If the full moon banquet of the Second Prince Xuanhui was extremely luxurious, the emperor ordered the Chengqian Palace to be decorated magnificently inside and out, making it enviable.
Then the third prince’s full moon banquet is even more exciting.
First, his biological mother, Wei Shuyi, was promoted to Jia Jieyu during the palace family banquet. Now, because of her contribution to giving birth to the prince, she was promoted again to the rank of Noble Concubine of the Third Rank and given the title of Xun.
Furthermore, Xie Yanci believed that with her current status, she was no longer suitable to live in a small palace like Lin'an Palace. Therefore, he publicly ordered that she be moved to the spacious Changchun Palace.
Many favorite concubines in the Zhou Dynasty had lived in Changchun Palace. Now, Wei Shuyi became the master of the palace, and the emperor's preference was self-evident.
As for the third prince himself, his name was not drafted by the Ministry of Rites and then chosen by the emperor, but was personally given the name Xuanjing by Xie Yanci.
The last person to receive this honor was Princess Zhaohua.
Concubine Qu stood in the crowd, her smile a bit forced. Not only were others discussing it, but even she herself couldn't help but compare the two princes.
She didn't understand why the Emperor's attitude towards her had changed so drastically after the incident at the Shenxingsi? To the point where he didn't care about her dignity at all and let a little noble concubine steal her limelight!
Wei Shuyi was holding Xuan Jing, standing in the middle of the crowd, and accidentally made eye contact with Concubine Qu again.
No matter how many times in the past, Wei Shuyi had always been relegated to a lower position. Even when she was furious, she could only follow the palace rules, repeatedly bowing to her enemies and paying homage, hiding all her pain deep in her heart, unknown to others.
But now, she knew that this battle was already largely won. In the final stages, she would make everyone pay the price.
In the most painful way.
"Qianwei, come with me out. There are too many people here, and I'm not feeling well."
Concubine Qu then found a reason and left Lin'an Palace with her palace maids.
She just couldn't stand the emperor favoring other people!
In the past, she still had the heart of a little girl, and was delighted to think that the emperor of the world could only belong to her. Later, as the number of concubines in the palace increased, her fantasy was shattered, and she could only suppress her heartache and pretend to be virtuous.
"Eldest sister, why are you out here in the wind? Is there someone inside you don't want to see?"
Ever since Wen Wanyi testified for Wei Shuyi, Concubine Qu didn't say anything, but she started to have doubts in her heart.
She began to feel that her sister did not really want to help her, but was just taking advantage of her sympathy and seizing the opportunity to climb up step by step.
Otherwise, why didn't he help his family at the critical moment, but instead let Wei Shuyi gain favor in front of the emperor?
"Your good sister is in there. She has been promoted again with the help of the prince. Go and see for yourself!"
"Eldest sister, how long has it been since that happened? Are you still holding a grudge against me?"
"I don't understand what you are saying."
Wen Wanyi lowered her head: "Alright... In that case, then elder sister should return to the palace quickly and don't catch a cold outside."
She was still cautious and there was no provocation in her words.
Qian Wei couldn't help but persuade her, "Your Highness, she is a family member after all, and she shouldn't have any second thoughts. Right now, we need to seize the opportunity to recruit people, so you must not push your own sister to the opposite side!"
"I have my own arrangements for this matter, so you don't need to say more."
Concubine Qu felt her mind was in a state of chaos: on the one hand, there was the princes' power struggle, and on the other hand, there was the emperor's favor, making it difficult for her to make a decision.
After finally finishing the day's work, Wen Yu and the others were packing their luggage and preparing to move to the palace.
Wen Wanyi stayed behind and sat beside Wei Shuyi——
"I haven't had time to thank you, sister, for testifying on my behalf that night. If it weren't for the package you sent ahead of time, I'm afraid that Taoist Yu and I would have been the ones to die tragically in the Ministry of Punishment."
"She has always been cruel and ruthless, not even sparing children! The more she does this, the more I hate her! It further proves that what happened back then was entirely her doing! Poor my child, he died tragically in the palace all because of her selfish desires!"
Wei Shuyi couldn't help but admire her ability: it was not easy to have the opportunity to plant spies in Chengqian Palace and to be the first to know Concubine Qu's plan.
"It's been so long... When my sister returned to the palace, she instructed me to do everything, and I've carried it out one by one. Now that I've given birth to the Third Prince, I plan to bide my time and not compete with her. Now, I just want to ask for clarification. Why did my sister say that back then? What was her motive?"
"Some things are meaningless if you say them face to face. How about I arrange an interesting drama for you, sister?"
The more Wei Shuyi listened, the more confused she became: "What is your sister planning to do? What kind of show do you want me to see?"
"Sister has always been intelligent, having worked her way up from a palace maid to her current position. I'm sure after watching that play, she'll understand my good intentions. I know she's not afraid of my eldest sister's power and authority. In terms of the emperor's favor, you're no less powerful than she is. To strike a snake, you must strike at its weakest point! Sister is just missing a perfect opportunity to bite her back, and I'm willing to help her do just that."
"Even if it's detrimental to the entire family, are you willing?"
Wen Wanyi's eyes wavered for a moment, but she nodded firmly. "Since I have chosen you as my companion, I must leave my family behind! If you are willing to save my life, then I will have no regrets."
Wei Shuyi studied her expression and said, "I have always believed that you are the legitimate daughter of the Qu family, and have been pampered since childhood. You will always put the interests of the family first..."
Before she could finish, Wen Wanyi smiled and shook her head: "Sister, you really think too highly of me! If you don't work for yourself, you will be punished by heaven and earth. Who would put the interests of the family first? I was planning to work hard for them, but how did they treat me? My eldest sister couldn't have children, so they used me as a tool and sent me to the palace to be favored! When my eldest sister got pregnant, they weighed the pros and cons and started to coax and flatter her! Qu Yuexi is the legitimate daughter of the family, but she is also the one who feels the least warmth. Now that I am in the harem, I just want to protect myself, that's all."
"I never realized before that my sister was so afraid of death."
It was originally a teasing remark, but it was exchanged for a more firm answer -
"That's because I'm not alone anymore, and I have a child in my belly. I can't let him be harmed by others! I have to make a decision."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
