Seeing Concubine Wu Lifei's gloomy face, as if she were lost in thought, Concubine Ge let out a fleeting, barely perceptible smile. She sighed softly, "After all, I'm not entirely without worries. Whether we, as mothers, are favored or not, will also affect the future of our children. Your Majesty doesn't treat me the same way he used to. I only hope that Your Majesty will consider our old friendship and not take it out on Ying'er."
Concubine Wu Lifei, with a heavy heart, forced a smile: "My dear Concubine, you are worrying too much. Your Majesty loves you dearly. Even if he favors others, he still has you in his heart."
Concubine Ge shook her head helplessly, "There is only one Majesty in the palace, and the so-called favors are always increasing and decreasing. It's either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind. The more favor others receive, the more I am neglected. You see, now that An is the only one favored, it's not easy for you and me to even see His Majesty."
Concubine Wu Lifei could only absentmindedly offer her consolation, "Duke Dingguo is Your Majesty's most important minister, having made significant contributions abroad. Your Majesty will certainly treat Your Highness well, regardless of the extent of his favor. Why should Your Majesty be so worried?"
Upon hearing this, Concubine Ge said, "The Zhou Kingdom has always been a major threat to the southern border of Dayong. Nan'an is loyal to Dayong and has resisted the Zhou Kingdom. Your Majesty values Nan'an, so you don't have to worry. Even if Your Majesty is concerned about Nan'an, he won't make a hasty decision on Pingzhang's marriage."
Concubine Wu Lifei quickly modestly said, "The mountains are high and the rivers are long. Nan'an is thousands of miles away. Sending a message back would take months. Moreover, we haven't seen each other for over twenty years. How can this compare to the Duke Dingguo Mansion?"
Concubine Ge suddenly took Concubine Wu Life's hand as if they were sisters, which surprised Concubine Wu Life.
"It's my fault for bringing up your sad story. I only thought about how important Nan'an was to His Majesty, but I forgot that a woman who traveled thousands of miles to marry a foreign prince, no matter how wealthy and powerful she was, would always have pain in her heart that others could hardly empathize with."
With every word Concubine Ge spoke, Concubine Wu Life's eyes became more anxious.
But then Concubine Ge said, "Fortunately, you are here, my sister. Pingzhang will never have to endure such hardships again."
Hearing this, Concubine Wu Life's heart sank...
But Concubine Ge seemed unaware and said, "Ying'er should finish school. I will go back to Cuiwei Palace first. Excuse me."
Concubine Wu Lifei bowed absentmindedly: "Goodbye, Your Majesty."
After Concubine Ge walked away, the maidservant beside Concubine Wu Lifei hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid the Concubine has ulterior motives this time. You must not let her lead you away."
At this moment, Concubine Wu Lifei's face no longer had a smile on it. She looked dejected: "Yuyu, if you can hear the meaning of this, how can I not understand it?"
The palace maid named Yuyan, who had the appearance of a Nan'an woman, lowered her voice and said in Nan'an dialect, "Since Your Majesty knows, you must not fall for her tricks and be used as a pawn by others."
Concubine Wu Lifei responded in Nan'an dialect: "I was sent here to marry because Nan'an was defeated in battle and to show my submission to Dayong. Others don't know the pain I went through during those years, but you have been with me every step of the way."
Hearing this, Yuyu's face showed bitterness: "Your Majesty has not fought or competed for anything over the years, and has never taken sides. That is why you can have the peace and stability you have today. It is precisely because of this that Your Majesty cannot make any mistakes."
"But Ruxuan is my daughter." At this point, Concubine Wu Lifei's eyes were red. "How can I let her suffer my punishment again and watch her being sent to Beidi?"
Her lips trembled slightly. "After Princess Yongning died, the Queen Mother treated Princess Anle like a treasure. She would definitely not want the princess to marry a foreign prince. That only leaves my Ruxuan."
Seeing that Concubine Li was about to take a risk, Yu Yu was anxious and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you discuss this with Concubine Xian first? She has always been like a sister to you, so she can make a decision..."
"No." Concubine Li interrupted her. "As one drinks the water, one knows whether it's hot or cold. Even if we are as close as sisters, she can't understand that I would even risk my life for my daughter!"
…
Half a month later, Jianzhang Palace.
As soon as Xue Zhiyi came out of the main hall, he ran into Jing Chun, who had a gloomy face.
Xue Zhiyi asked her, "Why did you take so long to get your period?"
Although Jing Chun was a bit cowardly, he was also a person who had a short memory. Although he was scolded by Xue Zhiyi many times, after a few days he became respectful and warm to Xue Zhiyi again.
Seeing Xue Zhiyi asking her, she called out "Sister Zhiyi" and hurried forward, mumbling, "I just went to the Shanggong Bureau to get my share, but unexpectedly, the Shanggong Bureau said there was a mistake in the accounts, and they are waiting for An Zhaoyi and the Empress to verify it. Only after that can the shares be distributed to each palace."
As she spoke, she lowered her voice furtively, "An Zhaoyi assists in managing the six palaces, but the Empress is frail, so most of the daily palace affairs are handled by An Zhaoyi. If there are any oversights, it's usually An Zhaoyi's fault. On the way back, I heard quite a few people complaining that although An Zhaoyi is favored, she's from such a poor background that she's not good at managing palace affairs, which is why a lot of mistakes have happened recently."
Hearing this, Xue Zhiyi only frowned slightly and did not interrupt Jing Chun.
Seeing this, Jing Chun couldn't help but continue, "Other things would be fine, but the Fifth Prince gets itchy all over when he touches pollen. Many people in the palace know this. And then there was the mistake of sending the Fifth Prince fabric that had been fumigated with fresh flowers. It made him sick, and Concubine Xian was so worried that she immediately punished the maid who delivered the fabric."
As she spoke, she shook her head and said, "The virtuous concubine didn't like An Zhaoyi being the only favorite, and after this incident, I'm afraid she's even more disgusted."
After hearing this, Xue Zhiyi frowned and remained silent.
But Jingchun kept talking: "Sister Zhiyi, I heard that Concubine An is clinging to the power of assisting the six palaces while monopolizing Your Majesty, refusing to let go. That's why she made mistakes in her haste and lost her composure..."
"Alright." After getting the information he wanted, Xue Zhiyi stopped Jing Chun from chattering. "Stop talking like that. It's against the rules. If someone hears you, you'll be charged with slandering the master. You'll suffer the consequences. I won't go to the imperial court to rescue you then."
Jing Chun had been threatened by Xue Zhiyi several times, and seeing Xue Zhiyi's cold face, she couldn't help but feel scared. She covered her mouth and dared not say anything, but she was very dissatisfied in her heart: It's against the rules, but you just heard it, right?
I haven't scolded her for so long, she still thinks she can say this...
Without paying any more attention to Jingchun's emotions, Xue Zhiyi went back to his room, but he was still thinking about this matter in his mind.
An Zhaoyi has been assisting in the management of the six palaces for a while now. Previously, there had been no major disturbances, but recently there have been frequent omissions. I'm afraid it's not just a simple mistake.
I'm afraid that some people can't stand An Zhaoyi being the only one favored, and these old people who are deeply rooted in the palace have begun to work hard to make things difficult for her with these minor details.
A favored concubine, there are so many people who hate her, Xue Zhiyi couldn't figure out who did it.
But she guessed that these little setbacks were just appetizers, and there would be bigger mistakes waiting for An Zhaoyi next.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
