"Princess, it's getting late. Let me help you wash up," Yuhen and Yulu said, unsure how else to persuade her.
Yehe felt some pain in her lower body and said, "You all go out and leave me alone."
Yu Lu and Yu Hen exchanged a glance. A hint of suspicion flashed in Yu Lu's eyes as she said, "When I came back with water, I saw Eunuch Su coming out of the house across the street, carrying something in his hand."
Yehe Shi, whose eyes had been closed, suddenly opened them and asked, "Are you sure you came from the other side?"
Yu Lu hurriedly said, "This servant has very good eyesight, I would never be wrong. Did Master hear something from that Eunuch Su before he left?" As she spoke, her voice involuntarily lowered.
A hint of resentment flashed in Yehe's eyes. She had waited so long for the Fourth Prince to come today, but was he going to abandon her because of that Song woman on the other side?
"Princess, don't overthink it. The master came once, and there will be a second and a third time. You'll have many more opportunities to be favored in the future." Yuhen pushed Yulu and gave her a disapproving look.
Yehe Shi fell silent, letting the two maids attend to her as she was washed. She felt deeply wronged and had been shedding tears, but after hearing Yulu's words, she stopped crying.
The next day, early in the morning, two young servants from the flower room brought over seven or eight pots of various flowers and plants, which was naturally at the behest of the Princess Consort.
Yehe Shi was standing at the door admiring the flowers when she saw Zhao Quan from the front yard leading a few servants and came in.
"Congratulations, Princess Ye! His Majesty has ordered me to bring you some gifts." Zhao Quan greeted Ye Heshi with a beaming smile as soon as he entered the North Courtyard.
After she looked at Zhao Quan, she saw three servants. The first servant was carrying a black lacquered tray, the second servant was carrying several bolts of cloth, and the third servant was also carrying several bolts of cloth.
Yu Lu said to Ye He Shi with delight, "Princess, the master still thinks of you. Look, the reward is coming."
After taking a nap, Yehe felt much better and had come to terms with things.
"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Zhao. Yu Lu, go and get a purse," Ye He said with an impeccable smile. Zhao Quan understood and took the purse from Yu Lu, then gave the first servant a wink. The servant quickly lowered his head and handed the tray to Yu Lu.
Yehe watched with a smile. She had thought that the second servant would come over, but after the first servant left, the second servant did not move.
Zhao Quan smiled and said to her, "This servant thanks Princess Ye for the reward. This servant also needs to go to the other side; those are Princess Song's rewards."
Yehe's smile froze for a moment, but she still smiled as she watched Zhao Quan lead them from her side toward Song's house.
Yu Lu and Yu Hen looked astonished and stood beside Ye He Shi, watching Zhao Quan and the others go in that direction.
"Go back inside," Yehe Shi uttered these three words, then turned and left.
Qingping had seen someone deliver flowers to the flower shop that morning, and then she saw Zhao Quan leading a group of people carrying rewards. But she never expected that they would come towards her now.
"Princess, Eunuch Zhao from the front courtyard has arrived, bringing the master's reward." Qingping hurriedly said to Madam Song.
Zhao Quan hadn't been to Song's house for a long time. He saw Qingping bow to him, and he returned the bow.
"Congratulations, Princess Song. This is what the master instructed. Princess Song, please accept the reward." Zhao Quan's tone was clearly less polite than he had been towards the Yehe clan.
The little maid behind Song quickly took the bolts of cloth from the two servants.
"Thank you for making this trip, Eunuch Zhao." Having learned from Lanqin about Zhao Quan's connection with the main courtyard, Madam Song was no longer as polite to this servant as she had been to Su Peisheng.
Seeing that Song Shi seemed to have no intention of rewarding him, Zhao Quan's smile vanished instantly. He simply bowed, turned around, and left in a huff.
“Princess, this is something that Eunuch Su must have said well of you to the master yesterday,” Qingping said.
Madam Song nodded and let Qingping help her go inside to see the rewards.
At this moment, Lady Yehe was sitting on the main couch in the main room. The Fourth Prince's gifts were placed on a small table on the couch. On the black chessboard were a pair of gold and ruby hairpins, a beaded bracelet of carnelian, and a jade bracelet of questionable quality. Such gifts were the Fourth Prince's most ordinary gifts, neither good nor bad, nothing to criticize, all from the Imperial Household Department, and not exceeding the standards for a princess.
“Last night, it must have been that Song Gege over there who seduced Master, right? This servant should have checked where Master went last night. How come she received a reward for no reason?” Yu Lu said.
Yehe's expression grew even more unpleasant. She didn't bother to look at the rewards any longer, and simply turned her head away, saying, "Put them all away."
Yuhen took the jewelry away, and Yulu dared not say anything more. Just then, Taohua suddenly walked to the door of the main room and said to Yehe Shi, "This servant requests an audience with the Princess."
Yehe stared coldly at Taohua and said, "What do you want?"
Peach Blossom felt a sudden discomfort, as if she were being stared at by something malevolent. She looked up at Yehe's eyes and was secretly shocked.
"Your Highness, I know why Princess Song received a reward," Peach Blossom said, not daring to step across the threshold.
"Speak," Yehe said, her pupils shrinking.
"It seems Su Peisheng brought back a large bundle from Song Gege's place. It should contain clothes. The bundle looks bulging, but it doesn't seem to contain anything hard," Tao Hua said.
A complex light flashed in Yehe's eyes as she said, "Come in."
Yu Lu grumbled discontentedly, "Princess, don't forget how she framed you?"
Yehe glanced at Yulu and coldly retorted, "Since when have I needed your permission to do anything?"
Yu Lu quickly lowered her head, not daring to say anything more. Seeing this, Tao Hua smiled and stepped inside.
“Yesterday, Su Peisheng placed the bundle he took from Consort Song here with me. I secretly opened it to take a look. It contained some children’s clothes. I guess it should be the clothes of the Third Consort and the Fifth Prince,” Peach Blossom recounted.
"According to you, the master did not go to the Song family yesterday, and the reward was because of those clothes?" Yehe said.
“Yes, this servant has been watching carefully. After leaving the princess’s place, the master went towards the entrance of the north courtyard and did not go to Princess Song’s place,” Peach Blossom said.
"It seems that those rewards were given out of consideration for the concubine," Yehe said with a sneer.
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