These words were truly earth-shattering.
The entire Kunning Palace was silent; everyone froze in their tracks. Wan Anran blinked, and amidst the intense stares, she snapped out of her daze and belatedly covered her mouth.
The Empress spat out her tea.
She coughed violently, and the palace servants who were still stunned rushed forward to pat the empress's back, remove the teacups, and wipe away the stains, creating chaos in an instant.
Next to laugh out loud was Consort Xuan.
She had been upset about the incident and was determined to discuss how to handle it with the Empress, but now she was laughing so hard that she shrugged her shoulders and gave Consort Qi a reproachful look: "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Now that she'd said it out loud, Wan Anran decided to stop beating around the bush: "Really... Think about it. To make Consort Yi pregnant, and to make the Empress pregnant, that's quite a statement..."
She counted on her fingers as she spoke, and the more she talked, the more she felt that what she was saying made perfect sense.
Consort Xuan grabbed Consort Qi's cheek and pulled hard.
She retorted sharply, "See if you dare to talk nonsense again!"
"Waaaaah—"
"Your Majesty, please look at Consort Qi!" Consort Xuan looked to the Empress for help, asking her to help teach the outspoken Consort Qi a lesson.
The Empress laughed so hard she almost fell over, and even the palace servants couldn't help but shrug their shoulders and stare down at their feet, afraid of bursting out laughing.
What was originally a serious topic turned into a joke.
The Empress wiped her eyes, feeling as if she had used up all the laughter of the year in one day. She poked Consort Qi's forehead: "It's fine to joke around here, but you mustn't tell anyone, understand?"
What if the Emperor finds out...
The Empress felt that even though Consort Qi had been severely reprimanded, it was the lightest punishment imaginable.
Wan Anran stuck out her tongue.
Even she wouldn't dare to say such a bold statement about who had cheated on whom in front of the Emperor.
Laughs aside.
Once everyone calmed down, they unanimously decided to stop the spread of such rumors. Consort Xuan coughed, her smile fading as she became serious again: "Who is so bold as to spread such rumors?"
Although it was a question, Consort Xuan undoubtedly had someone she suspected. Seeing that only the Empress, Consort Qi, and her trusted palace maids were in the hall, she simply voiced her suspicions directly: "Is it Noble Lady Tong's idea? Or the Imperial Concubine? Or perhaps it's Lady Tongjia's?"
The seventh prince, born to Consort Tong, was disabled, which led to much criticism of her for a long time. If she could gain an auspicious title, her reputation might be reversed.
Of course, it could also be Tong Guiren's own idea.
Consort Xuan felt that this was the least likely possibility. A Noble Lady, who was in Chengqian Palace, would be more likely to be involved in the affair than to bypass the Consort Gui. It was more likely that the Consort Gui was behind it, or that the Consort Gui and the Tongjia clan behind her were behind it.
Wan Anran also stopped smiling.
She thought for a moment, then hesitated slightly: "This time, the style... I don't think it's the work of Consort Tong."
Consort Xuan raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"
She never expected that Consort Qi would speak up for Consort Tong, and a hint of surprise crossed her eyes. Consort Xuan stared at Consort Qi with curiosity: "Why?"
Wan Anran pondered for a moment.
She hesitated slightly: "Is it mainly about feelings?"
"Feelings?" Consort Xuan squinted.
“It’s hard for me to describe, but the last time she came to Chuxiu Palace, I felt something was different.” Wan Anran’s brows were furrowed.
Perhaps, like Consort Yi, things are heading in a positive direction?
Consort Qi's vague explanation naturally did not satisfy Consort Xuan. She raised her eyes to look at Empress Niohuru: "Your Majesty, what do you think?"
"It wasn't made by the Imperial Concubine."
"……Why?"
"Does Her Majesty the Empress already know?" Wan Anran exclaimed softly.
"Ah... after all, this matter has spread quite a bit." She's trying to put herself down again; as the Empress, she can't just ignore this, can she?
