Outside Yongshou Palace.
Wen Yu supported Wei Shuyi as she walked up the stairs. "What did you talk about with Concubine Wang? Why do you have to come and see Concubine Rong? She doesn't like to socialize with others. If she gets upset, it will be more trouble than good!"
"I'll be careful." She looked at the palace attendant guarding the door. "Everyone says that Rong Zhaoyi entered the palace through her family's influence and doesn't have the emperor's favor. But look at the decorations outside this palace, they're comparable to Fengluan Palace, which proves the rumors..."
Before she finished speaking, a tall palace maid came over and saluted according to the rules: "Min Xuanshi, my queen is not feeling well today and is not convenient to see guests."
"Have you consulted the imperial physician?"
"Yes, I am still sleeping peacefully."
"Then I will not bother you any more." Wei Shuyi bowed towards the palace and instructed, "Aunt, please help pass on the message that I have something important to discuss with you. I may come to your house frequently in the next few days. Please don't blame me, Your Majesty."
The palace maid's face looked unhappy, but she still agreed.
Wei Shuyi remembered her: from the first time she met Rong Zhaoyi, she particularly disliked him. She almost wanted to break the rules and retort him several times, but she didn't succeed.
After walking a long way, Wen Yu couldn't help but persuade her, "Young lady, why don't you just not go? Rong Zhaoyi clearly doesn't want to see any of the concubines in the palace. If you go against her, it might be detrimental to you!"
"I'm not someone who doesn't know her limits. Knowing her nature, I've never visited her privately. Now, I'm stubborn and insist on stepping through that threshold. I believe that Empress Zhaoyi is intelligent and will surely understand the key."
So, in the next few days, Wei Shuyi would always wander outside the gate of Yongshou Palace, but was always turned away without exception.
It wasn't until the tenth time that the maid lost her temper: "Min Xuanshi, please follow me in! My queen is feeling much better today and can talk to you for a few words."
Just as she had expected, the hall was magnificently decorated and filled with rare treasures. The golden toad holding a precious pearl in its mouth was particularly eye-catching.
Xie Yan's treatment of Rong Zhaoyi should have been good: even if he had overstepped his bounds in some details, he never pointed it out publicly. Instead, he let her do as she pleased, even rewarding her with more jewels. He simply adorned this palace until it was as bright as day.
"You're not scared, are you? They say the golden toad brings wealth, so they insisted on making a half-man-high one and placing it in my front hall. Besides being in the way and gathering dust, it's completely useless."
It was the first time Wei Shuyi had seen Rong Zhaoyi without her hairpins and rings: she sat in the main seat, dressed in plain clothes, her long black hair held together only by a golden hairpin. She raised her bare hand slightly to retrieve the cup of tea, and as she sat quietly with her eyes lowered, she exuded an air of superiority. Even the way she skimmed off the foam was so clean and precise, it made one want to bow in submission.
"I only felt curious, not frightened. I have been bothering Your Majesty many times recently because I have something I need your help with."
Rong Zhaoyi leaned back on the couch and said softly, "Tell me about it."
"I entered the palace late, and was a slave before, so I don't know much about the high-ranking masters in the harem. I came here today because I wanted to ask about... the past events related to Concubine Jin."
"Hmm?" Rong Zhaoyi's voice was calm and even, her emotions flat. "Why are you asking her?"
Wei Shuyi pretended to be hesitant and said nothing.
"I forgive you your innocence, speak now!"
"I just heard rumors from the palace that the Emperor has stripped the Imperial Concubine of her authority to assist in the management of the six palaces. She's upset and cried most of the night. In the past, when I've been in trouble, the Imperial Concubine has helped me out several times. It's only natural that I should do something to comfort her. Thinking about it, I realize that you, the Concubine Zhaoyi, have been accompanying the Emperor in the Eastern Palace. You must understand this better than the servants, so I've come to ask for your help."
The beauty raised her eyebrows slightly. "You want to give her something to please her? Could it be that you want me to tell you what she likes?"
"I dare not. I just want to know some small things related to the Imperial Concubine, and then think of a gift that might suit her taste. That's all."
"Then you've really asked the wrong person!" Rong Zhaoyi sneered, but didn't evade the question. "Noble Concubine Jin appeared almost unexpectedly, coinciding with the Emperor's ascension to the throne. There wasn't anyone like her in the Eastern Palace during that time, so naturally, we couldn't really talk about our friendship. Later, she rose through the ranks from the selection process to become a Noble Concubine, a position unattainable for us. I've only run into her a few times during audiences at Fengluan Palace, so we're not familiar with each other."
Wei Shuyi put on a lost expression and said in a sad tone, "That... is difficult."
After a brief silence, Rong Zhaoyi suddenly stood up, and two strands of long hair in front of her forehead cascaded down to her ears.
"I once heard an interesting story. It's probably been circulating for a long time, but it's not reliable. Do you want to hear it?"
"I would like to hear the details."
"The current Empress's maternal family seems to be at odds with Noble Concubine Jin's family. From adults to children, everyone dislikes the other. Considering our Empress's vindictive nature, do you think... she might be the one who understands Noble Concubine Jin best?"
Maybe.
However, she couldn't really go to Fengluan Palace to continue inquiring.
Although the Queen was not happy with the Imperial Concubine's seizure of favor, her attitude towards her was not much better. She tried to banish her from the palace several times, and she would never confide in her.
Who knows, he might even take the opportunity to come up with bad ideas and make her violate Concubine Jin's taboo!
"You're a thoughtful girl. I can't quite figure out why you're suddenly asking about the Imperial Concubine's preferences, but since it's giving me a good show to watch in this boring palace, I'm naturally willing to add fuel to the fire." Rong Zhaoyi had long seen through her excuses, but she wasn't angry. "Min Xuanshi, if it's inconvenient for you to approach the Empress, you could always ask His Majesty indirectly! He's the Imperial Concubine's bedmate, and has been her exclusive favorite for years. How could he not know?"
"Yes, I understand."
Wei Shuyi left Yongshou Palace and took Wen Yu for a walk around the area to clear his mind.
More than one person had pointed out to her that Imperial Concubine Jin's maternal family had been indebted to the Wei family. However, other voices told her that Imperial Concubine Jin was involved in this conspiracy, and the blame was squarely on her.
Which is true and which is false?
What does Wang Changzai’s implicit reminder represent?
"Are you ready to return to the palace, young lady?"
"Well, I haven't delivered her medicine yet today. I have to go back quickly."
Wen Yu was stunned for a moment, then reacted: "Miss, she is just a concubine, how can you be treated like her personal maid?"
"There's nothing we can do. We can't let anyone else know about the Western Region Poisonous Scorpion." Wei Shuyi explained to her as he walked forward, "I still have to work hard to influence this concubine. If she's willing to tell the whole truth, all my hard work will be worthwhile!"
The two returned to Lin'an Palace, but saw a large number of palace servants surrounding Wang Changzai's courtyard, and it seemed that someone was shouting and cursing something.
"Why is it that every time I go out of the palace to do something, I always encounter this kind of farce when I come back?"
Wei Shuyi felt helpless, but still went in that direction.
Unfortunately, the person who had the upper hand this time was Song Wanyi.
At this moment, Wang Changzai was like a drowned dog, crawling on the ground at her feet, his body twitching from time to time, and he had lost the ability to resist.
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