Chapter 25 Distinguished Guests
Yang Manyan hurried out of the hall to greet him, and happened to meet a gentle woman in a light green brocade jacket and skirt.
This distinguished guest was none other than the prince’s biological mother, Concubine Wei Shufei.
Just as Yang Manyan was about to salute, Concubine Wei Shu stopped him with a smile.
"No need to be so formal. I heard that the Crown Prince had left the capital, so I came to see if you were used to the palace. You don't have to be restrained."
After saying that, Concubine Wei Shu took Yang Manyan and walked into the palace.
Yang Manyan had a good impression of this gentle and amiable mother-in-law, but she couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed when she remembered that the prince had left the palace and she was supposed to pay her respects.
Seeing the table full of food, Concubine Wei Shu smiled and said, "You haven't had breakfast yet? Don't worry about me, just eat. You are young but you should take good care of yourself."
Yang Manyan nodded with a red face, and the maids served the two of them freshly brewed Junshan Yunwu tea in due time.
Concubine Wei Shu picked up the teacup and used the tea lid to flick away the foam. Her movements were slow and methodical, elegant and dignified.
Her hands were not stained with bright red nail polish like those of Queen Mother Jiang and Queen Xu, but were trimmed to be round, clean and beautiful.
Seeing her sitting quietly by the side waiting for his meal, Yang Manyan felt embarrassed, so he ate a few bites and then told someone to take the food away.
"Is there something important that has brought Concubine Shu to the Eastern Palace in person?" she asked in a soft voice tentatively.
Concubine Wei Shu put down the teacup and smiled gently, "It's not a big deal, but I waited until the prince left the palace before I dared to come and take a look."
Yang Manyan was puzzled and said cautiously, "If Your Majesty wants to come to the East Palace, you can come at any time. I think His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will also welcome you very much."
Concubine Wei Shu smiled and shook her head, "It seems that the prince has not told you about me yet?"
Without waiting for Yang Manyan to reply, she said softly, "My son and I are not very close. The prince is the eldest son of the late emperor. He was brought to the Empress Dowager's care as soon as he was born. Not long after, the current emperor ascended the throne. The prince inherited two fathers. The prince was also raised by the current emperor himself, so I cannot meet the prince easily."
Concubine Wei Shufei was not a daughter of an official family. She was originally a secretary in the Southern Study. She was given the title of Concubine Shufei because she became pregnant with the emperor's offspring one night.
Her appearance was not outstanding, she had delicate features, and her words and actions were as gentle as water, which moved people.
Yang Manyan had roughly guessed it. The prince always addressed his biological mother as "Empress Shufei" in public and in private, and his attitude was indifferent.
"Fortunately, now that I have you, I finally have an excuse to come to the East Palace to see where the prince usually lives." Concubine Wei Shu couldn't help laughing.
"In that case, Your Majesty, would you like me to lead the way for you and take a stroll around the East Palace?" Yang Manyan suggested in a low voice.
"I couldn't ask for more." Concubine Wei Shu smiled happily.
The layout of the East Palace is quite different from other palaces in the inner court. It is like a smaller version of the imperial palace, with the main hall as the central axis and six side halls neatly arranged on the east and west sides for the wives and concubines of the crown prince to live in.
According to old rules, Yang Manyan should have moved to the Yuqing Hall on the east side, but for various reasons, she still lives in the main hall.
It was late autumn, and a sharp cool breeze whistled across the palace road. The small pond on the north side of the East Palace was filled with sparse lotus branches and withered branches.
Looking at the withered pond, Concubine Wei Shu sighed, "Spring goes and autumn comes, time flies by so fast. In the blink of an eye, I have been in the deep palace for more than 20 years."
Yang Manyun didn't know how to respond to this, so he could only nod and lower his head and stand silently aside.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law walked and stopped along the way, and visited the entire East Palace before returning to the main hall and sitting by the window to chat.
Looking at the beautiful woman in front of her, Concubine Wei Shu's eyes moved slightly, and she suddenly asked in a low voice: "Is the prince treating you well?"
Yang Manyan's eyelashes fluttered, her face flushed, "Well, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince treats me very well."
It didn't sound like she was lying, and a hint of complex emotions flashed across Concubine Wei Shu's eyes very quickly and imperceptibly.
"That's good. As long as you two are happy and harmonious, I will have nothing to worry about." A gentle and peaceful smile appeared on her pretty face.
Before leaving, Concubine Wei Shu said, "I heard that there is a very valuable peacock epiphyllum in the imperial garden, which will bloom at dusk tomorrow. Would you like to accompany me there?"
Hearing the words "Imperial Garden", Yang Manyan's heart skipped a beat and his face turned pale.
Concubine Wei Shu said a little shyly: "I am the concubine of the previous emperor. It is not easy for me to walk around the palace freely on weekdays. If you accompany me, I will have fewer concerns."
After hearing this, Yang Manyan couldn't help but feel compassion. He had to try his best to calm down and quickly agreed.
Concubine Wei Shu is the biological mother of the crown prince and should have been second only to the Empress Dowager and Empress Xu in the harem. However, she was manipulated into a human being and now has to look behind her back even when she walks freely in the inner court.
But when she thought of what happened in the Imperial Garden half a year ago, she felt a little uneasy again.
After a moment's silence, she continued, "Don't worry, Madam Shufei, I will be at Qingning Palace at the end of the afternoon tomorrow to accompany you on your trip."
Concubine Wei patted her hands and said considerately, "You don't have to go to Qingning Palace. You can go to the Imperial Garden by yourself. It's too troublesome to go around a long way from the East Palace to Qingning Palace."
Qingning Palace is located on the westernmost side of the inner court, while the Imperial Garden is located at the northern end of the imperial palace. It is much farther from the East Palace to Qingning Palace than going directly to the Imperial Garden.
Yang Manyan smiled awkwardly, "Yes, I understand."
After seeing off Concubine Wei Shufei, she stood there for a long time without coming back to her senses, as if the soles of her feet had taken root.
There was no movement from the Qianqing Palace for several days in a row, so she just thought she had made a mistake that day.
But when she thought about accompanying Concubine Wei Shufei to the Imperial Garden to appreciate the flowers tomorrow night, she became confused again.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
