Who exactly is this captivating beauty that Tuoba Ze is talking about?
She was the mother-in-law's daughter-in-law and also Ling'er's mother, named Yu Niang.
Ever since she learned at the Qin Prince's Mansion that Wanjiao Pavilion might contain information about her missing husband, she cooperated with the people of the Qin Prince's Mansion to carry out a self-inflicted injury scheme that shocked most of the Western Qin Imperial City.
Now, several months have passed since they were driven out of the Prince's mansion, yet they have gained nothing.
At this moment, she was filled with melancholy, immersed in endless longing for her family and boundless yearning for her husband.
"I'm telling you, Yu Niang, we've already made this clear. Since you've chosen to return to Wan Jiao Pavilion, you have to listen to me. If you go out and cause trouble again, don't blame me for turning my back on you."
The madam, looking fierce and angry, slammed a bowl of medicine that had just been brought in onto the table in front of Yu Niang with a loud "bang," splashing the medicine everywhere.
But Yu Niang was not afraid of her; her heart was already close to despair.
Sometimes she wished the medicine the madam brought her every day would one day turn into deadly poison, so she could close her eyes forever and stop living in such despair. But when she thought of her poor little daughter, she had no choice but to continue to eke out a living.
"What use is there for someone like me to you?" Yu Niang asked desperately as she picked up the various slow-acting poisons that the madam delivered to her every day.
"Hmph, the master treats you so well, there's no reason why he has to keep you around. You don't need to be impatient, you'll find out someday," the madam said as she walked to the railing of the corridor by the door.
Looking down at the scene of passionate lovers entangled in a sensual act below, she said to Yu Niang with utter contempt, "Could it be that you've been alone in your empty room for too long and can't stand the loneliness, so you want to imitate them?"
Yu Niang ignored her provocation, focusing only on taking the poison before suddenly saying, "I want to see my master."
"What did you say... You want to see the master? Who is the master? Does he think you can just see him whenever you want?" The madam stepped in from outside and walked up to Yu Niang, angrily asking her.
"Unable to see my master, Yu Niang will never take any more medicine," Yu Niang said resolutely and solemnly. The madam gritted her teeth in anger and muttered, "I really don't know why my master brought back such a fiery woman."
But she knew she could only try to calm him down first before making other plans, so she said, "Let me make some arrangements. My master is far away and can't be there whenever I call."
"In that case, I'll trouble you." Yu Niang was overjoyed; the long-standing, shrouded-in-my-land seemed to clear instantly. She couldn't wait any longer; she feared that if she waited any longer, her husband might...
At this moment, she dared not think any further. She had to take the initiative and find a way to make the enemy reveal themselves. Since she couldn't find the mastermind behind it all, she could only make the other party come looking for her.
It was obvious that she knew the madam was just a puppet, and that only her true master would give her the answers and information she wanted.
The madam angrily picked up the medicine bowl and went out, closing the door behind her. She muttered to herself, "That woman, how dare she threaten me! If His Highness hadn't insisted on keeping her, would she be acting like this today? Humph, just wait and see how I deal with you later!"
After the madam left, the room was silent.
Yu Niang sat alone, softly reciting the lines again: "Darkly drawn eyebrows, lightly drawn eyebrows, her hair in a tangled mess, her clothes covered in clouds. Returning from the rain at Yangtai. Wushan high, Wushan low, the evening rain falls heavily, but my love does not return. Alone in the empty room, I keep vigil."
Then, with tears welling in her eyes, she murmured, "My husband, everything I've done today is for you. Even if I'm reduced to this brothel, I have no regrets. I only beg you to live, you must live..."
The madam ran into Tuoba Ze as soon as she came out of the room. She hurried over and whispered, "Your Highness, that woman insists on seeing you, or she will stop taking her medicine."
Tuoba Ze's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this, then he said calmly, "This prince understands."
The madam retreated with a worried expression, while Tuoba Ze, with a forced smile, muttered to himself, "The show is about to begin."
After a winter rain, the weather became even colder and more biting.
In the Qin Prince's mansion, Princess Mei Xiyuan, dressed in a magnificent winter coat and a luxurious white fox fur coat, sat comfortably in the warm Shaohua Pavilion, enjoying the finest beauty and health-enhancing flower tea that had been brought as part of her dowry from the Kingdom of Dongning.
