Yan Yu massaged her shoulders, her face beaming with joy: "Your Majesty, this pregnancy is sure to be a prince."
Consort Shu was pleased to hear this, but she deliberately kept a straight face: "I like both men and women. You must not say such things again."
Yan Yu smiled and agreed, then picked out a few interesting things from the palace to tell Consort Shu, hoping to make her even happier.
"The Third Princess is getting married after the New Year. She has been in love with the hostage from Northern Zhou for a long time, but who knew that the hostage from Northern Zhou would run away to Suzhou to avoid her. No matter how willful the Third Princess is, she can't follow him. I heard that she has already broken several good things."
Lu Shuangyi has always been spoiled and arrogant. When Consort Shu first entered the palace, she suffered a lot at her hands. The two have been at odds for a long time. If one of them is unhappy, the other can't wait to cheer.
Sure enough, Consort Shu smiled slightly: "She still doesn't learn her lesson. Sooner or later she'll wear down His Majesty's patience."
Yan Yu said softly, "You've hit the nail on the head... Today, when I went to the Imperial Kitchen to get the bird's nest, I happened to run into Zhu Sha, who was by the Empress's side, and Lord Qin talking. I overheard a bit of what they were saying, and it seems that His Majesty wants to send the Third Princess to the northwestern barbarians for a marriage alliance."
Consort Shu was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding. After she came to her senses, she almost wanted to burst into laughter, but she managed to hold it in: "Oh? Did you hear why? His Majesty has always doted on Lu Shuangyi, how could he possibly send her to a political marriage?"
Yan Yu naturally inquired about everything, but she wouldn't reveal it all at once, after all, her true master was the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, not Consort Shu: "After hearing this, I went around asking the people around the Third Princess. I heard that the war in the Northwest is tense, and His Majesty wants to negotiate peace, so Lord Qin came up with this idea. He said that the whole world knows that His Majesty dotes on the Third Princess, and if the Third Princess is sent to marry a foreign ruler, the barbarians in the Northwest will feel that Southern Chen is sincere."
Consort Shu pressed further, "Does Lu Shuangyi know about this?"
Yan Yu gently shook her head: "Even the Third Princess is unaware of this. Right now, only Lord Qin, Her Majesty the Empress, and you are aware of this matter. No one else knows."
Consort Shu frowned. On the day of the New Year's Eve palace banquet, she personally witnessed Qin Ye and Consort Zhao seemingly having an affair. Consort Zhao must have known about this, but the question is, why?
Why send the Third Princess to marry a foreign ruler? As far as she knew, the Third Princess and Consort Zhao had no grudges. Consort Zhao had even raised the Third Princess for a period of time, and the two got along quite well.
Qin Ye's actions were probably due to his own dislike of Lu Shuangyi.
Consort Shu had always known that Qin Ye was a vindictive person. Consort Jing, who had humiliated him before he came to power, was now living a life worse than death in the Cold Palace. And the ministers who called him a treacherous villain after he gained power were now either dead or exiled.
Consort Shu felt somewhat uneasy, finally beginning to acknowledge Qin Ye's immense influence in the court and the harem; it was no exaggeration to say he was second only to the emperor.
Such a person should neither befriend nor offend; one should simply treat them with utmost care.
Thinking of this, Consort Shu felt a cold sweat break out on her back. She gritted her teeth and said, "Go and find out more about this matter later. Make sure you find out the truth."
Yan Yu curtsied and said, "Yes."
Then, she massaged Consort Shu's shoulders, lowering her eyes and appearing respectful, but in reality, her eyes were full of mockery and laughter.
The Duke is right. Consort Shu is meticulous. Although she uses all her intelligence in the struggles of the harem, she is a useful tool if she gives even a little guidance.
Her current task is to stir up the waters of the harem, making it even more muddy.
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