Yang Ya
Since the return of Emperor Li Lin and Queen Chen Yin of Qiankun Kingdom, they have begun to take over the affairs of the palace again.
First, Li Lin recalled the troops comprising Wei Ningshuang's family members to the imperial court. Having been abandoned in a foreign land, the Wei family army was granted a government headquarters in Bixiang Town, a hundred miles from the capital. Thus, the young and old of the Wei family army finally found a stable home. Next, Li Lin discussed with the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Water Resources a plan to clean up the polluted water source and upstream water sources.
In the harem, Concubine Wei Ningshuang found Chen Yan to talk about her worries. She said that she used to have a low intelligence, but now she is willing to follow the Empress's lead.
Zhen Yin gave up her obsession and returned to Changle Gate, treating Yang Li as sisters-in-law and friends. Although Yang Li responded coldly, her heartlessness made Yang Li sigh.
Yan Ruoxi became more self-disciplined, free and easy, yet reserved, and all the palace maids praised her. Yan Ruoxi's pregnancy caused the twelve generals of the cavalry to unexpectedly obey the emperor in everything, perhaps because her family was valued.
In order to cure Li Lin's injury, Chen Yun specially invited his ancestor Sun Maosi to treat him.
In addition, Chen Yun gave Sun Maosi five hundred taels of silver and asked him to set up a herb collection office in a town three hundred miles away after leaving the palace. The silver was used as a reward, and the herbs in the herb collection office were sold to the imperial merchant Shi family. The income could be used to provide porridge to the people and provide disaster relief when necessary.
Sun Maosi duly carried out this operation and established branches in various towns, which was the icing on the cake. However, these actions were carried out under the guise of the current Empress, earning Chen Yun a good reputation among the people.
Yang Ya, daughter of Yang Chenji, was a concubine of the previous Emperor Yang Shang. Because the former Consort Zhen Yin was demoted to a commoner, Yang Ya was appointed Consort. Little did she know, despite her status as a former princess and current Consort, her ambition remained unparalleled.
Today, a woman, child, and nun entered Yang Ya's palace garden. The elderly woman was Yang Ya's mother, Mi Wanguo. The nun was Yang Ya's half-sister, Yang Lishuo.
Yang Ya said, "Mother, Imperial Sister, I came here today to discuss with you how to restore our Yang family."
Mi Wanguo looked around and said, "Things are different now. Mother and sister should be fine, so that no one can talk nonsense. Secondly, you have only been a concubine for a short time. How can you be so anxious to talk about restoration?"
Yang Lishuo said, "Alas, I have been a Youyun nun for a long time, and you still want me to interfere in such matters."
"Sister, can you really let go of these worldly affairs and become a nun? I don't think so."
"Whether it's true or not, it's all in the past."
Yang Ya held Yang Lishuo's hand. "Sister, are you still unable to let go of the Yuwen family? You can just let me find you another man, and then let the Yang family bloodline continue. Wouldn't that put an end to it all? Why are you still talking about that man who is worse than pigs and dogs?"
Yang Lishuo patted Yang Ya's hand gently to express that she really couldn't let go of the thought.
After all, Yang Lishuo's ex-husband Yuwen Ji, in order to win the favor of Li Lieo, colluded with the people of Qiankun Kingdom and killed the imprisoned descendants of the previous dynasty, and at the same time killed his own son.
Therefore, Yang Lishuo, a weak woman with no power or wealth, could only refuse Yuwen Ji's offer of reconciliation and become a nun.
It was precisely because of the liquidation of the remnants of the previous dynasty that the young Yang Ya was nearly in danger of being executed. When the equally young Li Lin first became the King of Xuan, he knelt down and begged for protection from the King of Xuan's Palace in order to survive.
Yang Ya hated Yuwen Ji and her life as a slave. When she learned that the Yin Banluo family had also been pardoned, she wanted to distance herself from her former life.
"Mother, sister, Concubine Yin De's family was also a criminal, but now they have been pardoned. Our Yang family should also be pardoned. After the pardon, considering the problems of the previous dynasty, I guess we won't be allowed to serve as officials, but we can definitely go into business. Although business is menial, the more menial the job, the greater the benefits."
Mi Wanguo: "With your status, things will certainly be easier, but Yaya, don't rush into anything. Mother and your sister are doing well. You should first win over the emperor, especially the empress. I heard she's from Yuan Tian's faction."
"Yes, but it's a little difficult. She's... very much loved."
Mi Wanguo had learned from palace attendants that the Empress and the Emperor had no issues with favor, as they had always lived in the same palace. This was a historical first for previous dynasties and emperors, demonstrating the depth of their love.
She knew that if her daughter didn't fight for her favor now, she would have trouble moving forward if she had one or two children. She wanted to pave the way for her daughter.
Mi Wanguo struck a sexy pose: "Mother told you to be coquettish and let His Majesty see your charm!"
