Chapter 48 A Storm is Brewing
The moment Yan Xifang finished speaking, almost all eyes turned to her.
Yan Dibai hesitated for a moment before looking at her as well.
Qingqing's body stiffened slightly.
Yan Xifang's expression was amiable, but her eyes never left him: "Imperial Attendant Yang?"
Qingqing smiled politely and gave the most correct answer: "Your Highness is right."
Yan Xifang couldn't help but chuckle, and called out to Yan Dibai in a reproachful tone:
"Since even the first-class imperial attendants around His Majesty have said so, Lord Woxue, please don't be too harsh on them, shall we?"
Wo Xue's eyes twitched, a sense of foreboding creeping in. She quickly bowed her head obsequiously, saying, "This, you flatter me. I'm just worried that if word gets out that these two young ladies have infiltrated the palace, those with ulterior motives outside might imitate them, causing trouble. I had no other intentions whatsoever!"
Yan Xifang sneered: "What are you talking about? Do you think I'm here to settle scores with you? You're worried about everyone in the palace and about His Majesty, and you're doing your job well. That's a good thing. With you looking after things outside and the imperial attendants managing things inside, how could I not feel at ease?"
Two months later, Yan Xifang reappeared, but her words were laced with veiled barbs.
They were saying nice things, and there was no provocation whatsoever, but it still made people feel uncomfortable.
Not to mention Qingqing's nervousness, even Woxue, who had long since become a shrewd and worldly person, felt her heart tighten at this moment, just like her.
She was clearly protecting these two women, as if she were forcibly tying herself and Wo Xue together on the same rope.
Qingqing wanted to see Yan Dibai.
Will he protect his people?
She... wasn't sure.
Qingqing gave up.
Both of them sensed the subtle tension in the atmosphere. Yan Xifang slowly changed the subject, pulling Yan Dibai Youyuan aside to chat with him about everyday matters and intimate things.
"I've heard that some new singing styles are popular in Taiyuan right now. Your aunt has a beautiful voice; you'll definitely like it. Everyone says that you've been working hard on state affairs lately, so it wouldn't hurt to relax a bit. Prime Minister Lin certainly won't blame you."
The girl standing next to her blushed.
Yan Dibai, having let her older sister link arms with her, finally smiled: "Is that so?"
"It was my carelessness," Yan Xifang sighed. "I made an appointment with my aunt a few days ago, but I forgot. I also made an appointment with you, my brother, which led to this misunderstanding."
She stopped in front of a cluster of red flowers, picked a tender green leaf with buds, and said, "Little brother, you've grown up."
Yan Xifang dismissed the others and sighed deeply: "I am really worried about the wolves and tigers outside."
Yan Dibai looked at the green leaves on the ground.
Emerald green... pale blue.
It is the same color as the willow branches sprouting along the riverbank.
“I…have been unable to sleep at night for the past month or so. Father Emperor is immoral, and the family business you inherited is already riddled with problems. In the four years I have been away, I have witnessed countless scheming acts. The cunning of people is boundless and impossible to guard against. Admittedly, I regret what happened back then. But times have changed, and I only hope that my brother and I are safe and sound, and that you can revitalize the Great Jin.”
Yan Xifang looked into his unfathomable eyes: "Have I told you? Your eyes are exactly the same as Mother's. In the dead of night, I always think of her. Brother, she risked her life to climb to the cowshed to give birth in order to protect you. I was outside watching over her at that time, and I shed countless tears."
A faint crack finally appeared on the boy's handsome face.
The beauty's gaze remained hidden in her eyes as she sighed, "I'm worried about the people around you."
Yan Dibai half-closed his eyes. A hand carrying the scent of flowers suddenly touched his brow bone and the bridge of his nose, a touch that was neither a caress nor a stroke, but rather an expression of something indescribable.
"Your older sister always has your best interests at heart."
The sun shines brightly.
The boy, who had been silent for a long time, raised his eyes, his pupils half-closed.
-
While the siblings whispered, Qingqing and Woxue exchanged silent glances. The maidservant beside them was extremely kind and gentle to the two, and the aunt spoke softly and cheerfully.
