Chapter 39 Preference
Yue Li used the excuse of recuperating from her injuries to avoid paying her respects, and only in the afternoon did she learn that Li Jieyu had been beaten to death.
She just felt that she deserved it.
After the matter came to an end, Yueli took a lot of things and went to Yihua Palace to visit Shen Zhaoyi.
Only Shen Zhaoyi lived in Yihua Palace. It was almost April and the peach blossoms in the courtyard were in full bloom. When she came, she happened to see Shen Zhaoyi sitting by the window admiring the flowers.
"Is Sister Chen's injury better?" Yue Li entered the hall and smelled a faint scent of ointment.
Shen Zhaoyi was leaning on the beauty couch by the window, her hands wrapped in cloth and a few soft pillows behind her. She looked much better than the last time she saw her.
"Come and sit down." Shen Zhaoyi waved at her and asked the palace servant to place an embroidered cushion beside the couch.
"My hand still hurts a little. The doctor said I can't move it for a few days. It will be fine in two months."
She said it lightly, but Yueli couldn't help but glance at the cloth in her hand. The bones were broken, and she didn't know how painful it must be.
"Thanks to my sister that day, otherwise I would be the one lying in bed today."
Hearing the apology in Yueli's words, Shen Zhaoyi smiled and said, "It happened suddenly, and I just did it subconsciously. Sister, don't take it to heart."
"I have a younger sister at home. When I first entered the Prince's Palace, she was only ten years old. She was just as spoiled as you. You two are about the same age, so I always wanted to take extra care of you."
Yue Li curled her lips. Why did everyone say she was spoiled? She was obviously only spoiled in front of He Yanchen.
"No matter what, you have suffered for me. I have prepared some medicinal herbs for nourishing the body. I hope you will accept them."
Shen Zhaoyi did not refuse and called Yindie to put all the things Yueli brought into the warehouse.
"And these." Lian Qiao came over with a tray. Yue Li was a little shy. "Sis, you probably don't need anything, so I made some small things like sachets to show my appreciation."
"Sister, please don't complain about my poor embroidery."
Shen Zhaoyi smiled and looked over. On the tray were two sachets, two pieces of silk, and several exquisite beads.
"Sister, you have a dexterous hand. I love you so much." Shen Zhaoyi's eyes fell on a jade belt around her waist. "This thing is exquisite. If you are willing to part with it, why not give it to me?"
Yue Li followed her gaze and saw the auspicious cloud jade belt she was wearing.
It wasn't something valuable, but it was something she had given to He Yanchen before.
He had worn it a few times in the paddock, and Yueli thought the auspicious cloud pattern was more elegant and suitable for wearing with riding clothes, so she shamelessly asked him to return it.
He was also ridiculed by He Yanchen.
Yueli took it down and said, "As long as my sister doesn't mind me using it, that's fine."
"How could that be?" A smile appeared on Shen Zhaoyi's pale face, and she slowly stroked the jade ribbon in her hand.
Seeing this, Yue Li breathed a sigh of relief. She really didn't like the feeling of owing others a favor, so she could only try her best to make up for it materially.
The two chatted for a while, and Shen Zhaoyi seemed to remember something: "The twelfth of next month is the Queen Mother's birthday. I'm afraid the palace will be bustling with activity."
Yueli didn't understand what she meant by lively. Zhaoyi Shen glanced at her and said, "Sister, you don't know, but Prince Pingnan came to the capital to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday and has already arrived at the post station."
Yueli blinked. What does this have to do with her?
There didn't seem to be any incident of Prince Pingnan coming to Beijing in her previous life, but these were all things of the previous dynasty. Maybe she couldn't remember them clearly, but it had nothing to do with her anyway.
Shen Zhaoyi was amused by her bewildered look. "The Prince of Pingnan is your majesty's uncle. Your majesty has always been strict with his subjects, but the Prince of Pingnan was the only one who was granted a rich fiefdom after your majesty ascended the throne, and you still have to call him 'uncle'."
"When Your Majesty first ascended the throne, he did not want to hold a selection of concubines. It was only after the Prince of Pingnan petitioned His Majesty that His Majesty finally agreed. This year should have been the time for the once-in-three-year selection of concubines, but the Empress Dowager and the court officials were unable to persuade Your Majesty. It's possible that the Prince of Pingnan came to the capital at this time to persuade Your Majesty to hold a selection of concubines."
Yueli suddenly realized, wouldn't there be another group of people vying for favor in the palace?
She felt a sense of crisis, even though such a thing had never happened in her previous life.
Yueli was a little depressed, and seemed absent-minded when talking to Shen Zhaoyi.
"It's getting late, and I'm not feeling well, so I won't keep you for dinner."
Shen Zhaoyi spoke at the right time, which was exactly what Yue Li wanted.
She stood up and bowed: "Then I will come to see my sister another day."
After coming out of Yihua Palace, Yueli looked unhappy all the way.
Lian Qiao asked, "Master, are you worried about the selection?"
Yueli didn't deny it. If it was a talent show, then those who were selected would definitely not be ordinary people. Some characters that didn't exist in the previous life appeared. Yueli was afraid that He Yanchen would really favor someone else. What should she do?
"Master, don't worry too much." Lian Qiao looked at her with sparkling eyes. "You are so beautiful, who can compare to you? Even if there is a selection, they will definitely not be as beautiful as you, Master."
She was speaking the truth; in her eyes, there was no one prettier than Yue Li.
Yueli pouted, not feeling comforted at all.
When she first returned to the past, she hoped that He Yanchen would be a good emperor so that she could continue to enjoy wealth and glory.
But she forgot that He Yanchen was a tyrant in his previous life. He ignored state affairs and was not afraid of what people said, so he could only favor her.
If he had escaped the rebellion of the virtuous king and become a wise ruler, he would have had more concubines and his love for her would have become less and less. He might even have treated everyone in the harem equally and given her many children, just like the emperors in history books who were famous for their kindness and justice in their treatment of their concubines.
But Yueli hates this kind of "fairness".
She desperately wanted to be favored.
When they were ten years old, a teacher came to Chunfeng Pavilion to teach them the guqin. The teacher was a very nice person, and she did not look at them with contempt or disgust like others did. She was like the drizzle in spring, gentle and amiable.
Yueli liked her very much, so she worked hard to learn the piano in order to get her praise.
This is indeed the case, because she plays well, her master always praises her.
But there is more than one girl in Chunfeng Pavilion. Sister Qingli is also very good at playing the piano. Every time the master praises Qingli, Yueli can't help but feel malicious in her heart.
If only she couldn't play the piano, then the master would only have eyes for her.
Yueli tied a silver needle to Qingli's strings.
Later, Qingli injured her hand, and the master only taught her.
That was the first time Yueli did something bad. Even though Chunfeng Pavilion's mother found out and even though she was beaten, she did not regret it.
She wants the person she cares about to only have eyes for her.
But even without Qingli, the master would still praise other girls. Yueli watched her smiling at everyone with cold eyes, and the love in her heart gradually turned into disgust.
Is she not good enough?
Why can't I just like her?
If she can't get complete love, she would rather not have any at all.
Yueli knew that she was sick. She had been suffering from the disease since her parents sold her to Chunfeng Pavilion. Fortunately, she was born with a delicate appearance that concealed her paranoid and twisted heart.
When they were almost at the Jade Palace, Lian Qiao saw Xiao Lizi running towards them in a panic and quickly stopped him: "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
Xiao Lizi took a breath and said, "Master, the Holy Emperor has arrived at the Jade Palace and has been waiting for quite some time."
"That's why Eunuch Ji asked me to come out and look for you."
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