Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

Chapter 162 Ruined Yikun Palace

Yan Wan clenched her fists and glared at Madam Wei angrily.

There was nothing she could do, since Madam Wei was her mother. The child in her belly seemed to sense Yan Wan's emotional fluctuations and kicked her in the stomach, suddenly becoming a little upset.

She understood that Madam Wei did not really want to come to the palace to see her. It turned out that her family was just a decoration.

When Lan Qi came to visit Yan Wan in Yongshou Palace, Madam Wei had already left. Ju Rui, the new maid in the palace, had just helped Yan Wan to a chair. Yan Wan took a half-embroidered child's dress from a bamboo basket and continued embroidering.

Ju Rui glanced at Yan Wan sideways, and fearing that her eyes would be damaged, she moved the candle a few inches closer and added a new cup of tea on the table.

Ju Rui observed all of Madam Wei's words and actions. Although she had only been in Yongshou Palace for a short time, she could sense Yan Wan's kindness to her. After all, this was the imperial palace, and being able to keep her life was a blessing. She had never expected to meet such a good master, but Yan Wan, such a good person, had such a family.

I heard from Wang Chan that Yan Wan has a younger brother who is a drinker, whore and gambler. He is good at everything except serious work.

Ju Rui is young and doesn't know much about the ways of the world. Her eyes are clear and innocent like a child.

She frowned slightly and said cautiously, "My lady, how could Madam do this? She took away all the money awarded by the Emperor and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You are about to give birth, what will you use to reward the midwife?"

Yan Wan pursed her red lips, her eyebrows slightly raised, her dimples slightly drawn, her smile still as gentle as a lotus flower. Madam Wei had been like this for a long time. In the past, she had hoped to receive some maternal love from Madam Wei, even if it was only one ten-thousandth of what Zorlu had. But as she grew older, Yan Wan came to understand that Madam Wei favored boys over girls and would never give her even a fraction of Zorlu's love. She touched the child in her belly, her eyes filled with love. No one had loved her before, but now that she had her own child, there was naturally someone who loved her in the world. As for Madam Wei's love, she no longer cared much for it.

Yan Wan: "You are still young. When you grow up and see more clearly, you will find that some things are not that important."

Lan Qi was standing outside the door when she heard Yan Wan's words. She felt relieved. If Madam Wei and Zuo Lu had died unexpectedly, Yan Wan wouldn't have been so sad.

"Ji Tao, go find Jinzhong and tell him that it's time to close the net." Lan Qi pulled Ji Tao's arm and said softly.

"Yes, my lady." Ji Tao responded and retreated.

After Ji Tao left, Lan Qi tidied up her clothes and hair, and entered the main hall with a faint smile.

After returning to Beijing, Jinse shed her Mongolian robe and put on her Qing dynasty Manchu dress again. She was now being supported by Nanny Yun as she walked towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

When passing a palace road, Jinse suddenly stopped, looked up, and found herself in Yiku Palace.

There were two guards guarding the palace gate.

Seeing Jinse coming, the guard knelt down and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Princess."

Jinse waved her hand, signaling them to stand up.

Nanny Yun felt that this was unlucky and quickly advised, "Princess, let's leave quickly. This Yikun Palace is an ominous place."

Jinse stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist. She looked calm, her lips slightly raised, and said with a smile: "Open the palace gate. I want to see what kind of life the former Concubine Xian, now the Empress, lives."

The guards looked at each other in bewilderment. The woman in front of them was the emperor's most beloved daughter and the only flesh and blood of Empress Xiaoxian left in the world. They could not afford to offend her, but Ruyi had a grudge against her, and they were afraid that Ruyi would do something bad to her. For a moment, the guards were in a dilemma.

Jinse had no expression on her face and said coldly, "How dare you! Don't you even listen to what this princess says?"

The guard bowed his head and said, "I dare not, but I am afraid that the Queen will go crazy and hurt the princess."

But Jinse didn't care. If Ruyi dared to hurt her, Hongli would definitely not let her go.

Jinse: "It's okay. If anything happens, I will take responsibility for it myself."

The gate of Yiku Palace finally opened.

The first thing that caught Jinse's eye was a face she had never seen before. She was nearly thirty years old, yet she was wearing the coarse linen clothes of an old woman. She was drying clothes in the sun, and when she heard the door open, she turned around immediately.

In all the years Rong Pei had been in the palace, she had never seen a woman dressed so gorgeously, and she was stunned for a moment.

Nanny Yun scolded, "You don't even show respect when you see the princess."

It turned out to be Princess Hejing.

Rong Pei knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "This servant Rong Pei greets Princess He Jing. May the princess live a thousand years, a thousand thousand years, a thousand thousand years..."

"Ah."

Jinse looked around but couldn't see Ruyi. She asked in confusion, "Where's the Queen? Why hasn't she come out?"

Rong Pei: "In reply to the princess, the queen is ill and is currently lying in bed."

"Oh?" Jinse, supported by Nanny Yun, walked to the main hall and suddenly stopped, glancing back at the Yikun Palace. It wasn't what she'd remembered. When she was a child, Ruyi had been imprisoned in the cold palace by Hongli for plotting to murder the heir to the throne. Later, for unknown reasons, Ruyi was released, and Hongli, like a demon, gave her the finest palace in the harem—the one where the late emperor's favorite concubine, Nian, had lived. Unexpectedly, under Ruyi's control, the once-luxurious palace had become an abandoned villa.

Just as Jinse was lost in thought, a cough was heard from inside the room. The thin, sharp, and familiar sound reached Jinse's ears.

"Rong Pei, is the medicine ready?"

Ling Yunche ran out in a hurry.

Hearing a familiar voice, Jinse looked up at Ling Yunche. She remembered Ling Yunche; it was Ling Yunche who had saved her mother when Empress Xiaoxian fell into the water. She had thought Ling Yunche would rise to prominence thanks to his rescue, but unexpectedly, due to Ruyi's involvement, he not only lost his position but also became the lowest-ranking eunuch in the palace.

"Princess... Princess, your servant Ling... Little Lingzi greets Princess Hejing..." Ling Yunche knelt on his knees.

"Princess, let's go. Concubine Chun and the concubines are probably still waiting for us in Zhongcui Palace." Nanny Yun advised.

"No rush, let them wait a little longer." Jinse ignored Ling Yunche, walked up to Rong Pei, looked down at her and asked, "What's your name?"

Rong Pei raised her head and glanced at Jin Se, then quickly averted her eyes. She bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth and stammered, "Slave... Your servant Rong Pei."

When she returned to Beijing, Jinse had already heard rumors of discord between the emperor and the empress. If she had not seen it with her own eyes today, she really would not believe that Hongli would imprison Ruyi and dismiss all the palace servants, leaving only one eunuch and a palace maid. The queen of a country actually lived a life worse than her concubine.

Suddenly, Ruyi coughed in the room.

Accompanied by a weak call, "Rong Pei, Xiao Lingzi, where is my medicine? Ahem..."

Jinse stared at Ling Yunche for a long while before she said in a cold tone, "What's wrong with the Queen?"