Emissary Cui was surprised by Yu Wan’s reaction. In just two days, this Young Madam seemed to know the rules much better. After Emissary Cui sat down, she explained her intentions to Yu Wan. “I’m here on the Empress’s orders to deliver the golden seal to Mrs. Yan.”
Yu Wan was about to reach out to take it when she suddenly remembered Nanny Wan’s teachings. She gave Li’er a look. Li’er walked forward and took the golden seal from Emissary Cui.
“How’s Her Majesty’s health?” Yu Wan asked generously.
Emissary Cui said pleasantly, “His Majesty instructed the imperial physician to treat Her Majesty no matter what. Her Majesty is also quite hard working and has finally survived the critical period. She should be able to recover after recuperating for a while. Her Majesty is still waiting to attend Prince Cheng and the princess of Xiongnu’s wedding banquet.”
In that case, the Emperor planned to let the Empress attend their wedding banquet so that he could announce to the world that the Empress had regained her favor.
“Congratulations to Her Majesty,” Yu Wan said with a smile. She also congratulated Worthy Consort Xu. She wondered if she would faint from anger when she heard this.
Emissary Cui smiled and said, “Her Majesty said that she thanks Young Master and Young Madam for this matter. Her Majesty has always been clear about gratitude and grudges. She will remember whoever treats her well and will definitely not treat Young Master and Young Madam badly in the future.”
It was just a deal. Both of them had obtained what they wanted. How could they continue to take care of each other in the future? The Empress probably sensed that the Emperor did not dote on her as she had imagined and had no choice but to express her goodwill to the Young Master Manor.
Yu Wan saw through it but did not expose her. She said politely, “I’ll thank Her Majesty first.”
Emissary Cui continued, “Her Majesty is seriously injured. Young Madam, you can enter the palace to visit Her Majesty more often.”
Emissary Cui did not stay for long. After handing the golden seal and the Empress’s reward to Yu Wan, she left for the palace.
In the Xianfu Palace, Worthy Consort Xu was furious. She never expected that the Empress, who had been “imprisoned” for ten years, would actually walk out of the Fengshai Palace.
“How did this happen? She personally admitted to killing a child. His Majesty let her off just like that?” Worthy Consort Xu sat on the yoke back armchair, her eyes filled with hatred.
The nanny-in-charge sent the palace servants away and served her a cup of tea. “Your Highness.”
Worthy Consort Xu pushed away the teacup that was handed to her, her chest heaving violently.
The nanny-in-charge said, “The Fengshai Palace was burned to ruins. There’s no way for the Empress not to come out.”
Worthy Consort Xu said coquettishly, “But she shouldn’t have moved into Zhaoyang Palace!”
The Zhaoyang Palace was the second-best palace among the six palaces after the Fengshai Palace. The Eldest Princess had lived there before she got married. She had originally taken a fancy to the Zhaoyang Palace, but the Emperor rejected her with the excuse that he missed the Eldest Princess and gave her the Xianfu Palace.
Although the Xianfu Palace was good, it was a little far from the Emperor’s bedchamber. What she couldn’t get was snatched away by an old woman. How could she be willing?
Worthy Consort Xu had been in charge of the harem for a long time and had almost forgotten that she was not the Empress but only a Consort. The Empress was the head of the six palaces, so she was naturally qualified to stay in Zhaoyang Palace.
The nanny-in-charge did not say anything and gently placed the teacup on the table.
“What did the people in the palace say?” Worthy Consort Xu asked coldly.
The nanny-in-charge said, “Everyone is saying that there’s something else about what happened to Noble Lady Liu back then. The person who killed her was not the Empress, but Your Highness. Your Highness knew that someone wanted to poison you, but you deliberately asked her out and sent her to death. Now that the truth is about to surface, Your Highness is worried that the Empress will regain her favor, so you burned down Fengshai Palace…”
Worthy Consort Xu slapped the table. “Nonsense! How can I be so stupid! She has lost favor for ten years. If I don’t touch her, she can die of old age in the palace. Why should I do anything unnecessary!”
“There are also people who think that Your Highness can’t wait to be the Empress,” the nanny-in-charge said.
Worthy Consort Xu said aggrievedly, “I do want to be the Empress… but I’ve waited for so many years. Would I attack just as my son was about to marry the daughter of the Prime Minister? If I was really so brainless, I would have died countless times in the palace!”
“Your Highness, calm down. Don’t be angry and ruin your health,” the nanny-in-charge advised.
Worthy Consort Xu rubbed her chest and said, “How can I not be angry? I was about to wait for this slut to die, but she suddenly turned around… Nanny, do you think His Majesty believes those people and suspects me?”
The nanny-in-charge sighed.
Worthy Consort Xu pounded the table. “Why did she come out? Why! Why didn’t she just burn to death in the fire!”
The nanny-in-charge said earnestly, “Your Highness, she only has the title of Empress. The power of the harem is still in your hands. Your Highness, you just have to focus on your own matters and not leave any evidence for others to use against you to get the phoenix seal back. Moreover, the Eldest Prince is not as popular as His Highness, and the Eldest Princess Consort’s maternal family is even inferior to the Prime Minister Manor. The throne will definitely belong to the Second Prince. What are you worried about?”
Worthy Consort Xu smiled. “That’s right. The Eldest Prince was implicated by the Empress. His Majesty only appointed him the daughter of a fifth-grade general affairs minister as the Princess Consort. Unlike Jing’er, who’s going to marry the beloved daughter of a first-grade prime minister. With this marriage, I only need to firmly hold the phoenix seal in my hand. The Empress is nothing to be afraid of!”
The nanny-in-charge said in relief, “It’s good that you can understand.”
The next day, Yu Wan applied for leave from Nanny Wan and entered the palace to visit the seriously injured Empress. Just as she passed by the imperial garden, she bumped into Worthy Consort Xu, who was sitting on a palanquin.
Enemies were bound to meet on a narrow road. This sentence flashed across Yu Wan’s mind.
Worthy Consort Xu did not recognize Yu Wan at first glance. She only felt that she looked familiar. She raised her hand to signal the eunuch to stop the palanquin. She instructed the accompanying palace maids, who looked at Yu Wan. “Who are you?”
Yu Wan walked forward and bowed. “I’m Madam Yu. Greetings, Worthy Consort.”
“It’s indeed you!” Worthy Consort Xu narrowed her eyes. “You changed your clothes, but I couldn’t recognize you.”
How could she not recognize her? She was simply stunning. She was already unbelievably beautiful when she was only wearing coarse linen clothes. Now that she had changed into noble clothes, even if she said that she was the Empress, people would probably believe her.
Worthy Consort Xu gripped her handkerchief tightly and sneered. “I heard that you and Young Master Yan are married. You’re really good. You seduced my son and can still marry Prince Yan’s heir.”
Yu Wan sighed slowly. “What methods do I have? I’m just young and beautiful.”
“You!”
To a palace concubine who was aging day by day, there was nothing crueler than this. Worthy Consort Xu’s expression immediately changed. She pointed at her nose and said, “Wretched woman, kneel down!”
Yu Wan raised her eyes indifferently and calmly met Worthy Consort Xu’s gaze. “Your Highness, I’m not a chef anymore. I only kneel before the Empress, not the palace concubine.”
