"Then I thank Mother for the reward!" Lanqin stood up and bowed to Consort De again.
"Here, this jade bracelet is a gift for you. It's a rare piece of red blood jade, and it suits you perfectly!" Consort De beckoned to Lanqin.
Lanqin walked up to Consort De and saw her personally remove a white jade bracelet with blood-stained patterns from her wrist, and then put her own gloves on.
Lanqin felt a little bitter: This must be because Consort De felt guilty. Knowing about Wuya Wanru's past relationship with the Fourth Prince, she still let her come to the palace from time to time. Isn't this creating opportunities for the two of them to meet?
"I thank you for your gift, Mother. I really like this jade bracelet." Lanqin bowed again.
Seeing this, Consort De felt increasingly guilty. She knew about her niece's past with the fourth prince, but she was still her own niece, and it wouldn't be right not to invite her in. Besides, she liked the girl very much. Her own daughter was already married, and it was very thoughtful of her to have her come and talk to her often.
"Alright, let's all go over there. The Empress Dowager must be getting impatient." Consort De helped the palace maid Su Xin to her feet, and then Consort Cheng also helped the palace maid to her feet.
A group of women followed Consort De out of the main hall and walked in a grand procession toward the gate. Lanqin, holding Cui Niang's hand, followed behind Consort De, while Consort Cheng accompanied Consort De, talking as they walked.
Lanqin was walking behind when she suddenly felt a gaze on her back. She instinctively turned around to look, but she didn't see the gaze staring at her back.
Could it be Wuya Wanru? The Consort De didn't mention her, nor did she allow her to appear before her, clearly indicating she didn't want her to appear on formal occasions. If that's the case, then it's easy to understand; it means the Consort De still disapproves.
Lanqin put aside her doubts and followed the others out of the courtyard towards the Empress Dowager's Palace of Tranquil Longevity.
Meanwhile, Wu Ya Wanru, who had been staring at Lan Qin's profile for a long time, was hiding in the corner of the side wall of the main hall. Several months had passed, and since the Fourth Prince had impulsively proposed to take her as a princess, which she had refused, there had been no further news. This made her anxious. She had originally thought that her feigned refusal would hasten the Fourth Prince's decision to take her as a princess, but unexpectedly, nothing came of it.
In truth, Wu Ya Wanru's approach was correct and aligned with the typical male attraction to women. However, our Fourth Prince is no ordinary man. He too was momentarily impulsive, but after Consort De's sobering rebuke, he wasn't so reckless anymore. Considering such an incident, it wouldn't be considered respectable even in ordinary families, let alone within the royal family, especially at this crucial moment of the struggle for the throne among the nine princes. Ultimately, the Fourth Prince calmed down.
“Madam, this Niohuru woman seems to be nothing special, yet she has won the favor of the Fourth Prince’s household. I wonder what her abilities are?” Cuiyun asked.
"Judging from her appearance, she's not the seductive type. But she must have something special, otherwise, why would she capture his heart!" Seeing that the Fourth Prince no longer sought her out, Wu Yawan had no choice but to enter through Consort De's side. She frequently sought audiences under various pretexts, bringing Consort De small remedies she had collected and sharing anecdotes about her family to please her. Consort De already liked her, and seeing how obedient she was, she allowed her to come to the palace often. Consort De still felt a little guilty for preventing her from marrying the Fourth Prince, and given their blood relation, their relationship naturally became harmonious.
"Madam, what should we do now? Why hasn't the Fourth Prince come looking for you again?" Cuiyun asked.
“It must have been my dear aunt who said something to him. He’s always been old-fashioned and he thinks twice before doing anything that goes against the rules. If it weren’t for that, I might have become his woman long ago.” A hint of resentment flashed between Wu Yawan’s brows as she spoke.
“Madam, don’t be discouraged. I think Consort De likes you very much. If you can make her happy, she might agree. After all, you don’t want the position of Fujin right now. Being a Gege (a lower-ranking concubine) is fine too!” Cuiyun said.
“My dear aunt is very particular about her status and reputation, so how could she agree so easily? Now that I am a widow and have given birth to a child, I’m afraid she’s afraid that I will embarrass her.” Wu Yawan’s eyes suddenly turned icy, a stark contrast to her usual obedient and pleasing demeanor in front of Consort De.
“That Consort De is too cruel. You are her adopted niece. If it weren’t for the Wuya family, she wouldn’t exist,” Cuiyun said.
"Hmph, she doesn't care about anything except her own wealth and status. Father begged her years ago to help his brothers and sisters get ahead, which would also be an asset to her in the palace, but she never listened," said Wu Yawanru.
“Madam, if Consort De refuses to help you, then you’ll have to go and see the Fourth Prince more often yourself. Aren’t all men like that? If they can’t see you, they’ll forget about you, but if they do, they might remember how good you are to them,” Cuiyun said.
“I understand that, of course, but it’s not so easy to see him. This is the palace, and there are rules everywhere. I’m not a concubine here who can move around freely. It’s even more impossible to see him outside. I can’t just go to his residence openly,” Wu Yawan said, frowning.
“Isn’t this an opportunity? Now that Consort De and that Niohuru clanswoman have gone to the Empress Dowager’s place, why not find a reason to bring the Fourth Prince to Yonghe Palace?” Cuiyun said.
"What's your idea?" Wu Yawan asked, momentarily at a loss for what to do about meeting the Fourth Master. She knew him well; being too forward or abrupt would only backfire.
"Did Madam send a palace maid to deliver a message, saying that Consort De invited the Fourth Prince to dine over?" Cuiyun asked.
“No, that’s too easy for him to see through. He’s such a shrewd man; if he’s exposed, there’ll be no turning back,” Wu Yawanru shook her head. She knew that the Fourth Prince wasn’t someone who would be easily fooled by such petty tricks. She had to find the right opportunity to move him. She was right to refuse last time; she needed to think of another way to make the Fourth Prince even more determined to marry her, making it even harder for Consort De to refuse.
"Unless Her Highness the Consort De believes that the Lady is the Fourth Prince's destined benefactor, it seems unlikely that she will agree," Cuiyun muttered.
These words sparked a flash of inspiration in Wu Yawan, and an idea suddenly came to her mind.
Now that the Crown Prince has been deposed, all the empresses and princes in the palace are eyeing the Crown Prince's throne. What if I could make Consort De believe that I can help the Fourth Prince ascend to the throne?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