Before Consort Qi and Consort Xuan could guess, Empress Niohuru continued with a smile, "Although it wasn't Consort Tong who initially intervened, she didn't stop it after hearing about it; in fact, she fueled the flames quite a bit."
Wan Anran: …………
She and Consort Xuan looked at each other in bewilderment.
Knowing about this, yet still fueling the flames?
Is Consort Tong a fool? Consort Xuan blinked, her face full of astonishment: "This... Didn't Consort Tong stop it? Now that she has gone to Mount Wutai with the Emperor, she can clear herself of all suspicion."
The Empress shook her head: "As far as I know, the Consort did indeed order the palace servants not to spread rumors. However... it's not entirely Consort Tong's fault."
The Imperial Concubine had long lost favor, and had even personally gone to the Chuxiu Palace to look for Consort Qi. Given these two factors, it's likely that Lady Tongjia harbored resentment towards her actions, and it's understandable that some palace staff favored Consort Tong.
Of course, even if Consort Tong was bold, she wouldn't be that bold. The Empress smiled gently. She didn't reveal the name of the mastermind, but instead changed the subject, mentioning Consort Tong's request to visit Kunning Palace.
This was something neither Wan Anran nor Consort Xuan knew.
As the Empress recounted the story in detail, both of them showed slight emotion.
The Imperial Concubine was still the same as before, a person who loved children. They had thought that the Imperial Concubine was still bothered by the Seventh Prince's disability, but they did not expect that she had done a lot for the Seventh Prince, and finally went to the Empress to beg for help, lowering her proud head.
Consort Xuan blushed slightly.
After sighing, Wan Anran was also a little worried: "Although the Noble Consort wants the Seventh Prince to recover before he comes out, I think it is not good to keep the Seventh Prince in Chengqian Palace all the time. After all, children of this age have a natural inclination to play and need to interact with their peers."
Wan Anran had seen a lot of this in the books of her previous life, such as the need for children to develop social skills from a young age, learn to control their emotions, understand others, and learn to express themselves.
Raised alone in Chengqian Palace with almost no contact with others, and influenced by the atmosphere around him, one can imagine the pressure the young Seventh Prince was under.
Physical wounds heal easily, but emotional wounds are hard to mend.
If it leaves behind mental illness, then things will be even more difficult later on.
The Empress was also somewhat troubled.
She shook her head: "The Imperial Concubine did have this idea, but something happened that we don't know about. I heard that the Seventh Prince is in low spirits and always keeps himself locked in his room..."
Seeing Wan Anran and Consort Xuan's confusion, the Empress added, "The Seventh Prince's personality is just like the Noble Consort's; they're practically identical."
Wan Anran suddenly realized.
Consort Tong was a sentimental and anxious person. When she met a child with the exact same personality, it was like two peas in a pod.
Wan Anran thought about it.
She hesitated for a moment: "How about letting Yinzhen give it a try?"
The Empress was taken aback: "Yinzhen?"
Wan Anran thought it over and over and felt it was a good idea: "Your Majesty, think about it: His Highness the Crown Prince and the First Prince are too far apart in age from the Seventh Prince, so they may not have much to talk about. Yinzuo is also a bit mischievous and may not get along with the reserved Seventh Prince. In comparison, Yinzhen has a calm and steady personality, and I have taught him many storybooks. Maybe he can get along well with the Seventh Prince!"
"But what is your relationship with Consort Tong?"
“Yinzhen and the Seventh Prince are brothers too—” Wan Anran said with a smile. But then she exclaimed, “Wait, we have to ask Yinzhen about this.”
The Empress smiled gently.
She nodded: "If Yinzhen is willing, let him give it a try!"
Yinzhen agreed without hesitation.
He was even more proactive than Wan Anran had imagined, directly choosing a day to go to Chengqian Palace.
Wan Anran, on the contrary, felt somewhat uneasy.
She rested her chin on her hand, looking at Yinzhen with concern: "Are you sure there's no problem? It's okay if you don't want to, okay?"
Yinzhen: "No problem."
