The people of Xianyun Pavilion had been waiting outside early on, especially Xi Chun, who watched with eager eyes.
She had been ordered to keep a close eye on her mistress, lest she make any mistakes in the palace and implicate the family.
Who would have thought that just today, when she wasn’t paying attention, such an accident would occur?
“Mistress, are you alright?” Xi Chun stepped forward, immediately checking on her, her eyes involuntarily glancing toward the imperial carriage over there—only with the Emperor’s permission could one receive such treatment.
Luo Shuran was exhausted and said nothing as she walked inside.
Xi Chun dared not do anything to her, so she vented her anger on someone else. Seeing Ming Xia behind her, she scolded fiercely, “How did you take care of the mistress? How could you let her fall into the water? If anything were to happen to her, I wonder how many lives you have to spare.”
Ming Xia was still shaken by the incident. Faced with Xi Chun’s reprimand, she couldn’t argue—it was indeed her fault for not taking good care of her mistress.
“Ming Xia, help me fold my clothes properly.” Luo Shuran’s call came from inside, clearly summoning Ming Xia to enter.
It seemed her mistress held not a trace of blame for Ming Xia. Xi Chun felt even more stifled, frustrated by her mistress’s foolishness to the extreme.
Luo Shuran washed the Emperor’s handkerchief clean and hung it to dry. She lay on her side on the small couch, gazing outside through the window. Yet, in this confined space, she could only see a small, square patch of sky. Only by stepping outside could she experience the vastness of the world.
For her, not serving the Emperor tonight was still better. Luo Wanling would make arrangements for her, which suited both sides.
Qi Jingheng was so engrossed in handling official matters that he paid no attention to anything else. By the time he finished, it was already dark. Chen An brought in the evening meal, observing his Emperor’s expression—clearly fatigued. Would he still summon a concubine for the night?
Just as Chen An was about to ask, a young eunuch entered to report that Shu Fei requested an audience.
Upon hearing this, Qi Jingheng set down his chopsticks, a flicker of thought crossing his eyes before he said, “Let her in.”
Soon after, a woman walked in. She wore a purple-red pleated skirt with a pearl-adorned cardigan over her top, accentuating her fair skin. Shu Fei’s features were bright and striking, with bright eyes and gleaming teeth.
She approached with graceful poise, performing a proper curtsy, yet her eyes lifted to gaze directly at the Emperor—bold and alluring.
“What urgent matter brings you here, my beloved consort?” Qi Jingheng gestured for her to rise.
Chen An knew the Emperor’s words were teasing. When had Shu Fei ever come with an urgent matter? It was always simply to see the Emperor and seek his favor.
Shu Fei rose and approached with light steps, delicately kneeling beside his leg. As she looked up, her expression was filled with tender affection.
“Your servant misses you, Your Majesty.” Shu Fei’s fingertips tentatively hooked the hem of the Emperor’s robe as she cooed in a soft, charming tone, quite different from her usual demeanor.
With the new consorts entering the palace, it had been quite some time since the Emperor last visited her.
And today, she had heard that the Emperor had carried a beauty in his arms. Naturally, she couldn’t sit still and hurried over.
Shu Fei had always been bold. While others might put on airs and avoid actively seeking favor, she was different. As long as the Emperor didn’t despise her, what did it matter if she came to seek his affection?
Perhaps her directness pleased the Emperor. Qi Jingheng held her arm, signaling her to sit. “Have you dined?”
Shu Fei wouldn’t miss this opportunity. She shook her head. “Not yet.”
“Then stay and dine.” As soon as Qi Jingheng spoke, the maidservant beside him immediately prepared a bowl and chopsticks for Shu Fei and served her dishes.
That night, Shu Fei stayed in the Cheng’en Hall to attend to the Emperor. The harem was abuzz with excitement, as everyone had thought that with the new ladies entering the palace, the previously favored concubines might be neglected.
But within just a few days, Shu Fei had regained favor. It seemed that in the palace, Shu Fei would be the most favored one.
………..Inside Yunhua Palace, Luo Wanling leaned on the couch, her expression displeased. “Shu Fei—the Emperor just happens to like that wretch.”
She despised Shu Fei not only because of family reasons but also because Shu Fei, relying on the Emperor’s favor, stirred up trouble and showed no respect for her. The two had privately accumulated many grievances.
Now that Shu Fei was favored, it was a bad thing for her.
Thinking of this, Luo Wanling couldn’t control her anger. She reached out and swept the ornaments off the small table, scattering them across the floor.
“Wasn’t it said that that lowborn girl ran into the Emperor today? She couldn’t even keep him—what use is she!”
The two maidservants behind her, holding fans to cool the air, dared not utter a word. Seeing this, they quickly knelt on the ground, afraid of incurring her wrath.
A maidservant standing to the side unhurriedly poured a cup of tea and stepped forward to hand it to her, soothingly saying, “Your Highness, Shu Fei took the initiative to request an audience with the Emperor—isn’t she also afraid of losing favor? She must be panicking inside.”
Yi Momo had been carefully selected for Luo Wanling by her mother.
Without mentioning anything else, she merely spoke a few words about Shu Fei, which eased Luo Wanling’s furrowed brow and made her feel somewhat better.
Luo Wanling took the tea and sneered contemptuously, “She just relies on that seductive charm to hook the Emperor. Of course she’s panicking.”
“Your Highness is right. This Luo Baolin did enter Cheng’en Hall today, clearly showing the Emperor’s interest. It’s likely Shu Fei caused trouble, which is why she didn’t attend to the Emperor,” Yi Momo said.
Luo Wanling snorted coldly and slammed the teacup heavily on the table. “She’s just useless. Father still expects her to help me secure favor—what a joke.”
Seeing her so angry, Yi Momo slowly said, “Your Highness, the Emperor’s favor is not easy to seize, but if she proves useless, surely the Duke will select someone new…”
She left half of her words unspoken. Everyone was clever enough to understand the implication—without Luo Shuran, there would still be another Luo Baolin.
Luo Wanling looked furious but eventually calmed down. No matter how domineering she was, she ultimately could not defy her family.
She was the legitimate daughter of the Duke’s household. Since childhood, she had gotten whatever she wanted, and no one dared to take what was hers, let alone give it away willingly.
But after entering the palace, her pride felt like shackles. For the sake of her family and power, she had to endure, wear a false mask, and lower herself to do things she disliked.
“So, in your opinion, what should I do? In any case, I can’t let Shu Fei have it easy,” Luo Wanling said resentfully.
Whether she gained favor or not was another matter—sending someone to the Emperor’s side could still cause trouble for Shu Fei.
If she did gain favor, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for her either. After all, a lowborn girl could never escape her control.
“The weather is hot. Tomorrow, send a bowl of mung bean soup to the Emperor,” Yi Momo suggested after some thought.
Hearing “mung bean soup,” Luo Wanling’s eyes flickered with a glimmer of light, but then it faded again.
She recalled when she first entered the palace, the mung bean soup made by the small kitchen here had been the Emperor’s favorite. During the summer, the Emperor often visited her.
But over the past year, the Emperor had rarely set foot here, let alone drank mung bean soup.
Although uncertain if it would work, Luo Wanling still chose to do it. She usually relied heavily on Yi Momo.