The Empress Dowager kept a close eye on Qingyan out of the corner of her eye. If Qingyan made the slightest inappropriate move, the Empress Dowager would be in trouble. Jueluo had messed things up and even implicated Su Moer.
Yin held Qingyan's small hand tightly, absolutely not allowing her to make any move. The Empress Dowager was ruthless; back then, she killed her own son, the Emperor. For power, she could abandon everything.
"Xuan Ye, why was Princess Ulanara brought back?" The Empress Dowager could find no other excuse, so she could only say that Qingyan was not a member of the palace's female relatives. "Lady Ulanara is a good person, and she is especially kind to her illegitimate daughters."
These words were a sarcastic remark about Qingyan's lack of filial piety. The concubines had heard a little about what Jue Luo had done, and they were all somewhat disheartened. What kind of biological mother would treat her own daughter like that?
The concubines and princesses were very grateful, as they were able to have a healthy child who could help them alleviate their loneliness in the deep palace.
"Consort Tong, you are a consort, don't keep interfering in the residences of ministers!" The Empress Dowager's words chilled Qingyan to the bone. It seemed that the Jue Luo clan had complained to outsiders again.
"Grandma, I understand. Lanya, take Yin and Xiaoguai back to Chenggan Palace first." Kangxi couldn't reprimand the concubines in front of them. Xiaoguai was already frightened, and if she saw the scene of punishment, Fei Yanggu would definitely be furious.
"Yes, Lanya takes her leave!" After seeing Qingyan and Yin bow, Consort Tong picked up Qingyan and turned to walk out of the palace.
Qingyan looked around curiously. The Forbidden City was even more luxurious hundreds of years ago. This was the royal territory, and no one could overstep the imperial authority.
"I want Sisi!" Qingyan spotted a familiar person standing in the distance. She wriggled her chubby little body, preparing to look for Yin.
Consort Tong smiled and nodded; the little guy was clearly protesting something.
Yin took two steps forward and picked up Qingyan, who showed a forced smile.
"Sisi is someone close to Mother!" Qingyan said softly. He noticed her pale face and felt a pang of anxiety. The little one was clearly afraid of being hurt.
The Jue Luo clan had already received news from the Empress Dowager that Qingyan and Yin had entered the palace together. If the Jue Luo clan could control Qingyan, Kangxi and the Fourth Prince would certainly not punish her.
Yin let Qingyan lean on his shoulder, gently patting her back, his eyes flashing with icy light.
She was not disturbed by the uninvited guests. Along the palace road they passed, there were palace maids and eunuchs bowing everywhere, which was in stark contrast to the desolation of modern times.
"This servant greets the Imperial Concubine, the Fourth Prince, and the Princess." Zhu Ying was a capable maidservant of the Jue Luo clan. She had served the Jue Luo clan for decades without ever leaving their side.
Qingyan pouted and didn't even spare her a glance.
“Princess, you are a subject’s daughter. How can you trouble the Fourth Prince to carry you? That’s improper.” Zhu Ying, considering herself a member of the Gioro clan, spoke with an air of superiority.
Yin frowned. This woman should actually be called "Little Darling".
"Princess, where has your manners gone?" Zhu Ying was clearly annoyed by Qing Yan's indifferent attitude. In the Ulanara mansion, the princesses had always treated her with exceptional courtesy.
Qingyan fiddled with her fingers, wanting to see just how outrageous Zhu Ying could be.
“Princess, this servant believes you should go down to the ground and apologize to the Fourth Prince, and then return to the mansion to plead for the Princess Consort’s punishment. The other concubine-born princesses in the mansion are all better behaved than you.” Zhu Ying was instigated by the Jue Luo clan to dislike Qing Yan, but Consort Tong did not obstruct her too much.
Yin felt drops of water falling on his neck, and he regretted not taking Qingyan away from Jue Luo's side sooner.
Back then, Fei Yanggu was afraid that Qingyan, who was less than a year old, would not be used to the banquet, so he placed her next to Jue Luo Shi. Not only was Xiao Guai almost killed, but he was also almost framed.
"How dare you! What are you shouting like that in front of me?" Consort Tong narrowed her eyes. The maid in front of her was quite pretty. It was considered very good for the Jueluo clan to have a woman of such beauty by their side.
It seems that Lady Jue Luo was quite capable; she trained her servants to be so loyal, which shows she was quite skilled.
"This servant deserves to die. Your Highness, the Princess Consort mentioned that Princess Qingyan has been raised outside the palace and has no one to teach her manners. This time, this servant will accompany Princess Qingyan back to the palace and become her governess." Zhu Ying thought that since she was able to seduce Fei Yanggu, Qingyan was still under her control.
"Government nurse?! I can tell from your poor manners that you have no manners. Shu, take this lowly maid to the Trial and Judgment Office. How dare she block the way with such ill-mannered behavior!" Consort Tong was already in a bad mood, and Zhu Ying was now at her wits' end.
Zhu Ying looked up in surprise. The noble ladies all said that Consort Tong was the most good-tempered of all the noble ladies. Today, her words were clearly not disrespectful.
"This servant wouldn't dare!" Zhu Ying pleaded with tears streaming down her face as she looked at the approaching nanny.
"Mother, didn't Father Emperor appoint a governess for Xiao Guai? How come Lady Ulanara didn't know about it?" Yin glanced at a corner where several noble ladies' maids were eavesdropping, and he gave a cold smile.
Consort Tong gave Yin an approving look. The Jue Luo clan and the Empress Dowager had almost managed to get Qingyan arranged to be given to a rough man from the grasslands.
Now, she was even preparing to ruin Qingyan's reputation in the palace. Fortunately, Qingyan was in Yin's arms, and before Consort Tong could scold her, he put the earplugs from his purse into Qingyan's ears.
No disturbance outside could bother Qingyan. At this moment, he was fully aware that he had acted quickly enough; otherwise, Xiao Guai, with her soft-hearted nature, would definitely have pleaded for this lowly maid.
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhu Ying's heart skipped a beat. If the Fujin (wife of the emperor) didn't speak up, would the Empress Dowager stop the Emperor?
Why? His Majesty has already dispatched the princess's governess. Then her righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor just now was tantamount to insubordination.
"Send her to the Criminal Division! Ask her properly who gave her the audacity to disobey the imperial decree." Consort Tong smiled coldly, helping Shu Zhu walk towards Chengqian Palace on her flowerpot-soled shoes.
Over the past few months, Consort Tong's health has been greatly improved thanks to the food Qingyan provided using the space. Qingyan noticed the Empress Dowager's unfriendly gaze.
Before the spoon was laid, Qingyan was about to leave the palace. She was thinking about what she could leave behind to give Consort Tong a heads-up.
"Fourth Prince, can you not send her off?" Qingyan took out her earplugs and overheard Consort Tong's words. She turned to look at the pitiful Zhu Ying and couldn't help but feel a little soft-hearted. These people were all part of the Jue Luo clan's dowry.
"Little darling, you must be obedient!" Neither Consort Tong nor Yin were moved, and Shu directly took the person away.
Seeing that her pleas were hopeless, Qingyan could only shut her mouth. She knew that Jueluo Shi would probably be furious soon. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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