The news of the Consort's sudden loss of power quickly spread throughout the harem. Concubine Qing looked at the phoenix seal sent to her, her eyes complex.
"Tsk, how did such good fortune suddenly fall into your lap?" Concubine Yu sat beside her, peeling an orange and speaking in a leisurely manner.
"Do you really think it's good fortune?" Concubine Qing glanced at Concubine Yu, seemingly unconcerned.
"Isn't it? This is the phoenix seal. Now that His Majesty has entrusted it to you, isn't it obvious? Don't you know the current situation in the palace? His Majesty has never established an empress." Concubine Yu stated.
"You think I can reach that stage?" Concubine Qing smiled, appearing somewhat resigned, and then sat down next to Concubine Yu.
"What's impossible about that?" Concubine Yu found it to be a matter of course.
"It's naturally impossible. Don't speak such nonsense again in the future." Concubine Qing picked up her tea and took a sip.
Concubine Yu couldn't understand. Why was it impossible? "His Majesty has never established an empress. Before, I might have thought Consort Gui had a chance, but now it's clear she doesn't. Moreover, His Majesty has handed over all harem affairs to you. Isn't that very obvious? And I think you're better than Consort Gui," Concubine Yu said.
"Who can fathom His Majesty's thoughts?" Concubine Qing mused. This time, why did he suddenly hand over Consort Gui's authority over the six palaces to her? Was it because of Nan Zhiyun?
"Consort Shu has been staying at Zichen Palace recently, hasn't she? His Majesty's attitude towards Consort Shu seems to have changed significantly," Concubine Qing pondered.
"What could be the reason? Can His Majesty really establish Nan Zhiyun as empress? Even I understand this, how can you still be confused?" Concubine Yu pouted.
Concubine Qing smiled and said nothing. Concubine Yu, finding herself ignored, simply stopped talking. She picked up another orange and offered it to Concubine Qing, "Here, have an orange, do you want to eat it?"
"How many have you eaten?" Concubine Qing glanced at the pile of orange peels in front of her, a little exasperated.
"Four, five, six, seven, eight, maybe. They're quite sweet. Do you want one? I peeled them myself, my hands are sore. Won't Concubine Qing do me the honor?" Concubine Yu said, looking at Concubine Qing.
Concubine Qing: "..." She truly had nothing to say to her. However, she still took it, "Eating too much will cause internal heat. Eat less. Do you still think you don't have enough fiery temper?"
Concubine Yu frowned. What did she mean by internal heat? She wasn't feeling hot. But in a moment, after seeing the smile on Concubine Qing's face, she understood.
"You're saying I have a bad temper?" Concubine Yu immediately became timid. Concubine Qing's eyes twinkled with a smile, "Isn't that true? Do you want to see what you look like now?"
Concubine Yu was quite angered. Damn Yan Qing! She was subtly insulting her! Hmph ╯^╰! Where did she have a bad temper? She never provoked anyone if they didn't provoke her!
Zichen Palace
Yu Jingchen was handling court affairs outside, while Nan Zhiyun was reading a book inside. However, she had been feeling a bit drowsy these past few days, so she fell asleep after reading for a short while.
When Yu Jingchen entered, the young woman was asleep on a rocking chair, propped up by thick cushions, looking very docile, like a little kitten.
"Everyone, leave," Yu Jingchen instructed the attendants inside.
The attendants all withdrew. Only Nan Zhiyun and Yu Jingchen remained in the room. He walked towards the young woman's position and gently took the book from her hand.
"You don't even know you're carrying a baby, how can you be so careless?" Yu Jingchen sighed. He had found something amiss with the imperial physician today. He had noticed it during the pulse-taking and had Xin Lai investigate. And indeed...
It had to be said, there were many parasites in this harem. He hadn't paid attention to harem affairs before, so he hadn't bothered to deal with them. But now that it concerned Nan Zhiyun, he couldn't ignore it.
Yu Jingchen carefully picked up Nan Zhiyun and placed her on the bed. The young woman was sleeping soundly and didn't wake up. Yu Jingchen looked at her, his heart softening.
"Don't leave. Stay by my side, and I will protect you. I can also accompany you in pursuing what you want to do, but you absolutely cannot leave. This is my bottom line," Yu Jingchen whispered. He couldn't bear to let her go, couldn't let her be apart...