"Your Highness, the servants of the Prince of Qin's residence are too tight-lipped. This old servant has tried everything but has been unable to find out a single piece of information," Zhao Mama reported to Mei Xiyuan with a helpless expression.
Mei Xiyuan, however, remained calm and said, "I had anticipated this outcome, so there's no need for you to blame yourself. The affairs of the Qin Prince's residence, especially His Highness's, are not so easily discovered."
Granny Zhao approached Mei Xiyuan and asked, "Your Highness, what should we do next?"
Mei Xiyuan blinked gently and smiled, saying, "Don't worry, Granny, I have my own way. Is the winter tonic soup I asked you to make ready?"
"It's already stewed, Your Highness wants to..." Zhao Mama asked, seemingly already having some idea of what was going on.
"Hmph, Granny, take the winter tonic soup and come with me to pay our respects to His Highness. Since he won't come to my Shaohua Pavilion, I'll go and greet him myself," Mei Xiyuan said with a snort.
Inside Chenghua Palace, Cheng Liang, the deputy general who was standing at the entrance ready to act at any moment, saw Mei Xiyuan approaching. As if afraid that his mistress inside wouldn't hear him, he immediately bowed loudly and said, "Your subordinate greets Your Highness, the Princess Consort."
Mei Xiyuan adopted a polite yet virtuous demeanor and said with concern, "General Cheng must be working very hard serving His Highness in this cold weather."
“It is my duty to care for His Highness, Your Highness, as Your Highness does,” Cheng Liang replied.
"Recently, I have seen that Your Highness has been very busy and tired. I was worried that the servants might not be taking good care of you, so I personally cooked this winter tonic soup and came to present it to Your Highness. I would like to trouble General Cheng to convey my message."
Cheng Liang glanced at the exquisite white jade soup bowl on the wooden tray in Zhao Mama's hand, then nodded and went into the main hall. A moment later, he hurriedly came out and said, "Your Highness, His Highness requests your presence."
General Xie Mei Xiyuan was still quite polite to Cheng Liang. Cheng Liang was Xuan Yuanhan's confidant, so she couldn't treat him like an ordinary servant.
Mei Xiyuan then led Zhao Mama slowly into the main hall. Cheng Liang looked back at her from behind and shook his head helplessly, revealing a hint of worry.
Upon entering the main hall of Chenghua Palace, Mei Xiyuan bowed and greeted Your Highness.
Xuanyuan Han, however, was not enthusiastic, coldly asking him, "Why have you come today in this freezing weather?"
"I saw that Your Highness has been busy with official duties lately, so I personally prepared this winter tonic soup and brought it to you. I hope Your Highness will take care of yourself." Mei Xiyuan smiled as she took the wooden plate from Zhao Mama and walked towards Xuan Yuanhan's desk.
"Your Highness, this tonic soup is made with walnuts, red ginseng, and partridge. Walnuts nourish the kidneys and strengthen essence, replenish qi and blood, and improve brain function; red ginseng greatly replenishes vital energy, strengthens the spleen and replenishes qi, promotes body fluid production, calms the mind, and improves intelligence; partridges love to eat the extremely bitter Pinellia ternata sprouts, which can resolve phlegm, replenish deficiency, and strengthen the stomach. This soup is most suitable for nourishing the body in winter."
As Mei Xiyuan spoke, she ladled out a spoonful of soup and tried to feed Xuan Yuanhan, but Xuan Yuanhan immediately said coldly, "Put it down. I'm not hungry right now."
However, Mei Xiyuan persisted, saying, "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has expressed her concern that I must take good care of Your Highness's food and daily life. This is my duty, so why should Your Highness mind refusing?"
When Xuanyuan Han heard that Mei Xiyuan had used the Empress Dowager to pressure him, he was immediately enraged and hurriedly got up. However, he accidentally knocked over the soup bowl in Mei Xiyuan's hand, spilling soup. Upon seeing this, Mei Xiyuan hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I deserve to die."
