Li Jia was much smarter than Tang and Fan. With the tragic examples of Tang and Fan right before her eyes, she wouldn't continue to push her luck.
She sent her visiting card three days in advance, and her manners were impeccable.
Now that Tong Wanyan spends all day lying in the house, she can't refuse her, nor has she ever thought of refusing her.
They're all people in Yuqing Palace anyway, they'll see each other all the time, so where can they hide?
Chunque and Xiazhu quickly tidied up the living room and prepared tea and snacks.
When Li Jiashi arrived, she was dressed in jewels and precious stones.
When Tong Wanyan saw her, she was deeply impressed by her high morale.
"Sister Tong is so beautiful, no wonder the master dotes on you so much!" Li Jia said with a light smile, seemingly quite envious.
Tong Wanyan raised her eyebrows slightly, and her bright face, when not smiling, had a certain air of authority.
"Mm." Tong Wanyan responded without saying anything more.
Li Jia has already accused her of using her looks to please men, yet she still expects her to speak to her with a good temper? Dream on!
From the moment she stepped into the South Courtyard, Li Jia's heart was filled with jealousy towards Tong Wanyan.
She originally thought that Yuqing Palace was small, so her courtyard was not big.
But once inside the South Courtyard, one immediately realizes what a hidden gem it is, exquisitely beautiful.
"My sister rested for several days before visiting me. I hope you're not angry, sister!" Li Jia said softly.
Her eyes were earnest and sincere, completely unaffected by Tong Wanyan's cold attitude.
Tong Wanyan lazily raised her eyelids, a posture that was seven parts similar to Yinreng's.
"We are both concubines, so we don't need to visit each other often. If you're bored and want to go out and about, why don't you get to know Princess Tang and Princess Fan? I heard that you and Princess Tang are cousins, and you live close by now, so you won't be lonely in the future. I'm not in a hurry to go out, so you don't need to come to my place often."
Tong Wanyan didn't mind displaying a haughty demeanor, pushing away Li Jia's probing intentions.
Let her live a solitary life in the backyard of Yuqing Palace!
Tong Wanyan raised her head with an air of unparalleled elegance; her features were exquisite in every way.
Without any makeup, she made Li Jia's jeweled jewels seem incredibly vulgar.
Li Jia forced a smile. As a newcomer to Yuqing Palace, she was not like Tong Wanyan, an older member who had entered the palace earlier and had confidence in everything she did.
She persisted, saying, "Sister Tong, you're being too polite. In terms of status, we are the ones who are on equal footing. If we become closer in the future, we can help each other out when things happen. I heard that the Crown Princess has already been chosen, and she is a girl from the Guarjia clan, the daughter of Shi Wenbing, a third-class earl."
Li Jia thought she had revealed some earth-shattering news, but to her surprise, Tong Wanyan didn't even blink.
Tong Wanyan sneered inwardly; she had already planned out the day when Lady Guarjia would enter Yuqing Palace.
She has two more years, so she's not in a hurry.
As long as Lady Guarjia doesn't come, she doesn't care.
"Sister Li, I only want to live a peaceful life and have no intention of forming alliances against anyone. You are a smart woman, so I don't need to make it any clearer. I wish you a bright future and hope you never come back again."
Li Jia had never seen such a willful person before; this was different from the women in the inner quarters she knew.
“Sister Tong, since you’ve said so, let’s be frank. The master’s harem isn’t something you can keep to yourself. You’re fine now, but what about later?” Li Jia looked meaningfully at Tong Wanyan’s belly.
Whether it's the eldest son or the eldest daughter born out of wedlock, they are both an eyesore to the Crown Princess.
Even if Tong Wanyan hides in her shell and lives a life of seclusion, the Crown Princess will still see her as a thorn in her side.
Tong Wanyan turned to the side, put the tea lid on, and made it clear that she was about to see the guest out.
"Let's talk about it later," Tong Wanyan said.
Li Jia leaned forward, trying to persuade her further: "Sister Tong..."
"Consort Li, the imperial physician says that our Consort Li has been lacking energy lately and needs to rest more." Chunque stepped forward at the opportune moment.
Looking at Tong Wanyan's tired appearance, Li Jiashi stood up unwillingly.
"It was my oversight. Sister Tong, please get some rest," Li Jia said apologetically.
After seeing Li Jia off, Xia Zhu held back for a long time, but finally couldn't help asking Tong Wanyan.
"My lord, why are you severing ties with Consort Li?" Xia Zhu asked, puzzled.
Tong Wanyan looked at Chun Que with bright eyes, showing no trace of her previous fatigue.
Chun Que had a long face, thin lips, delicate eyebrows and curved eyes; she had a pretty and upright appearance.
"Chunque, you should explain it to Xiazhu. She's the kind of person who tends to overthink things. I'm afraid if you don't tell her, she won't be able to sleep all night!" Tong Wanyan teased.
Xia Zhu lowered her head shyly: "Consort!"
Chunque tapped Xiazhu's forehead helplessly: "There are many disputes and conflicts in the backyard. If it were someone else, they would probably form an alliance to share resources. But the concubine is the Crown Prince's darling, and she is different from ordinary people. The Crown Prince dotes on the concubine, so he must not want her to scheme against him."
Xia Zhu nodded thoughtfully, as if suddenly enlightened.
Tong Wanyan chuckled softly, "Chunque is right. But the most important thing is that I love Master. So, I can't push the person I love so deeply into another woman's arms. Master wants three wives and four concubines, that's the ancestral law, and I can't go against it. But I can at least keep my own little corner of the world peaceful."
Tong Wanyan's greatest strength is that she sees everything clearly and thoroughly.
She was infatuated with Yinreng, but she did not give him her whole heart.
She accepted that he had other wives and concubines, a rule that the dynasty was unwilling to change.
Within the rules, she would never compromise herself.
Tong Wanyan's words were relayed to Yinreng by Su Jixiang in detail, and Yinreng felt a mix of emotions after hearing them.
Yinreng never denied that Su Jixiang was his spy planted next to Tong Wanyan. Tong Wanyan spoke frankly, and he listened frankly.
"De Shun, tell Li Jia that I will not be going to her place today," Yinreng said to De Shun.
Lady Li, who was eagerly awaiting Yinreng's arrival, was shocked to learn that he was not coming, and her expression changed drastically.
She felt anxious every day she didn't serve the emperor.
“Eunuch, where has the master gone? I’ve prepared his meal here; it would be a waste to throw it away. If the master has urgent business, I can wait for him,” Li Jia asked the young eunuch who came to deliver the message.
Yinxiu took a purse out of her sleeve and handed it to the little eunuch.
The young eunuch pinched the purse; it probably contained a few pieces of loose silver.
"The Crown Prince has gone to the South Courtyard," the little eunuch said with a smile.
Li Jia's fingers slowly tightened, forming a fist: "South Courtyard?"
“Consort Tong is pregnant, so things are not the same as usual. Please don’t worry, the reward that the master will give you will arrive shortly.” The little eunuch added a few more words, his eyes constantly glancing at Yinxiu’s wrist.
Li Jia frowned and glanced at Yin Xiu. Yin Xiu reluctantly took out another purse, this time lighter than the previous one.
The young eunuch weighed it in his hands, feeling disgusted.
Such a small reward is quite generous; no wonder the master dotes on Consort Tong. The two are incomparable.
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