"Oh, I see!" Jingmei nodded in understanding. Consort Zhao could tell from her expression that she didn't understand and didn't dare to ask any more questions, so she shook her head, ignored her, and continued to bury herself in the account books.

"Your Majesty, Consort Tong has arrived," Liang Jiugong reported from below.

"Consort Tong has arrived. Let her in!" Emperor Kangxi wondered why Consort Tong had come. Did she have something urgent to discuss?

"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects."

After finishing her sentence, Consort Tong got up and walked over to Kangxi without waiting for him to wake her. She took Kangxi's hand and said in a coquettish tone.

"Your Majesty, my cousin, Yuzhu also wants to go to Yuquan Mountain." Consort Tong used the tactic of persistent pestering.

"Why did you suddenly want to go? Last year I asked you, and you said that Yuquan Mountain was all rice paddies and there was nothing fun to do there, and you didn't want to go?"

Before entering the palace, Consort Tong had visited Yuquan Mountain with her father, so she knew what Yuquan Mountain was like.

"So, cousin, you're taking two concubines with you and not me?" Last year, because she had just entered the palace and her position was unstable, she was persuaded by Granny Tong to stay in the palace.

"So that's how it is. I didn't intend to bring my consorts. Both Borjigit and Sozhuolun were chosen by the Empress Dowager to be brought along, and I couldn't refuse, so I brought them. This year is different from previous years, and the ceremony will be more arduous. How can you, with your weak health, endure this long journey?"

Kangxi spoke with heartache, coaxing Consort Tong until she was completely bewildered. In the end, she didn't even know how she left. She only knew that Kangxi would be staying overnight at Chengqian Palace that night. Kangxi was going to take care of important business and didn't even want to bring his two concubines along. Bringing a princess would be too much trouble, so it was better not to bring her.

Wei Zhu turned around and quietly told Wan Yi about it. Wan Yi watched as Wei Zhu went to direct the eunuchs to move things after telling her. Her mind was racing. She was still worried about how to quell the jealousy in the harem about her going to Yuquan Mountain. And now this problem had arisen.

"Little Dengzi." Wanyi called over Little Dengzi, who was doing something nearby.

“Your Highness, this servant is here.” Xiao Dengzi put down what he was holding and knelt down in front of Wanyi.

"You secretly find some people to spread the word in the palace that I and Consort Borjigit were placed in the Emperor's travels because the Empress Dowager felt sorry that the Emperor did not have a close confidant by his side. Furthermore, I hope that this message will come from Chengqian Palace."

In this way, she and the Borjigit concubine were both chosen by the Empress Dowager to accompany Kangxi on his travels, rather than being chosen by Kangxi himself. This way, the other concubines in the harem could not say anything.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately."

Within an hour, the whole harem was buzzing about this matter, and some even went so far as to say that Consort Suozhuolun, like Consort Borjigit, was disliked by the Emperor simply because the Empress Dowager had forced her into the palace. Although Uya was puzzled, she thought she would investigate Consort Suozhuolun again the next day.

The next day, Wanyi got up early, and Weizhu was already waiting outside. To make it easier to travel, Wanyi changed into the attire of a Han woman, as did the Borjigit concubine.

"I have met Consort Borjigit. Because you are traveling in a low-key manner, you and Consort Suozhuolun need to ride in the same carriage."

Wei Zhu spoke somewhat cautiously, after all, Borjigit Consort was a noblewoman of the Khorchin, with the support of the Empress Dowager and the Khorchin. Consort Suozhuolun's clan was also quite powerful. She had already told her that she didn't mind.

"I have met Sister Borjigit. This concubine is from the Yongshou Palace, of the Suozhuolun clan."

Wanyi knew she couldn't offend the Borjigit concubine, so she bowed her head first; she couldn't bear the weight of others' backs!

"So, you are Consort Suo Zhuolun! You are quite beautiful. Let's sit together. It's boring on the way anyway, and it's good to have someone to chat with."

Seeing that she was poised and elegant, unlike the other concubines in the harem who fawned over her, Consort Borjigit held her in higher regard.

"Then please get in the carriage, ladies!" Wei Zhu breathed a sigh of relief, afraid that the two of them would start arguing.

Has His Majesty arrived?

Consort Borjigit wasn't concerned about Kangxi; she was just thinking that she would have to come down to pay her respects when he arrived, so it would be better to wait here to avoid the trouble of going up and down repeatedly.

"Your Highness, His Majesty is already in the carriage ahead. You'd better hurry and get ready for departure," Wei Zhu replied dutifully.

"good."

Consort Borjigit took the lead and boarded the carriage. Then she turned around and reached out her hand, like a gentleman, to help Wanyi.

"Thank you, Sister Borjigit." Wanyi, who had been pulled up, thanked Consort Borjigit.

"Since you've already called me 'sister,' you should take care of your younger sister. Just call me 'sister.' My name is Guozhen. What's yours?"

“My name is Suo Zhuolun Wanyi,” Wanyi replied with a smile.

"Sister Wanyi, I heard you can make desserts. I've tried them, and they're especially delicious. Do you have any with you now?"

Once inside the carriage, Consort Borjigit revealed her true nature. Lingran quietly tugged at Consort Borjigit's sleeve, signaling her not to be so rude.

"Of course, Wanyi is very happy to be liked by her sister." It's rare to find someone who shares the same interests, so she naturally wants to make friends with them.

Hongxiu took out all the snacks she had brought. The carriage was quite large and had a fixed tea table. They were traveling on the official road and weren't going very fast, so the carriage wasn't bumpy. She also took out some flower tea and drank it with Borjigit Consort.

"Wanyi, you're amazing! This goat milk pastry is really delicious." Consort Borjigit ate one piece after another, never getting tired of it.

"Even if it's delicious, don't eat too much. You'll regret it if your stomach gets bloated. Here, have some fragrant flower tea. The temperature is just right." Wanyi handed the cooled flower tea to Consort Borjigit.

"The tea is also very good. I have truly discovered that you are quite different from the concubines in the harem."

Consort Borjigit truly felt that Wanyi was different; at least in front of her, Wanyi was poised and generous, as straightforward as a Mongolian woman, and not coy at all.

"What's wrong with the ladies in the harem? Why do you hate them so much?" Although Wanyi didn't like the concubines in the harem either, she never said it out loud.

"Pretentious and hypocritical, it's exhausting to watch," Consort Borjigit said without a second thought.

"You! Everyone in this harem has two faces, and you mustn't say those things to anyone else," Wanyi said sternly.

“I know. I’m only saying this in front of Wanyi. In public, I have to act all dignified. I hate myself for it.”

Consort Borjigit thought to herself that she also had two faces, one being her true self and the other a disguise.

"The woman in the harem didn't enter the palace for her family; there's only one emperor, so everyone's scrambling to get her." But she wasn't like that; she returned for revenge.