In his previous life, Yin You's presence during his childhood was... zero! In addition, Consort Cheng was always a concubine with a lowly status, and the seventh brother suffered a lot when he was young. Even after moving into the prince's residence, he was almost invisible.
She was almost forgotten when she got married.
During the struggle for the throne, people completely forgot about his existence.
But the seventh brother is by no means a person without talent.
Perhaps due to the neglect he experienced in his youth, he was an upright man who combined firmness with gentleness. The Plain Blue Banner under his command was well-disciplined and thorough in all matters, and its extravagant atmosphere gradually changed. His reputation among the imperial family and court officials was not very good, but among the banner people from different backgrounds, his reputation was excellent.
Yinzhen only learned about this in his previous life after he ascended the throne. He clearly wanted to give his seventh brother a good position, but then the seventh brother fell ill…
Thinking of this, Yinzhen couldn't help but clench his fists, tears welling in his eyes. He was determined to help his brothers maintain their health so they could serve for a longer time. :)
Wan Anran, who was standing next to her, shivered.
She poked Yinzhen: "Yinzhen... what are you thinking?" Her expression was terrifying QAQ
Yinzhen instantly composed himself.
He coughed, then gave Wan Anran a bright smile: "By the way, Mother!"
"Um?"
"Could you make some snacks for me?"
"Are you planning to take this for the Seventh Prince to eat?"
"That's right, because Mother's pastries are the most delicious!"
My son is so cute!
Wan Anran pulled Yinzhen into her arms and rubbed and kneaded him for a while.
Of course, the snack problem was also easily solved.
In addition to her usual snacks, Wan Anran also specially fried a lot of potato chips, cut them into thin slices, sprinkled them with various seasoning powders, and finally made delicious potato chips that no one could resist.
It's perfect to eat while chatting!
Wan Anran packed a large bag full for Yinzhen to take with him, but when the day actually arrived, the confident Wan Anran still felt a little worried. She said she would see Yinzhen off, but then she said she would take him to the Imperial Garden, and finally she took him directly to the gate of Chengqian Palace.
It's really impossible to go in from here.
Wan Anran was reluctant to leave, but Yinzhen was open and honest. He waved to his mother and then strode into the unfamiliar yet familiar palace.
The young eunuch, who had been waiting for a long time, came forward to greet them.
Yinzhen followed him inside, glancing around as he went. Most of the palace servants serving him were unfamiliar, with only a few recognizable faces.
The entire Chengqian Palace appeared somewhat dilapidated.
It wasn't the architecture, but the state of mind of the people. Yinzhen sighed softly and quickly walked to a familiar spot.
This is where he lived as a child in his past life.
Yinzhen's lips curled up slightly, and he chose to push open the door and enter without hesitation.
The Seventh Prince, Yin You, stood up instinctively.
His round eyes were wet, and after exchanging a glance with Yinzhen, he quickly lowered them: "..."
Yinzhen tilted his head and gently closed the door behind him.
The room became dark again, and he walked forward step by step: "Seventh Brother."
Yinyou looked like a small animal with its fur standing on end.
Not only did he not give any response, he also looked like he was about to faint.
Yinzhen crossed his arms in front of his chest.
It seems this is not a simple matter.
Wan Anran was extremely worried.
After Yinzhen went inside, she regretted it a little and stood in Chengqian Palace, hesitating whether to sneak in for a peek. Just then, a palace maid hurried out from inside: "Consort Qi, Consort Tong invites you to come in and sit down..."
Wan Anran has not yet answered.
Hai Tao behind him immediately shouted angrily, "Insolence!"
He's just a nobody.
Wan Anran glanced at the palace maid indifferently: "If Consort Tong has nothing to do, she should probably copy the palace rules a few more times to clear her head."
They were so confused that they forgot their own responsibilities.
Given that they can do such things, it's not unusual for them to spread such outrageous rumors, right?
Wan Anran turned and walked towards Chuxiu Palace.
As she walked, she wondered to herself—who was the first person to spread the word?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