If you still don't understand what Yan Xifang is trying to do by this point, you're not worthy of being a 21st-century female college student.
Even though I have to work, who hasn't read a few classic online novels? I can at least get a general idea from listening to audiobooks.
My heart feels heavy.
Wo Xue was shrewd and sensed something was wrong around the time Lady Yue Rong appeared.
But he couldn't afford to offend Yan Xifang, no matter who he was willing to offend. After tossing and turning for days, he finally realized he could only call on someone like himself, a fellow working-class person...
Wo Xue didn't want Yan Xifang's people to become Yan Dibai's concubine. Perhaps her subconscious had discovered something?
Everyone here is truly a hidden master.
Undercurrents were swirling, and everyone was calculating their own little schemes, only putting them away when Yan Dibai returned.
The young man strolled casually out of the flowerbed, his face expressionless. Wo Xue clutched her whisk tightly.
Qingqing was on tenterhooks, but then something even more unsettling happened.
Yan Dibai's gaze swept over her face, which betrayed a hint of nervousness, then glanced at his aunt. He cupped his hands, a smirk playing on his lips, and chuckled suggestively, his laughter utterly frivolous and teasing.
"You, sing me a song."
The aunt blushed and dared not look at that exceptionally beautiful face: "Yes, yes..." She obediently went to the stone table, and the next moment, the girl's singing voice accompanied by the sound of a zither tinkled.
It is "Picking Ferns".
The aunt explained softly, "Willow trees are common and can be found everywhere. My family has planted many of them because the willows are especially green in April. In Taiyuan, it is popular to sing the song 'Gathering Ferns' at this time."
Yan Dibai paused, perhaps thinking of something else: "Interesting."
Seeing that he seemed to like it, the aunt was secretly pleased: "Would you like me to play another tune?"
The young emperor did not answer.
The music resumed.
Yan Xifang and her maid had long since disappeared.
Qingqing and Woxue, having not been summoned, were unsure whether to follow. However, Yan Dibai seemed to be in high spirits and ignored them. He propped his head up and swayed his body lightly to the beat.
The boy hummed softly.
"When I left, the willows were swaying gently... Now I return, the rain and snow are falling heavily..."
He is here, she is here.
The most beautiful voice in the world has faded and become indistinguishable, now tinged with a hint of male depth.
This performance lasted for half a day.
Yan Dibai did not glance at Qingqing again.
She pursed her lips, contemplating calling out to Yan Dibai, but couldn't bring herself to utter a sound.
Qingqing listened to the singing of the man and woman, one after the other, for a long time in a daze.
News of the young emperor's new love affair spread like wildfire.
"She's been promoted to Imperial Concubine! That's incredible. Wang Cuilan, tell me, we all entered the palace at the same time, how come she's risen to such heights? We're still here washing clothes."
In the inner palace, newly arrived palace maids squatted by the well, washing their dirty clothes. Although she had been called Wang Cuilan for several days, Xue Ying'er was still not quite used to it.
When the maidservant beside her spoke to her, she paused for a breath before replying:
"How would we know? I guess I'm just lucky."
The girl chuckled, "That's true, she's a fallen heiress. Unlike us, we're just country bumpkins from Qingshan Gully."
Xue Ying'er didn't respond.
The reason was that Sister Wu, a senior maid from the Imperial Ladies' Palace, brought over a basin of clothes for Xue Ying'er to wash. Xue Ying'er silently accepted it, and Wu Yuzhi, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped. Both maids stiffened their necks.
"Wash yourself properly, and you might just become a celebrity like that Imperial Attendant Yang. Then you won't have to be so envious of others' good fortune."
This older sister has a sharp tongue, even the newcomers know that. Xue Ying'er nodded hurriedly, bowing her head even lower.
After the person left, the maid asked, "Wang Cuilan, why are you more afraid of her than I am? I remember when I first met you, you even dared to talk back to the eunuchs who were selecting people."
Where is a good place to compare?
She waited at the restaurant for a month and a half before finally meeting the old acquaintance that Sister Deng had mentioned. She begged her to take her to the palace, even using the fake identity document.