When Nan Zhiyun had spoken of leaving Zichen Palace today, the complex emotions within him had surged. He feared that one day he would lose control of these emotions. If that happened... would it frighten Nan Zhiyun?
Nan Zhiyun slept very deeply. When she woke up, it was already late at night. The room was empty, and it was dark outside. Fortunately, the room was lit by candlelight.
Nan Zhiyun rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. She had been here for a long time, so her initial fear had gradually faded, and she had become familiar with her surroundings.
"Qian Xia..." Nan Zhiyun called out.
Qian Xia entered from outside, "My lady, you're awake?" She immediately went to Nan Zhiyun's side.
"What time is it? Where are the people in the room?" Nan Zhiyun asked.
"My lady, it's almost Zi Shi now." Qian Xia helped Nan Zhiyun sit on a cushioned chair.
"Zi Shi?" Nan Zhiyun hadn't expected it to be so late. (Zi Shi is from 11 PM to 1 AM. We'll take 1 AM here.)
"Yes, my lady slept for a long time today. His Majesty carried you to the bed and said not to let anyone disturb or wake you," Qian Xia replied, pouring her a cup of warm water.
"Where is His Majesty?" Nan Zhiyun hadn't seen Yu Jingchen just now.
"Something happened at Consort Gui's place today. His Majesty went to Yunpeng Palace," Qian Xia answered. Consort Gui had an accident? Wasn't everything fine today? How did it suddenly happen?
"What happened?" she asked.
"...I heard... Consort Gui had an affair," Qian Xia said, seeming to find it difficult to speak.
An affair? This statement clearly startled Nan Zhiyun. Consort Gui had an affair?
"And... the child Consort Gui had in the Eastern Palace back then was not His Majesty's..." Qian Xia continued. Nan Zhiyun was shocked. How bold was Consort Gui to do such things? Moreover, were these things true? Wasn't it His Majesty's deliberate plan... Nan Zhiyun harbored doubts.
"My lady needs to take good care of your health. Don't worry too much about these matters," Qian Xia said, concerned about Nan Zhiyun's well-being.
"Mm... How was Consort Gui's matter handled?" Nan Zhiyun asked.
"It's not clear yet. I imagine His Majesty would not tolerate it," Qian Xia replied.
"When did it happen?" Nan Zhiyun asked further.
"About half an hour ago. I heard that some improper items were found in Consort Gui's Yunpeng Palace today, which is how it was exposed," Qian Xia explained.
(A gentle reminder: Dear readers, please note that the secret chamber in the main text was due to the Empress Dowager. However, in this life, the Empress Dowager has not yet been reborn, so there is no secret chamber.)
Nan Zhiyun didn't ask further after hearing this, but she felt that the matter was not that simple. Why did it suddenly come to light now? Did Yu Jingchen also play a role in this? But when did he find out? And why was he doing this now?
"Does my lady want to sleep more?" Qian Xia brought Nan Zhiyun a cloak and draped it over her.
"I can't sleep anymore," Nan Zhiyun shook her head.
"Then what does my lady want to do now?" Qian Xia asked.
"I'll sit for a while. Where is the book from today? Bring it here," Nan Zhiyun wanted to read to pass the time. She had just woken up, so she couldn't sleep yet.
"My lady, His Majesty has ordered that you not read at night. It's too dark, and reading will harm your eyes," Qian Xia explained. This was explicitly forbidden by Yu Jingchen.
Nan Zhiyun: "..." She didn't know whether she should continue reading.
"Light two more lamps. If there's nothing to do, I'll read," Nan Zhiyun still wanted to read. If the light was too dim, she could simply light more candles.
"Yes..." Qian Xia couldn't persuade her any further.
She went to fetch the book for Nan Zhiyun and lit two more lamps. Yu Jingchen had not returned yet. Nan Zhiyun was a little nervous at first when she started reading, but gradually became engrossed in the content.
Yu Jingchen returned about half an hour later. The first thing he saw was Nan Zhiyun reading by candlelight. He frowned but said nothing.
Qian Xia saw Yu Jingchen enter, glanced at Nan Zhiyun, and then bowed, "Your Majesty."