At this time, Li Lin came and couldn't help laughing when he saw the actions of the two people.
Yang Ya covered her face with her hands in shame and squatted down.
Mi Wanguo knew that the opportunity had come, so he bowed and then praised his daughter profusely.
Li Lin did not sense any conspiracy just now, but instead felt the mother's tendency to urge her daughter to have a child.
"Madam, you truly care about your daughter. No wonder Concubine Yang Shu is so well behaved."
Yang Ya stood up and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, may you...live...in...your...concubine...will be as good as ever. And...our Yang family will be as great as ever!"
Mi Wanguo and Yang Lishuo immediately slapped Yang Ya on the head.
Mi Wanguo explained in a panic, "A silly girl talks nonsense when she's nervous. She's not worthy of being in a formal room. It's really due to her poor upbringing. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Li Lin thought about it and suddenly had an interesting idea. He then asked Mi Wanguo and Yang Lishuo to leave.
After everyone had left, Li Lin approached Yang Ya, grabbed her hand, and said, "Your Yang family is so great... How great do you want to be? To rename the Li Dynasty to Yang? Or did I hear it wrong?"
Yang Ya didn't know if Li Lin had heard the plot just now. She shrank back and said in panic, "I didn't. I... couldn't have had any unreasonable thoughts."
"Too many unreasonable expectations? So that's a little bit?"
Yang Ya quickly raised her head and was about to deny it, but Li Lin's face was already close to Yang Ya's. Yang Ya's face turned red, her heart trembled, and her whole body trembled as if she was suffocating.
Li Lin leaned close to Yang Ya's ear and said, "If you really want to rebel, I can give you a chance. Will you two join in?"
Yang Ya suddenly burst into tears and quickly knelt down, "No, no, no, no! I will not rebel! Absolutely not! I hope Your Majesty will let the Yang family go!"
Li Lin smiled slyly, then helped Yang Ya up and said in a low and magnetic voice, "Concubine Yang Shufei, prepare to sleep with me tonight."
Then she turned back. Yang Ya backed away and sat down, only to find she had fallen sideways onto the floor. She stood up and rubbed her butt in pain.
The next morning, Yang Ya, supported by a palace maid, came to Kunning Palace for morning worship.
Chen Yun sat on the queen's throne. When she saw Yang Ya's expression, she knew that it was Cheng Huan Guo.
"It seems that the palace is about to become lively again."
Wei Ningshuang quickly ordered the servants around her to prepare five-bean porridge.
"Five-bean porridge?"
Chen Yun had never heard of this kind of food. Wei Ningshuang explained, "Your Majesty, this is five-bean porridge. It's a post-virgin diet for women who have just had sex. It's a popular food in Yanyou Country."
Chen Yun suddenly realized, "Oh, it turns out to be a blood tonic. Oh! Then Madam Ming, give Concubine Yang Shufei five ounces of donkey-hide gelatin and one pound of soybeans. This is suitable for women."
"What do soybeans have to do with this?"
Hearing Wei Ningshuang's curiosity, Chen Yun explained, "After a woman's virginity, taking supplements can help her recover quickly, and it also helps with nutrient absorption. Soybeans are particularly helpful because they are a natural female hormone that can balance the secretion of hormones in a woman's organs. In simple terms, soft beauty is even more beautiful."
After leaving the court, Yang Ya found Yin Banluo.
"Princess Yin De, shall we go enjoy the flowers together?"
Yin Banluo was silent for a moment, then smiled, shook Yang Ya's hand and said, "I've been waiting for you for a long time."
After everyone left, only Chen Yan sat on the chair, savoring the tea and the book in his hand, as if he was not interested in the wine.
Nanny Ming came to Chen Yun and knelt down beside her: "Your Majesty, after Concubine Yang Shu was favored, should we continue to arrange for people to keep an eye on her?"
"The Yang family will be eager to make a move because of Concubine Yang Shu's favor. Their desire is our opportunity. Madam Ming, we can be a little foolish and replace all the favors with our own. Let them know that the Yang family's favor is a gift from someone else."
"I understand. I'll arrange for someone to do the work right away."
"Oh, right, have the imperial chef cook something, and have someone send some small jewelry and food to the homes of some important officials as a reward for their wives, saying it's because of their husbands' great abilities and achievements."
"Your Highness, may I ask, is it necessary to praise those ministers in front of those ladies?"
Chen Yun tasted the tea again, which actually showed that he was not interested in the wine.
"If I don't speak frankly, how can I make those ministers happy?"
Elsewhere, the imperial garden's wisteria was in full bloom, its pale purple blossoms cascading like a waterfall, casting a cool shadow over the bluestone path. Yang Ya twirled a falling petal between her fingers, her gaze fixed on Yin Ban's white sleeve—a silver lotus embroidered on the hem, the emblem granted to the Yin family after their pardon and reinstatement. It was faint yet striking.
