She secretly pinched her thigh with her left hand, desperately squeezing out a few tears. Yunyi controlled them, preventing them from flowing down, but they welled up in her eyes.
“From a young age, my father and mother told me that my aunt was Empress Xiaokangzhang, my cousin was the current emperor, and I would definitely be my cousin’s wife and the empress of the Qing Dynasty. Since I was three years old, I have worked hard to learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting, needlework, poetry and songs, palace rules and etiquette... everything I did was to strive to become the empress.”
With red eyes, Yunyi choked up as she spoke, "To learn these things, I had no free time. Every move I made, every word I spoke, had to conform to my status, and there couldn't be the slightest mistake. I lived like a puppet on a string, without a self. At the age of six, I witnessed the free and unrestrained lives of other young ladies from prominent families, and I was heartbroken."
"Master, you..." Ruoshu felt heartbroken. She never expected that her master had always thought this way, and that she hadn't been living a happy life.
At this moment, Ruoshu was filled with self-reproach. She prided herself on understanding her mistress best, yet she didn't know her mistress's true thoughts.
Yunyi raised her hand to interrupt Ruoshu, wiped away the tears on her face, and gave a bitter smile. "Today, I spent a short time with Shuning, and I envied her. She has never had any worries since she was a child, and she lives a carefree life. Her greatest joy every day is eating and drinking. She can be happy for days if she eats something she likes. She lives a pure and simple life, which is something I wish I had but could not have."
After finishing her sentence, Yun Yi straightened her expression and regained her composure. "This is why I've become friends with Shuning. She's a simple and straightforward person. She has no romantic feelings for His Majesty, nor does she harbor any hostility towards me. In this deep palace, where we have so few conflicts, why not become friends with someone like her?"
"It's lonely in the deep palace after all. It would be good to have a confidant to chat with."
Ruoshu didn't know what to say at this moment. It seemed that no words could express her current emotions. She opened her mouth, but only managed to utter half a coherent sentence: "Master, this servant didn't know you..."
Knowing what Ruoshu was about to say, Yunyi interrupted her, speaking gently and patting her shoulder to comfort her, "Ruoshu, you don't need to blame yourself. I've never blamed you. You've always done a great job. I wouldn't feel so at ease without you by my side."
"Master, it's Ruoshu's fault. I had no idea you had so many things hidden in your heart. It's Ruoshu's fault." Ruoshu's eyes reddened and became moist.
After kneeling and kowtowing several times, Ruoshu expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Master, for not blaming this servant for my dereliction of duty."
Yunyi helped Ruoshu up. "I've already said that I didn't blame you. If you really feel guilty, then you should work even harder in the future. After listening to Shuning's words, you should know that the inner palace is dangerous. In the future, I and the child in my belly will have to rely on you a lot."
"Yes, this servant will definitely do a good job in the future. Don't worry, Master, this servant will definitely protect you and the young master well." Ruoshu smiled through her tears, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and patted her chest to make a promise.
Yunyi had no choice but to agree repeatedly, "Alright, alright, then I'll leave it to you."
On the other side, Liu Shuning finished her meal and strolled leisurely towards her room, while Jinxiu beside her was also asking her mistress questions.
"Your Highness, what brings you here today..." After carefully considering her words, Jinxiu asked, "Are you trying to curry favor with the Imperial Concubine?"
Liu Shuning glared at Jinxiu and said sternly, "Shut up. How dare you speak ill of the Imperial Concubine? My relationship with the Imperial Concubine is genuine, and I have no other intentions. Remember this, you must not speak ill of the Imperial Concubine in the future."
Jinxiu was shocked and tremblingly replied, "What you say is true, my lady. I understand."
After that, whenever Liu Shuning had free time, she would often go to the main hall to talk and chat with Yunyi. Both of them were carefree people and would talk about anything and everything.
The four palace maids, along with Zhang Mama, who were skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, were initially quite unaccustomed to the situation and worried that Liu Shuning might harbor malicious intentions and harm Yunyi.
After observing Liu Shuning for a period of time, and after Zhang Mama investigated Liu Shuning in private, she finally found that there was nothing wrong with her, and then she was relieved and allowed Liu Shuning to date Yunyi.
That day, Liu Shuning came to chat with Yunyi as usual. They had only been chatting for a short while when Zhang Mama came in to report.
Granny Zhang looked solemn, her face bearing an expression never seen before. She approached Yunyi and delivered a bombshell announcement.
"Your Majesty, just now, Yu Yin, the palace maid who serves Consort Wuya, came to report that after eating the chicken soup sent by the Imperial Kitchen, Consort Wuya experienced unbearable abdominal pain, which seemed to be a sign of miscarriage."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
