After sorting things out, Yi Hua found that life in the palace was not much different from that in Prince Yong's mansion, except that she had to spend more time on daily affairs and wait longer to see her children.

Oh, right, there's also the matter of taking care of my sick mother-in-law. After all, I live under the same roof as her, so it's unavoidable.

Carrying a snack box, Yi Hua, accompanied by Yu Xue, set off just before noon. She arrived precisely on time, as Consort De never offered her a meal, so she only needed to sit for a short while to complete her task.

Upon arriving at Yonghe Palace, before even entering the inner chamber, we could hear voices coming from inside. It didn't sound like just one person; it was quite lively.

After the announcement was made, the curtain was opened, and Yi Hua saw Lady Li and Lady Nian sitting on either side of Consort De, talking about something that made Consort De smile happily.

As soon as Yi Hua entered, the room was quiet for a few seconds. Li Shi and Nian Shi both stood up to offer Yi Hua a seat.

"Your Majesty seems to be in a good mood today," Yi Hua said with satisfaction. She opened the food box she had brought and took out two plates of pastries. "Yesterday, Little Wolf was clamoring for Longjing mung bean cake, and His Majesty also had some. He always thinks of Your Majesty and specially instructed me to make sure Your Majesty gets to try something new today."

The old woman quickly took it, praising the emperor and saying some nice things about maternal love and filial piety.

Consort De forced a smile, but couldn't manage it. She looked at Lady Li and noticed that the woman who had been chatting and laughing just moments before had suddenly closed her eyes to rest, and only the back of her head was visible.

"She's utterly useless," Consort De thought to herself, then looked at Lady Nian.

Nian Sisi caught the gaze of Consort De and was inwardly groaning, but she didn't have the confidence to refuse, so she could only bite the bullet and say, "Your Majesty, you see, the Empress Dowager is much better now. Drinking those bitter medicines every day has ruined her appetite. Why don't we invite the imperial physician to take a look? It would be even better if she could go outside for some fresh air."

"Is Consort Nian a master of medicine? I wonder which national master she studied under?" Yi Hua asked somewhat bewildered.

"Your Majesty, I have never studied medicine."

"That's strange. The Emperor is extremely filial to his mother, and the imperial physicians check her pulse every day. Professionals all say that the Empress Dowager needs to rest. Are you trying to harm the Empress Dowager with your words?"

Lady Nian panicked immediately and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, I had no such intention. Please see the truth."

"Get up. Kneeling down all the time is not the way for sisters in the harem to get along." Yi Hua did not intend to pursue the matter. "It is good that you can come to entertain the Empress Dowager. However, the Empress Dowager's every move is on the Emperor's mind, so he is naturally very careful. There is no need to say such unfounded speculations."

"Your Majesty, I accept your instruction." Lady Nian sat back down, her face pale.

Yi Hua understood that this was Consort De testing her through Lady Nian's words. She was practically under house arrest. If the Emperor said she was sick, she could only remain sick.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health. If the late Emperor knew this in the afterlife, he would also advise you in the same way." Yi Hua planned to scare her a little. After all, this was someone who always had the "funeral debuff" hanging over her head, so it was better for her to behave herself.

Consort De understood Yi Hua's threat and held back for a long time before finally refraining from throwing the teacup. In the end, she could only reach out and touch her forehead, feigning pain.

The old woman quickly helped Consort De to her feet: "Your Majesty, you have a headache again!"

"Your Majesty, please rest well. Your daughter-in-law takes her leave." Yi Hua got up to leave, but suddenly turned around. "By the way, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Hong Hui has been saying he wants to pay his respects to you. Please summon him when you are feeling better."

Consort De's initial anger turned into silence upon hearing the name Honghui, and she lowered her head and sighed.

Seeing that Consort De's attitude had softened somewhat, and since there were no outsiders in the room, Granny Green said, "Your Highness, why don't you go and apologize to the Emperor? The Emperor values ​​relationships the most. If you just lower your head, all your current difficulties will be resolved."

"I am his birth mother. How can a mother be expected to defer to her son's wishes? That's utterly unreasonable!"

"Your Majesty, the Emperor is the Son of Heaven, not an ordinary mother and son. If you continue to oppose the Emperor like this, how will the Fourteenth Prince handle the situation? I have inquired and found that the Fourteenth Prince has been staying at home in retirement for some time, and the court officials are keeping their distance from him. If this continues, I am afraid that the Fourteenth Prince will do something rash!" Green Granny gave a strong dose of advice.

Consort De gritted her teeth and said nothing.

After sitting for a long time, she finally spoke: "Tell the kitchen to make some frosted sugar cakes."

"Yes, this servant will go right away." Granny Green readily agreed happily.

******

Yi Hua returned to Yikun Palace and, recalling the scene of Li Shi and Nian Shi traveling together, wondered, "Have Consort Qi and Noble Lady Nian been getting quite close lately?"

Granny Chen is now basically living a life of leisure in Yikun Palace. Yihua doesn't assign her any tasks. When she has free time, she trains the girls who have just entered the palace, so her sources of information are quite extensive.

“Your Highness, it has been almost half a month now. Noble Lady Nian has been going to Yongshou Palace to pay her respects every day without fail. At first, Consort Qi really didn’t like her. But later, I heard that Noble Lady Nian gave Consort Qi a whole set of jewelry adorned with rubies, and that’s when she was allowed to enter the gates of Yongshou Palace.”

"This Noble Lady Nian is quite a character. She won over Consort Qi in just a few days, and now they're inseparable. I heard that the Emperor went to Consort Qi's place to see the eldest princess a few days ago, so I spoke a few words with Noble Lady Nian as well."

After carefully observing Yi Hua's expression and finding that she was not sad, Chen Mama continued, "This servant thinks that Consort Nian's attempt to seek refuge with Her Highness last time failed, so she switched to clinging to a powerful figure, and it seems to be working."

Chen Mama hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Your Highness, things are different now than in the Prince's mansion. Should we give Consort Nian a warning?"

"Let her be." Yi Hua shook her head. Li Shi may seem reckless, but she is actually quite shrewd. Nian Shi might not get any good out of following her. Besides, she and Yinzhen have developed some understanding now, and not just anyone can interfere between them. She is quite confident about this.

Furthermore, if Yinzhen truly wanted to favor someone, Yihua would be powerless to stop him. This is the tragedy of this era; men and women have never been equal.

Nian Sisi did indeed exchange two words with Yinzhen, but those two words made her feel extremely humiliated.

Yinzhen did indeed come to see the child. There were few children in the palace, and the princes had all gone to the Princes' Residence, so the princess lived with her birth mother. After learning that the child had been neglected by the Embroidery Department, he felt that it was because he had not doted on her enough, so he always remembered to come and see her in his spare time.

Lady Nian stood next to Lady Li. The two were already quite different in age, and Lady Nian preferred to dress simply and elegantly. She also intended to play a supporting role in front of Lady Li. As a result, Yinzhen really treated her like a palace maid.

When Ms. Nian returned to her residence, she still remembered the look of amusement on Ms. Li's face, and she clenched her fists.