
"If anything goes wrong, I'll have their heads!"
Only after the maid acknowledged and withdrew did she raise her eyes, revealing a face of national beauty—gentle yet sharp with authority.
Her fingers tapped lightly on the desk twice.
She murmured two words under her breath: "…Little sister?"
At Changchungong, Hanyuandian.
Jieyu Yang lay sprawled on her bed, holding a storybook in one hand, her face as beautiful as a hibiscus flower yet wearing the expression of someone alive but already dead inside.
"Your Ladyship, Yun Cairen, who just moved into Zhaochundian to the east, has come to pay her respects."
Just then, a maid entered to report.
Jieyu Yang instantly sat bolt upright like a corpse springing back to life.
With her hair in a messy bun, she spat out a grape seed and blurted recklessly:
"Damn, another one!"
It took Jieyu Yang some time to fix her hair and attire before she tucked her hands into her sleeves and emerged from the inner chamber.
When Yun Wu saw her come out, she bowed in greeting.
"Cairen has unfortunately injured her throat and cannot speak for the next few days. Please forgive her, Your Ladyship." Tuan Jiao explained from the side.
Hearing that hoarse voice, Jieyu Yang naturally had heard about what happened at Qianqiu Dian.
"Mm."
She responded flatly, took a seat, and glanced at Yun Wu, taking in a face as fresh as lotus emerging from water.
"Yun Cairen need not stand on ceremony.
"I don't care for too many rules here.
"From now on, just stay quietly in Zhaochundian. No need to come pay your respects to me every day—I don't like being disturbed.
"You are under Changchungong's jurisdiction. If you're bullied, you should know to come tell me.
"As long as the fault isn't yours, I, as your head consort, will naturally protect you. But if you go looking for trouble yourself, that's another matter entirely.
"Yun Cairen, do you understand what I'm saying?"
Jieyu Yang spoke with measured formality.
Yun Wu nodded gently with a serene expression.
"Alright, you may go."
Seeing that she appeared obedient and unlikely to cause trouble, Jieyu Yang said with some satisfaction.
Yun Wu immediately rose, bowed, and took her leave.
However, she had only taken two steps when Jieyu Yang suddenly spoke again: "—One more question."
Yun Wu turned around, tilting her head slightly, her eyes carrying a questioning look toward her.
"It's, well, that thing."
Jieyu Yang deliberated over her words for a long while, but ultimately couldn't suppress her burning curiosity for gossip, and finally blurted out:
"I heard that after your birth mother Lady Luo gave birth to you, Yingguogong snatched her away by force not long after.
"Then she abandoned her husband and daughter to become Yingguogong's noble concubine.
"And before long, she angered Yingguogong's original wife to death, successfully rising to become the Duchess—that is, the Empress's stepmother.
"Is this… true?"
…
"That Jieyu Yang, how can she just ask anything like that?"
The moment they returned to Zhaochundian, Tuan Jiao immediately voiced her displeasure.
Yuan Rong nudged her, signaling her to stop talking.
Yun Wu, meanwhile, wore a carefree, lazy smile on her face.
Her birth mother's affairs were known throughout the capital, with all sorts of rumors circulating.
But having someone ask her directly to her face—that was a first.
—Is it true?
So what if it was? So what if it wasn't?
At the end of the day, the one sitting in the Duchess's seat now was indeed her birth mother.
Just like herself.
Having entered the palace, she was meant to become a favored consort, then Empress—why should she care what others said?
Before long, Neiwufu sent several servants over.
According to the palace regulations, Yun Wu was to be attended by four palace maids and four eunuchs.
Yuan Rong and Tuan Jiao would naturally serve in the inner chamber, while the other two maids would attend to the outer chamber. She also selected a seemingly cautious and clever young eunuch to serve as the head eunuch of Zhaochundian, while the remaining three eunuchs were assigned to sweeping, guarding the gates, and other rough work in the courtyard.
With all this bustling activity, evening arrived before they knew it.
Just as Tuan Jiao was frowning and remarking that Daying Zhao of the western side hall was utterly lacking in propriety for not having come to pay her respects to Yun Wu yet, a messenger arrived from the Yuqian.
Zhaochundian was to light the lanterns tonight.
"The Cairen is to attend the Emperor on her very first day in the palace!"
Tuan Jiao was beside herself with excitement. "Seeing how Concubine Guan and the others looked down on the Cairen with such contempt today made my blood boil!
"Now I can finally breathe easy!"
Yuan Rong, who could not speak, nodded in hearty agreement.
The two maids happily attended to Yun Wu's bath.
When it came time to change clothes and apply makeup, however, Yun Wu raised a hand to stop them. "Just apply some moisturizing balm."
"Cairen, His Majesty is coming. If you don't dress up carefully, what if His Majesty thinks you're not taking this seriously and becomes displeased?" Tuan Jiao urged, holding a box of rouge in her hand.
"No need."
But Yun Wu was insistent.
And the reason for her insistence was that she knew a major incident would occur in the palace tonight—one that would prevent her from successfully attending the Emperor.
If she dressed too gorgeously and flamboyantly, she would, like Yun Liao in her previous life, be harshly reprimanded by Lu Yao, who would be in a foul mood after the incident, and become the laughingstock of the harem.
Tuan Jiao and Yuan Rong exchanged a glance, knowing that their mistress had always been strong-willed. Though puzzled, they had no choice but to go along with her.
Yun Wu had Yuan Rong style her hair into a bun that was neither ostentatious nor lacking in soft elegance.
For her attire, she wore a rain-washed sky-blue Baidiequn, paired with a matching colored bodice and a straight-collar, front-closing long robe, accented with a white gauze sash draped over her shoulders.
When Lu Yao arrived, this was the ethereal beauty he beheld.
Slender shoulders, a delicate waist, no trace of powder or paint—cold and pure as an immortal.
Yet when she turned her gaze toward him, there was an indescribable, beguiling charm in the shifting ripples of her eyes.
Yun Wu could not speak, so she simply stepped forward obediently to pay her respects.
Lu Yao could not help but lean down, reaching out to grasp her arm and personally help her rise.
The two drew close to one another.
A cool, fragrant scent wafted toward him.
Lu Yao's heart stirred. He stepped forward, and almost instinctively, his hands closed around her slender, supple waist, pulling her body possessively into his embrace.
Off to the side, Chen Yu'an watched this scene, his breath catching.
The harem was filled with beauties of every kind, each with their own merits—but this was the first time he had ever seen His Majesty take such an instant, lustful interest in a woman!
Yun Cairen truly had remarkable skill!
At that moment, however, Lu Yao frowned slightly.
This woman seemed capable of manipulating his very mind and heart.
He did not care for this feeling.
Meanwhile, his possessive gesture caught Yun Wu off guard as well.
Her apricot-colored eyes widened slightly, a hint of astonishment spilling forth from them.
When Lu Yao lowered his gaze and met her innocent, bewildered look, the displeasure in his heart dissipated somewhat.
Perhaps this woman was simply born with the innate ability to enchant men without even realizing it herself.
Otherwise, he would not have wanted her the very first moment he laid eyes on her in the daylight.