Three concubines lived in Linhua Palace.
The main hall, the Lin Hua Hall, is where Consort Li resides.
There are two side halls on either side of the main hall. Yinghua Hall was where Consort Wan lived, and Liuhua Hall was where Consort Meng lived.
Yun Duoduo silently thought to herself, "Good heavens, three people have appeared at once. I'd better remember them well; there might be someone in this harem who could be the murderer who harmed my mother."
[However, who actually named this palace? I reckon it was the head of the Imperial Household Department who, along with the old maids and nannies in the palace, came up with it. Linhua, Yinghua, Liuhua—these names seem rather perfunctory!]
[Consort Li, Noble Lady Wan, Noble Lady Meng...]
Yun Duoduo nodded. She had read palace intrigue novels. A concubine was one rank higher than a noble lady, so it made sense that a concubine would reside in the main seat.
"Do any of you ladies have children?" Yun Duoduo asked curiously. While A Xiang was helping her put on her little cotton-padded jacket, she changed into a pair of long, fluffy boots embroidered with red flowers.
“Both Consort Li and Noble Lady Wan have children, but Noble Lady Meng, who lives with them, has not yet had any,” Ah Xiang sighed.
If one wants to have someone to rely on and be cared for in old age in the harem, one still needs to have offspring to rely on.
"I see."
Since Yun Duoduo opened her eyes and came into this world, she has only played with her eldest brother Yun Yibo, second brother Yun Yizhong, and third brother Yun Yishu. As for the other five brothers, she has only met them at their first birthday banquet and is not familiar with them.
"Consort Wan is the birth mother of the Eighth Prince, who is about five and a half years old this year."
Consort Wan's son is the youngest prince; the Eighth Prince is five and a half years old, and she is the Ninth Princess.
The Eighth Prince, that's her eighth brother.
Five and a half years old, that's a bit older than Huo Huo.
"Then, what about Consort Li?" Yun Duoduo asked, tilting her head up.
"Consort Li is the birth mother of the Seventh Prince, who is six years old this year."
The seventh and eighth princes were the youngest in the palace.
Could these people be the ones who poisoned Mother?
Yun Duoduo pondered the relationships among the group and whether they had any motive to harm others.
[If it was Consort Wan, that's highly possible. In order to prevent the royal family from having any more children that would threaten her and the Eighth Prince's positions, she plotted to frame a concubine who became pregnant, causing the royal family to go without children for nearly four or five years.]
"Consort Meng..."
"Lebi?"
Logically speaking, a mother's status should rise with the birth of her child, so why wasn't Consort Li promoted to Noble Consort or Imperial Concubine, and Consort Meng promoted to Concubine?
Yun Duoduo couldn't understand it; something must have happened.
Moreover, at the previous first birthday banquet, as well as at various banquets and events in the palace, Consort Chen, Consort De, and some other ladies-in-waiting and beauties were all vying for favor, while Consort Li and Noble Lady Meng were nowhere to be seen.
"Consort Li was originally the most favored, but later something happened and her mental state became somewhat poor."
"What's wrong?"
"My lady and I entered the palace late, and we only heard about these things. We don't know the specifics."
"Let's go!" Seeing that the three little ones were already dressed, Yun Beiye put on a cotton hat and carried Yun Duoduo out.
He was rarely in the palace and knew little about the affairs of these concubines and noblewomen, only having heard bits and pieces of information.
...
In northern Xinjiang, yellow sand swirls everywhere, and people wrap themselves tightly in their clothes and hats to ward off the cold wind.
Prince Yun Mohan of Jin faced the yellow sand, hiding in his tent day and night, facing the ever-present threat of endless sandstorms and venomous creatures such as scorpions and snakes.
Last time, Yun Mohan was stung on the ankle by a scorpion.
At the time, the accompanying doctors were all brought from the capital. They had never seen these poisonous creatures from the northern frontier before, and they were helpless as they watched Prince Jin's ankles swell more and more.
Yun Luoxue also had a long face, complaining and wanting to leave this place.
Just when the group was at a loss, the royal family of Beiliang sent them a miraculous medicine to cure the strange poison and also discussed cooperation with them. Yun Mohan did not agree to the cooperation with the royal family of Beiliang at that time, but asked to consider it for some time.
"Your Highness, what are your thoughts on what the people from Beiliang mentioned last time?" Princess Consort of Jin asked Prince Jin.
Her skin was visibly deteriorating. Her skin, which was originally as white and tender as egg white, was now dry and yellow, like old tree bark. Even if she applied the thickest rouge and powder, she couldn't cover up the spots.
Yun Mohan and Princess Jin sat by the fire to warm themselves.
"Your Highness, we should make a decision as soon as possible. Xue'er cries every day, and it breaks my heart to see her like this."
"Your Highness, look at me, I've become quite haggard lately. This place is truly unbearable!" Princess Jin grasped Prince Jin Yun Mohan's arm, sobbing as she spoke.
"Stop crying!" Yun Mohan glanced at the Princess Consort of Jin with disgust. Looking at her once beautiful but now ugly face, he felt inexplicably disgusted and irritated.
"How could I possibly want to stay here?" Yun Mohan picked up a branch and poked at the fire in front of him.
"This godforsaken place, I have to spend all my time with a bunch of filthy bastards, it's so annoying!"
"What bad luck!"
The Prince of Jin hesitated, rubbed his hands together, and looked troubled.
"However, last time, people from the Northern Liang royal family came and asked for the defense map of the capital and the internal structure of the royal family."
"Once this defense map is given to the King of Beiliang, neither you nor I will have any use for it. The King of Beiliang ascended the throne at a young age and is ruthless. It's not impossible that he might abandon us after we've served our purpose."
"However, if we do not cooperate with them, with my current military strength, I will not be able to take the capital."
"And my good brother, hmph, will absolutely not allow me to return to the capital!"
Princess Jin was speechless for a moment, and she couldn't think of a better solution.
He could only curse the dog emperor Yun Beiye of Nanyang and the jinx Yun Duoduo in his heart, filled with resentment and hatred.
"Father, Father, Luo Xue wants to eat the plum blossom yogurt from Qinxiang Pavilion." Yun Luo Xue cried with a long face. Back in the capital, she was the most noble little princess in the palace. In winter, she could eat the most delicious plum blossom yogurt; in spring, she could eat hibiscus pastry; in summer, she could eat ice cream; and in autumn, she could eat osmanthus cake. But now, because of that damned Yun Duoduo, she has taken away everything that belonged to her!
"Eat, eat, all you ever think about is eating!"
"If it weren't for you, would our family have ended up like this?!"
"It's all because of you two, mother and daughter, that you're so jealous. I've already said, wait a little longer, wait a little longer. The time isn't right now. Wait another three to five years, until people lose interest in the little princess, get tired of her, and stop paying so much attention to her, then we'll make our move."
"But what about you? You just wouldn't listen and insisted on taking action. And what was the result?" Yun Mohan was both angry and frustrated. He raised his hand and slapped his forehead.
"Report!" came the shout of a guard from outside the tent.
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