Nan Zhiyun was a little confused by the title "Your Majesty." She looked up and instantly became nervous upon seeing Yu Jingchen.
"Why are you still reading in such dim light? It will harm your eyes," Yu Jingchen said, walking towards Nan Zhiyun.
Nan Zhiyun put down the book. The book felt hot in her hands. She wanted to hide it behind her back but didn't dare.
"Your Majesty, my lady just woke up and couldn't sleep, so she wanted to read. Please don't blame my lady," Qian Xia explained on Nan Zhiyun's behalf.
"Retire," Yu Jingchen said impatiently. Qian Xia looked at Nan Zhiyun with concern but didn't linger. She thought His Majesty wouldn't do anything to her lady now. After Qian Xia left, Nan Zhiyun became even more uneasy, constantly picking at her fingers.
Yu Jingchen knelt in front of her and took her hand. "What did I tell you today? Why are you picking at your hand again? I told you not to hurt yourself." He smiled, seemingly not angry. He also took her book from her hand.
"Are you scared?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
Nan Zhiyun didn't answer, but her attitude was clear.
"It's alright, I'm not angry. I'm just afraid you'll hurt your eyes. It's too dark in the room, so don't read so often at night," Yu Jingchen said.
"Can't sleep?" he asked.
Nan Zhiyun finally looked at Yu Jingchen. Yu Jingchen was also looking at her, his face showing no anger, but rather a constant, patient, and gentle smile. She nodded, feeling a little unable to sleep.
"It's alright, if you can't sleep, then don't," Yu Jingchen didn't force it. She had already slept for more than three hours, so it was normal not to be able to sleep.
"Although you can't read, I can tell you stories. Do you want to hear them?" Yu Jingchen asked. In their past life, Nan Zhiyun loved listening to his stories and always asked him to tell them, so he had memorized them long ago.
However, when Nan Zhiyun heard Yu Jingchen's words, she was surprised. He would tell stories? This was too incredible.
"What's wrong? You don't want to hear them? Or do you think I'm not good at telling them?" Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun with amusement.
Nan Zhiyun didn't dare to meet his gaze. She... really didn't believe it. Also, wasn't Consort Gui's matter discussed today... Yet why did His Majesty seem unaffected? Didn't he care about such things? Wasn't he angry about them?
"What's wrong? Do you have a question for me?" Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun, her expression quite cute.
"Consort Gui..." Nan Zhiyun finally spoke, wanting to know if Yu Jingchen had deliberately orchestrated today's events.
"Good girl, she is no longer Consort. Half an hour ago, Wen Shi was ordered to commit suicide," Yu Jingchen said, a clear hint of coldness in his tone.
Dead? In just a few short days, two consorts had already died. She wasn't sure of the reason, but she felt that she somehow played a role in it. And Concubine Min Chong, she knew that Concubine Min Chong had been banished to the cold palace, her tongue cut out, and had been beaten with fifty planks. After her punishment, no one cared for her, and she was likely left to die.
"Are you scared, Yun'er?" Yu Jingchen could tell.
"Mm... Was Consort Gui really..." Nan Zhiyun wanted to ask if she really had an affair, or if it was just fabricated. Although she didn't say it completely, Yu Jingchen understood her meaning.
"Of course, it's true. She was quite bold," Yu Jingchen stroked Nan Zhiyun's head, feeling helpless. What kind of image did he have in her heart?
Nan Zhiyun was shocked. She had initially thought it was just an excuse Yu Jingchen found to deal with Consort Gui, but she never expected Consort Gui to be so bold.
"Then the child..." Nan Zhiyun continued to ask, but then felt it was inappropriate.
"The child is not mine either," Yu Jingchen said directly. His expression showed no unhappiness, but did he truly not care? She dared not speak further.
"Yun'er, don't be afraid, it's alright. Hmm? No matter what, I won't be angry with you," Yu Jingchen said to Nan Zhiyun. Nan Zhiyun pursed her lips, remaining silent.
"Alright, I'll take you to bed, and then I'll tell you stories, okay?" Yu Jingchen didn't want her to continue overthinking.
Nan Zhiyun didn't refuse. She stood up, led by Yu Jingchen, and then obediently followed him to the bedside and sat down.