The next day, Yan Nan returned to her small courtyard.
I heard that those people went to pay their respects again early this morning.
She had only heard about it, but didn't care. If Su Liangdi didn't make a move, she didn't need to worry about it.
Consort Su left the palace today, presumably to see her parents.
Today, Yan Lingyun and his son must return to Daiyang Pass, as they both have official duties and cannot leave the camp for too long.
Before leaving, he only sent someone to say hello. Although he had left, he was not far away, so it was still convenient to send her messages or gifts.
With nothing to do, Yan Nangui went for a stroll in the imperial palace. He casually asked a question, and Xia Fengyi said she wanted to go too.
So we went together.
Although the palace was large, the scenery was probably limited, so it wasn't unusual to run into other people.
Right in front of you is the harem.
Consort Zhen led the way. She wore a bright red dress with gold bird patterns, and her high bun was decorated with purple and gold coral. Her hair ornaments swayed gently, making her look truly captivating.
She's in her thirties, but she doesn't look it at all; she's truly like a blooming peony.
No wonder she's said to be the second Goddess of the Luo River; in terms of appearance alone, she truly surpasses all others. Plus, as a concubine, her attire was impeccable.
Her clothes were brand new, her jewelry was precious, and she was graceful and elegant.
It made everyone else in front of him pale in comparison.
Yan Nangui glanced at her and stepped forward, saying, "This concubine greets Consort Zhen and all the other ladies."
"Oh, who is this?" a woman in a floral dress asked in a rather unfriendly tone.
She seemed to be mocking and quite unfriendly.
"Lady Yan of the Crown Prince's Residence." Yan Nangui glanced at her indifferently.
Judging from her attire, you can tell she's not a woman from the imperial harem.
Since she wasn't a woman from the imperial harem, she must have been a concubine in one of the princes' residences.
Since that's the case, there is no one more noble than her.
"Oh, so it's that...that Consort Yan?" The woman probably wanted to say "second marriage," but then suddenly remembered Consort Zhen and changed her words.
"May I ask who you are?" Yan Nangui asked, looking at her.
"Oh, it's me, the wife of the Second Prince," she said proudly.
"Oh, so this is the Lady Jin who led the way to pay respects to Consort Zhen? What? Following Consort Zhen, you haven't learned a single rule?" Yan Nangui sneered. "Upon seeing the women of the Crown Prince's residence, you didn't even ask what happened, just gave them a dressing down. What? Is the Second Prince going to replace the Crown Prince? Has our Highness been deposed? Well, the Second Prince is getting on in years, is he in a hurry? Why not just ascend the throne directly?"
"Yan Shi! What nonsense are you spouting? Who do you think you are?" Madam Jin roared.
She wasn't usually impatient; she was just trying to please Consort Zhen, but why was Yan talking in such a maddening way?
“Oh dear, Lady Yan, what are you saying? We are all women, how can we talk about such important matters?” a woman hurriedly said.
"Oh, I didn't want to talk about anything important. But here I am, a dignified lady of the Crown Prince's residence, standing here. Not a single concubine in the Prince's residence bows to me. What can I think? Isn't it because our Crown Prince is about to fall? Otherwise, why would everyone be so openly disrespectful? And this Lady Jin, so what if you are a lady? The Second Prince is just a prince, not yet a king. Your title of lady is just a title, without any rank. Without rank, there is no salary. You are just a lady in your own backyard. Why do you dare not bow to me, a rank lady of the Crown Prince's residence?"
"If the Second Prince's Consort were here today, given the proper order of seniority and the distinction between嫡子 (legitimate son) and 庶子 (illegitimate son), it would be understandable for me to bow in greeting. What's wrong with you? Or is it that your Second Prince not only wants to replace the Crown Prince and His Majesty, but you also want to replace your Second Prince's Consort?"
"You! Yan Shi, you really are..."
"Alright," Consort Zhen interrupted with a smile, "It's also your fault. If the Crown Princess were here today, I would have paid my respects. You were indeed in the wrong."
Madam Jin was furious, but dared not refute.
She had indeed heard plenty of stories about how the Crown Prince would eventually be deposed. It wasn't like she was meeting the Crown Princess; what was there to be afraid of in a mere concubine?
She didn't even care about the concubines.
But the words about the wild geese returning south are all true.
"It was a slip of the tongue on my part. I pay my respects to Consort Yan."
She lowered her head; how could anyone else in the prince's residence dare not pay their respects?
Even those of lower rank who were His Majesty's subjects had to pay their respects. However, Yan Nangui returned the greeting.
After the commotion, Yan Nangui changed the subject: "When Consort Zhen came from afar, I thought I saw the Peony Fairy. The last time I saw Your Highness was during the New Year. It's been several months since then, and Your Highness's charm is even greater than before."
"You're so good with words, it pleases me." Consort Zhen smiled.
"I am speaking the truth." You are indeed very beautiful, but a peony that has reached its peak will eventually wither.
"I won't disturb Your Highness's enjoyment of the scenery any longer, I'll take my leave first," Yan Nangui said with a smile.
Consort Zhen nodded with a smile.
Yan Nangui then went to the other side with Xia Fengyi.
As Mrs. Jin watched their retreating figures, she calmed down and said nothing.
On the contrary, it was the concubine, Wang, who snorted, "How arrogant!"
Consort Zhen just smiled and said nothing. Suddenly, someone started talking about the scenery.
They changed the subject.
On the other side, Xia Fengyi said, "Yan Liangyuan is quite impressive. If I were alone and saw this scene, I wouldn't know what to do."
"Although you are a concubine, you are also a concubine of the Crown Prince. Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, you will be a concubine of the Emperor. What is there that you don't know? Even if someone makes things difficult for you, do you think they would dare to hit or scold you?" Yan Nangui said with a smile.
"Of course not, but it didn't go so smoothly either," Xia Fengyi said.
Yan Nangui smiled but didn't respond.
"I was born in Jiangnan, and this is the first time I have seen the scenery further north."
"This is my first time here too." Yan Nangui found a pavilion, and the two of them sat down.
Here you can hear birdsong from the nearby hills and the mountain streams.
It is indeed a tranquil place.
"It's certainly good to be able to get out and about. Although I've been favored these past few years, I've also been quite bothered by it. It's just a pity that my position is so lowly and I can't do anything about it," Xia Fengyi sighed.
That statement is seven parts true and three parts false.
Yan Nangui smiled and said, "Your sister is very favored, so it's fine if you say this to me, but if you tell the rest of the household, they'll probably hate you to death."
"In other words, I'm telling you, Yan Liangyuan, that you are a person who clearly distinguishes between love and hate. If you were a muddle-headed person like Ye Liangdi, how could I dare to say that?" Xia Fengyi said.
"Isn't that how life is? You are too favored, and Consort Ye doesn't like you. But fortunately, you are only a concubine, so there's nothing she can do about it."
Yan Nangui's words imply that she was favored, but Shu Chengfeng did indeed protect her.
They neither told her she was pregnant nor promoted her.
After all, in the Crown Prince's harem, apart from the concubines, the other ranks could be promoted at his discretion.
It depends on what he likes.
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