"Your servants Qingyin and Anlan greet Your Highness. May Your Highness be blessed." The two palace maids bestowed by Consort De stepped forward to pay their respects to Yinzhen.

Yinzhen was slightly taken aback. He looked at Lady Tong and realized that this was what "chest tightness" meant.

"rise."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Qingyin and Anlan stood up, their faces blushing shyly. Anlan even secretly glanced at Yinzhen.

The two women had met the Fourth Prince when they were serving at Yonghe Palace. They never expected that such a good thing would happen to them to become the Fourth Prince's concubines.

I was so excited.

Her face flushed red, a young girl in the throes of first love, possessing a unique charm.

Yinzhen glanced at them indifferently, expressionless, and led Nan Yi back into the mansion. He thought to himself, "My mother's judgment has remained unchanged for ten years. Most of the concubines and princesses she has bestowed upon me are pretty and delicate."

Fortunately, the marriage between Lady Tong and Lady Nian was arranged by their father, the Emperor. Especially Lady Tong. Thinking of this, he tightened his grip on her delicate hand.

Nan Yi glared at him, a hint of jealousy in her voice, and asked, "Is Master satisfied?" What a womanizer, he accepted it so easily.

Yinzhen pulled her closer to his side and whispered four words, "Not even half as good as Yi'er."

Nan Yi laughed, unable to stop herself, her tail held high. She declared domineeringly, "That's more like it. Let me tell you, I'm the one who brought this person back, and I'm really unhappy about it. My mother is annoyed with me. You're not allowed to sleep with this person, or else you'll be sorry."

It was unreasonable and could be said to be a serious transgression of the rules, but Yinzhen thought about it seriously for a moment and said, "I'm afraid that won't work. Mother will be displeased."

Nan Yi hurled vulgar words at him, "She's nosy, but what right does she have to tell you which girl you sleep with? I don't care. If I say you can't sleep with her, then you can't sleep with her."

"Nonsense, I don't want to talk to you about this. Let's go to the Plum Garden." Yinzhen's face was dark as he dragged her toward the Plum Garden. He had just given her a friendly look when she forgot who she was and what kind of place this was.

He couldn't refuse his mother's kindness.

The shrew turned jealous, and Yinzhen's face was frosty. He was a prince; although the Aisin Gioro family produced many devoted lovers, it could never be him.

"I'm not going. I'm already so angry with everyone, I have no mood to go." Nan Yi twisted his hand away and walked towards Wanyue Pavilion.

Everyone gave him the cold shoulder. After Consort De gave Ah Tang the cold shoulder, the Fourth Prince gave her a hard time when she returned to the manor. She had no temper to stand on.

She's not a clay figure that anyone can mold.

Yinzhen put his hands behind his back, looked at her back, and said in a cool tone: "You don't want to go? Fine, I'll make sure Wanyue Pavilion goes hungry. If you have any backbone, go hungry."

"So what if I'm hungry? I'm not afraid of anyone. I'll just treat it as a way to lose weight. What are you going to do about it?" Nan Yi retorted, refusing to admit defeat.

"Alright, then let's starve you for three days first, and you're not allowed to drink water either."

"You...you, you're ruthless!" Nan Yi jumped up and down in anger.

Yinzhen's brow twitched slightly, thinking that she was really going against him. He couldn't help but feel anxious. He knew Tong's personality; she was indeed a bit stubborn and wouldn't listen to either soft or hard approaches. He had to go along with her wishes, otherwise, she would argue with him to the very end.

Just when he was at a loss for how to back down, Nan Yi suddenly changed her attitude, jogged over, took his arm, and stubbornly insisted, "The imperial physician said my body needs recuperation, I'm not admitting defeat."

She understood that she couldn't take her anger out on herself; without good health, how could she run away?

Yinzhen's lips curled up, but he felt a little annoyed. How could he have forgotten about this? Luckily, she brought it up herself, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to sleep.

