Tong Wanyan smiled mischievously at Dong Eshi, her kindness as pure as Guanyin descending to earth.
Just as Consort Dong'e breathed a sigh of relief, she gently and persuasively said, "I would never act like a villain. However, the Emperor just punished the Third Prince not long ago, and it hasn't been long since then. Everything is under the Emperor's watchful eye. As a princess, my visit to Yuqing Palace will likely be questioned by both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager are of higher status, while I am of lower status. Tell me, if they ask about this, would I dare to conceal it?"
Lady Dong'e was so frightened that she almost burst into tears: "I guess we can't hide it from her."
"Yes, how could we keep it a secret?" Tong Wanyan sighed and gave her a deep look.
Her eyes seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words, prompting Dong E Shi to ponder further based on her gaze.
Before long, Dong Eshi was swaying precariously, her fingertips already turning white.
She was tricked by Consort Rong; Consort Rong clearly pushed her out to test the waters. If she succeeded, she succeeded; if she failed, she was a useless pawn. From beginning to end, she wouldn't cause any trouble for Yinzhi.
For the first time, she was plagued by malice unlike that in the mansion. Dong Eshi finally developed the demeanor of a noble lady who had been carefully cultivated, as well as that cunning.
"I will remember Consort Tong's kindness." Dong Eshi bit her lower lip lightly, her mind wandering.
"I haven't done anything special, I can only do my duty. As you said, Princess, in a few days our statuses will be different. Princess, please." Tong Wanyan said, seeing her off.
Lady Dong'e obediently followed the nanny who led the way out. Once outside the front hall, she looked up at the sky above the Forbidden City, a vast expanse of azure, utterly cold.
Li Jia sat beside her the whole time.
She did not leave because Dong Eshi, in her panic, did not mention dismissing outsiders again.
That's why she realized that Tong Wanyan was someone she couldn't afford to mess with.
Pampered, intelligent, from a good family, and beautiful—Tong Wanyan had it all, and she was powerless to resist.
“Consort, I will return as well,” said Lady Li Jia.
“Okay,” Tong Wanyan said.
After seeing Dong Eshi off, Tong Wanyan looked up at Ling Mama and asked, "Mama, should I go to Ning Shou Palace?"
Ling Mama looked at Tong Wanyan with affection and said, "The concubine is wise, and your decision is correct."
One cannot dress simply when going to Ning Shou Palace, so Chun Que picked out a pine-colored qipao for her, paired with green jade, which made Tong Wanyan look radiant.
"This humble servant greets the Empress Dowager." Tong Wanyan smiled before speaking, her eyes bright.
The Empress Dowager seemed to have known she would come, as the tea table was already set with her favorite snacks.
"Everyone says summer is tough, but you've actually gotten fatter?" the Empress Dowager said with a smile.
Tong Wanyan had just sat down, holding some pastries in her hand, unsure whether to pick them up or put them down.
"Your Majesty, there's a saying, 'round and plump.' I'm not fat; it's just good fortune I've inherited from being by your side!" Tong Wanyan said sweetly.
Then, he casually put the snack in his mouth and savored it with satisfaction.
The Empress Dowager is getting old, and she tends to lose her appetite in the summer.
Her maidservants were so worried that their hair turned white.
How can a person not eat?
"You silly girl, you're so greedy and you're using me as an excuse. But seeing how happily you're eating, I'd like to try some myself and see if the imperial chef's skills have improved." The Empress Dowager touched her stomach, feeling a little hungry.
The old nanny was overjoyed. She knew that with Consort Tong by the Empress Dowager's side, the Empress Dowager would be in a good mood, have a good appetite, and everything would be fine.
Inside the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, an old man and a young man each held a bowl of cold noodles and slurped them down.
The aroma of vinegar and chili oil mingled together, making one's mouth water.
If it weren't against the rules, the maids serving nearby would have wanted to go back and get something to eat.
This is not Tong Wanyan's fault. She originally just wanted to try something, but she never expected that she would be served cold noodles.
The sour taste was appetizing, and when she and the Empress Dowager met eyes, they immediately decided to have the imperial chef prepare another serving of noodles.
Even though it wasn't mealtime, if the Empress Dowager had an appetite, they would get up in the middle of the night to prepare a meal.
These days, the Empress Dowager has had a poor appetite, and Emperor Kangxi almost ordered the imperial kitchen to be shut down.
The bowl in Tong Wanyan's hand was very small; she was just satisfying her craving, while the one who was truly hungry was the Empress Dowager.
After filling her stomach, the Empress Dowager comfortably closed her eyes, the old lady leaning back in her chair with a gentle expression, looking at her beloved junior.
"Did the princess from the Dong'e family come to see you?" the Empress Dowager asked.
Tong Wanyan took a small sip of water to cleanse her mouth: "Yes. I didn't want to deal with these things, so I originally wanted Consort Li to receive her, but Princess Dong'e misunderstood. Fortunately, we weren't far apart, so Consort Li didn't get into trouble."
When the Empress Dowager heard about Dong E, she frowned: "No matter how bad Li Jia is, she is still the Crown Prince's secondary consort, which is far superior to her status as a subject. Dong E has always been ignorant of her own limitations."
Tong Wanyan nodded, then shook her head.
Seeing her like this, the Empress Dowager smiled and said, "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"The Empress Dowager is absolutely right, but I understand what Consort Dong'e means. Generally speaking, a concubine is still a concubine. Even if she does something wrong, everyone will still protect the principal wife. I am better off, as I have the title of the First Concubine bestowed by the Emperor, and I also have children. Li Jia is different. Her family background is not prominent, and she has no children, so she is inevitably looked down upon. In the end, it's just bullying the weak and fearing the strong." Tong Wanyan saw things clearly.
The Empress Dowager liked her most because she never hid or concealed anything: "What you said makes sense. Don't worry, as long as I'm alive, I'll protect you."
Tong Wanyan smiled mischievously at the Empress Dowager, completely ignoring what she had just said: "Your Majesty dotes on me, as long as you can coax that little devil Tana away. She's really causing trouble now, and she's getting stronger and stronger. Yesterday, when she was fighting with Hongzhao, she actually cracked the little pony that the Fourth Prince carved for her. She's still such a young child; in other people's homes, she'd still be a soft, fluffy ball."
The Empress Dowager's eyes sparkled, her face beaming with joy: "May the Eternal Heaven bless her; it's a good thing that Tana is healthy. So what if she breaks things, or even demolishes a house? Look at her hands, are they broken? We need to find some smooth, round things for her to hold and play with."
Tong Wanyan looked at the Empress Dowager in surprise; this was tantamount to aiding and abetting evil.
One can imagine that when Tana grows up a bit more, she will definitely become a tyrant in the Forbidden City.
Look at the people who dote on her. Besides her biological father, Yinreng, there's the Empress Dowager, the Fourth Prince, and Hongzhao—each of them is a force to be reckoned with in the capital. Although Yinzhen's reputation is currently low and Hongzhao is just a baby, don't forget that Emperor Kangxi is still around.
Instantly, Tong Wanyan's slightest sense of guilt towards Tana vanished.
She didn't want her immense strength to be passed down to her.
A tall tree catches the wind, and gossip can be deadly; it's never a good thing.
After reporting Tana's unusual behavior to the Empress Dowager, Tong Wanyan breathed a sigh of relief. In the future, if anything happened, with the Empress Dowager covering for her, it shouldn't affect Tana.
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