After speaking, Mei Xiyuan hurriedly used a silk handkerchief to wipe Xuan Yuanhan's robes, but Xuan Yuanhan quickly dodged aside. In her haste, when she took out the handkerchief from her sleeve, she accidentally dropped the "cloud" silk handkerchief at her feet.
Mei Xiyuan, quick-witted and agile, noticed the situation, picked it up with a suspicious look, and said, "Your Highness dropped something."
Xuanyuan Han snatched it away angrily and said, "From now on, you are not allowed to come here without my permission, Cheng Liang..."
Cheng Liang was guarding the entrance to the main hall, so he clearly heard everything that happened inside. Upon hearing his master's summons, he quickly entered the main hall.
"Send the Princess out," Xuan Yuanhan ordered as Cheng Liang entered.
"Your Highness, please," Cheng Liang said, extending his hand.
Mei Xiyuan stared intently at Xuan Yuanhan for a moment, then frowned and said to him, "Your Highness, my health has always been weak. There are only imperial physicians in the palace, which is quite inconvenient. May I visit the Empress Dowager and perhaps ask for a personal female physician to serve me?"
"Whatever," Xuan Yuanhan said coldly, not wanting to get entangled with her any further.
"In that case, thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I will take my leave now. I hope Your Highness will take care of yourself." Mei Xiyuan bowed and slowly walked out of Chenghua Palace.
"Why did Your Highness anger the Princess Consort?" As soon as they left Chenghua Palace, Granny Zhao stepped forward and spoke with a worried expression. The situation had truly frightened her.
"Hmph, if I hadn't provoked him today, how would I have discovered such a huge secret?"
Granny Zhao looked puzzled. "A big secret? What makes you say that, Your Highness? Have you discovered something?"
Mei Xiyuan stopped and looked down at her hand, which she had been hiding. Zhao Mama then looked over and exclaimed in surprise, "Princess, your hand..." It turned out that the soup bowl had been knocked over and burned Mei Xiyuan's hand, which was now severely swollen and red.
Granny Zhao felt extremely sorry for her, saying, "Princess, you've been wronged so much."
Granny Zhao kept calling out "Princess" and "Queen" in a confused manner.
The title "Princess" was the name she used to address Mei Xiyuan, whom she had watched grow up, and the title "Queen Consort" was the name she knew Mei Xiyuan most wanted to be.
However, all that remains of this princess, whom she has always been proud of, is the ever-growing heartache she feels for.
"Granny, no matter what, the position of Princess Consort of the Qin Kingdom can only ever belong to me, right?" Mei Xiyuan asked Granny Zhao with a furrowed brow as she clenched her fists.
“Yes, the princess’s suffering will not be in vain,” Zhao Mama comforted her.
“Granny, you saw it just now too. His Highness valued that fallen silk handkerchief with the character ‘cloud’ more than my safety. So it seems... what Miss Lu said was not unfounded.” Mei Xiyuan suddenly realized.
"Does the Princess suspect that maid named Yi Shangyun?" asked Granny Zhao. Mei Xiyuan nodded slightly with a solemn expression.
Granny Zhao continued, "But that girl's appearance..."
"Didn't you realize that if she didn't have that birthmark, she would definitely be an unparalleled beauty?" Mei Xiyuan asked confidently.
"What does the Princess intend to do?" Granny Zhao was eager to know Mei Xiyuan's plan.
"Hmph, since His Highness likes her, why shouldn't this princess consort grant them their wish? This princess consort plans to bring her to the Qin Prince's residence so that I can spend every day with her," Mei Xiyuan said, revealing an unfathomable expression that made everyone who heard her feel a little uneasy.
I originally intended to offer my heart to the bright moon.
The bright moon shines on the ditch,
Fallen flowers intentionally drift with the flowing water.
The flowing water has no interest in the fallen flowers.
"Yishangyun, we'll see," Mei Xiyuan said fiercely, then hurriedly headed towards Shaohua Pavilion, with Zhao Mama following closely behind, looking bewildered.
As expected, Princess Yongle of Dongning Kingdom, who was usually so clever but made a foolish mistake, took the bait. The seed of hatred that Lu Tianjiao planted at the Qin Prince's mansion before leaving had already quietly sprouted.
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