"Yes, take good care of them." Following her words, Yinzhen turned around and instructed Xiao Shunzi behind him, "Hand them over to Granny Liu for arrangements. They can come to pay their respects once the Princess Consort is feeling better."

Qingyin and Anlan's expressions changed slightly upon hearing this.

Concubines like these, who were bestowed upon their masters, had to first meet the principal wife of the household upon entering the mansion. Only after drinking tea and exchanging greetings could they begin to serve the master.

Since the primary wife was unwell and unable to perform the proper courtesies, they were not considered true concubines in the household; at most, they were special palace maids bestowed down by Consort De.

Unfortunately, the two had no choice but to follow the eunuch in another direction.

But they didn't understand that Consort De's bestowal of them upon Yinzhen was partly intended to bring him good luck. If it weren't for this reason, they wouldn't have been able to enter the Fourth Prince's residence. Their luck was truly terrible.

In the main courtyard, Yinzhen and Nan Yi entered one after the other. Nara, who had been in a good mood because her son's appetite had improved, immediately became a little pale.

Tong Nan felt the same way about Qingyin Anlan's dissatisfaction. She was the main wife, and the concubine was alluring and beautiful, while he himself looked sickly and unwell. The difference in their feelings was unimaginable.

"Greetings, Madam. May you be blessed with good fortune." The figure behind the screen in the south curtsied.

Lady Nara coughed twice, her face flushed from the coughing. Granny Liu quickly stepped forward to pat her back and help her catch her breath.

Yinzhen walked around the screen and sat on the side of the bed. Nara leaned into his arms, rubbing her mouth and coughing softly. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm fine." Despite saying she was fine, she coughed repeatedly, seemingly in great discomfort.

"Don't talk, it's alright. Did you take your medicine?" Yinzhen soothed her gently. He turned to Liu Mama, who was handing her water, and said, "Wring out a handkerchief and help the Princess wipe herself."

"Go to Wanyue Pavilion later. Granny Zhao's pear soup is quite good; it's very soothing for the throat," Yinzhen added.

"This servant will go to Wanyue Pavilion to fetch it in a moment."

There was only one servant, Granny Liu, in the room. She was busy serving water and patting her mistress's back, and she couldn't keep up with all that.

Yinzhen casually yelled at the figure by the screen, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and serve, you ungrateful servant... Yi'er?"

He paused for a moment, then realized that Madam Tong was still squatting there, waiting for the Fujin to tell him to get up. Yinzhen's expression faltered slightly, his heart clenched, and he quickly said, "Yi'er, get up quickly."

Nara spoke up at the right moment, "It's my fault, I, cough... I, cough cough..." Several muffled coughs made her unable to utter a complete sentence.

"It's none of your business, don't speak, Yi'er won't blame you." Yinzhen gently patted Nara's back to comfort her.

No, I'm the one who's to blame," Nan Yixin said.

Why didn't Lady Nara be more ruthless and keep her in the separate courtyard? That way, she would never have had the chance to live in this mansion.

Why did Empress Dowager Cixi pretend to be virtuous? It would have been so much better if she had been as fierce as the Eighth Prince's wife and refused to let any woman share her husband.

Wasn't it enough that her predecessor lost her life? What will she lose in the future?

Nan Yi felt a dull ache in her heart; for the first time, a sense of unease arose within her.

She hated herself for transmigrating here, into Tong Yilan's body; she'd rather be a beggar.

Nan Yi, oh Nan Yi, why did you come back after leaving? Don't you understand the principle of not meddling in other people's business?

Nan Yi stood up unsteadily. She didn't hear what Yinzhen said next, and walked outside in a daze.

What a lackey!

Why should she, a mere servant, stop him from sleeping with others? She has no right at all. Nan Yi, have you forgotten that you are also a concubine?

"Master, Sister Tong doesn't look well. Why don't you go and see her? Cough cough cough..." Nala said apologetically.

"It's nothing, take care of yourself first," Yinzhen said calmly, glancing at the screen before helping his wife lie down.