"Sister, you know, I nearly got into serious trouble yesterday," Yang Ya spoke first, her voice low, the petals of her fingers wrinkled from being pinched. "I let it slip in front of Mother and Sister, even mentioning the 'greatness of the Yang family' in front of Your Majesty... If Your Majesty hadn't been ambiguous at the time, I'd probably be in the Imperial Court waiting for punishment right now."
Yin Banluo raised her hand and tucked a strand of wind-disheveled hair behind her ear. She gazed at the koi carp playing in the water not far away and whispered, "If His Majesty had truly pursued this, you wouldn't have left that chamber yesterday. He kept you alive to preserve the Yang family's legacy—after all, a princess from the previous dynasty entered the palace as a concubine. Telling this to the public is a sign of His Majesty's magnanimity. Even spreading the news to the border would appease the hearts of those old ministers who still remember the Yang family's past favors."
"But what I want is not 'peace', but 'rebirth'." Yang Ya turned abruptly, a stubborn glint in her eyes. "Didn't my sister's family also receive a pardon? I heard that Uncle Yin was allowed to open a silk shop in the capital last month. Isn't this a sign of His Majesty's easing of interest? Our Yang family..."
"His Majesty kept you here out of extreme caution. You were so impatient yesterday. If someone with ulterior motives had heard about it, and someone in Kunning Palace knew about it, they could have easily said a word to make sure you and your mother never recovered."
At the mention of Chen Yun, Yang Ya's arrogance suddenly weakened. During the morning ceremony, the empress's half-smiley eyes seemed to see through the panic hidden beneath her clothes. Even the tone of her words when she bestowed donkey-hide gelatin and soybeans seemed to be a warning—both emphasizing her "serving favor" situation and implicitly reminding her: Your dignity depends entirely on the whims of this palace and His Majesty.
"So, how did you do it, sister?" Yang Ya softened her tone, taking a step forward, almost grasping Yin Banluo's hand. "I heard that while His Majesty doesn't often call on you, he always likes to summon you to the Imperial Study to study with him. The Empress also often invites you to Kunning Palace for conversations. Even Nanny Ming is very kind to you... How did you win their trust?"
Yin Banluo lowered his head, looking at the silver lotus on his sleeve. He was silent for a moment before he slowly said, "Trust isn't earned, it's earned."
"Simple, but sincere." Yin Banluo turned around and finally met Yang Ya's eyes. "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. He's used to hypocrisy. If you even hint at something fake, he'll see through it instantly. Since entering the palace, I've never competed for favor, nor dared to. When Your Majesty summoned me to study with you, I only talked about poetry and books. When the Empress invited me to speak, I listened to her talk about trivial matters in the palace, occasionally mentioning a few matters related to the people."
Yang Ya was stunned for a moment, and suddenly remembered how her mother taught her to "flirt and win favor" yesterday. Compared with Yin Banluo's calmness, she felt like a clown.
"What about the family's rise?" She asked again, her tone carrying a hint of urgency, "Sister, you can't..."
"Just be prepared to do His Majesty's bidding." Yin Banluo smiled and interrupted again, his fingertips tracing the wisteria spikes. "Last month, my father's silk shop supplied a batch of Shu brocade to Kunning Palace. The wife of the Dali Temple Minister came to buy silk, and my father paid her at cost, and also gave her a piece with the latest flowing cloud pattern. These things may seem trivial, but they are all paving the way for the Yin family."
She paused, then looked at Yang Ya, her eyes more earnest: "If the Yang family wants to rise again, simply put, it means being calm and doing more good things for others."
At this point, Yin Banluo suddenly lowered his voice and leaned close to Yang Ya's ear: "Wait until you have established yourself in the palace and your mother has received the imperial decree, then we can slowly make plans. The most important thing right now is to hide the desire in your eyes."
Yang Ya looked at Yin Banluo's calm profile, then at the shimmering lake in the distance. The sunlight shone on the water, blinding her eyes, but also brought out the clear and steady shadows of the trees on the shore. Suddenly, she understood.
"Don't worry, sister. I know what to do." Yang Ya took a deep breath, and the petals on her fingertips finally loosened, floating down on the bluestone slabs with the wind, no longer tense as before.
Yin Banluo watched the stubbornness in her eyes gradually fade, revealing a bit of clarity, and nodded gently. At that moment, the footsteps of palace maids could be heard in the distance, inviting them to Kunning Palace for a luncheon. Empress Chen said that the imperial chef had made a new lotus root powder cake today and invited several high-ranking concubines to taste it.
Yin Banluo stood up, straightened his sleeves, and smiled at Yang Ya, "Let's go. The Queen's lotus root powder cake is best paired with pre-rain Longjing tea. If you can listen more and talk less in front of the Queen today, you'll have made progress."
Yang Ya touched her belly, then took Yin Banluo's hand and walked over together.
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