Xue Ying'er grew up in the countryside and was fearless. But after witnessing how high the walls of the imperial city were and how imposing the emperor's voice was, her wildness was quietly suppressed.
She came to the palace seeking an answer. Xue Ying'er didn't want to cause trouble.
Sister Wu deliberately came to give her a warning, and of course she had to tell her that she had taken it to heart.
Yang Yushi is a good sister to Sister Wu and Sister Deng. If she tries her best to go out, she might be able to meet her.
Passersby outside chattered amongst themselves, gossiping about the emperor. Xue Ying'er listened as she washed clothes.
As he listened, he thought to himself, "What a womanizer!"
Qingqing stood outside the door, watching the newly promoted Noble Consort freely enter and leave Xianning Palace with a food box, her feelings complicated.
The maid glanced at her and smiled, "Your Majesty, please make way. Don't block my noble consort's path."
"..." Qingqing silently stepped back.
Wo Xue then came out and saw the girl in green standing stiffly by the left door, waiting to be summoned. She sighed inwardly. Finding a secluded spot, Wo Xue said:
"They came with great force; you're lucky you weren't targeted. Don't confront the princess head-on."
Thinking that she was still upset, Wo Xue said many comforting words.
He wasn't having an easy time either; Yan Dibai had become increasingly difficult to please lately. After the previous period of silence, perhaps with new people around, he began to be capricious again, harshly criticizing palace servants. He openly smashed the imperial seal in court and chased after officials with his sword.
However, compared to the dispensable position of Imperial Attendant, he was still Lord Woxue, who was in charge of internal affairs.
Qingqing was filled with bewilderment and absurdity.
The situation changed as if I had suddenly boarded a train.
The young emperor she had accompanied and subtly transformed had vanished overnight.
The current Yan Dibai is both familiar and unfamiliar.
Occasionally, when he entered, the palace was filled with a strange fragrance. It was said that he would often refuse to eat for days, only to suddenly gorge himself. Just as things were beginning to improve in the court, his various acts of violence, which returned in force, completely destroyed any remaining improvement in his reputation.
He murdered capable officials, imposed exorbitant taxes, and for the sake of a snakeskin coat, ordered the people of Yongzhou to abandon farming and hunt snakes, causing tens of thousands to be displaced and leading to a rebellion by refugees in the capital…
【Emperor's Aura - 5】
[Emperor's Aura - 10]
【Emperor's Aura - 3】
... ...
Another time, all the initial values given were deducted.
Even if he were more tyrannical, the Yan Dibai of the past would never have acted this way.
She was at a loss. She realized more deeply that her previous confrontations and clashes with Yan Dibai were due to his deliberate indulgence.
If an emperor truly despises someone, it's impossible for him to even see them.
Qingqing was genuinely flustered.
what to do?
She still couldn't believe that Yan Dibai would just ignore her like that.
No, not even that was said.
Everything happened naturally. This time, no one even discussed whether she had fallen out of favor; all the envy and jealousy were directed at the Noble Consort.
Her existence was brazenly replaced and ignored.
All efforts were in vain.
We cannot sit idly by and wait for our demise.
If there's anyone in the palace she can trust even slightly...
Only Fu'an was among them.
Stepping into the Wende Hall again, the tranquility of the courtyard made Qingqing feel uneasy.
She hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.
Fu'an smiled as soon as he saw her: "You've come? Perfect timing, Master's illness has improved a lot."
Qingqing felt embarrassed and nodded her thanks.
Although Dai Yun had recovered from her illness, she had become mute and refused to come out of her small room to see anyone. After she visited, the young man, as usual, invited her to sit down and made her tea. But the words he uttered were startling:
“Qingniang, actually I think... it's good that you're being ignored right now, it's best not to get involved in these things.”
Qingqing gripped her teacup tightly: "Why?"
Feng An sighed softly: "Rumors have been circulating among the people recently that there is more than one prince in the Dao Palace. The young emperor's ascension to the throne... is inappropriate."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-11-04 22:39:52 and 2023-11-06 23:34:12!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Yuesheng and jiayueting@ for 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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