The Duke Ding Manor was naturally unwilling to let their daughter be a small secondary consort, but what if she was the future Princess Consort?
The few of them chatted with the Empress for a while. Worthy Consort Xu was annoyed. She adjusted the pearl hairpin at her temples and stood up. “I still have something on in the palace, so I’ll go back first. I’ll visit you another day.”
“Send Worthy Consort,” the Empress said to Emissary Cui.
“There’s no need,” Worthy Consort Xu said.
Yu Wan smiled and stood up. “It’s getting late. I should take my leave. If you don’t mind, I’ll send you out.”
It would be unreasonable to refuse again.
Worthy Consort Xu really did not say anything else and left Zhaoyang Palace with Yu Wan.
The eunuchs carried the palanquin forward. Worthy Consort Xu waved her hand, and the eunuchs tactfully left.
From the Zhaoyang Palace to the Xianfu Palace, they needed to pass through the Taiyao Pool. The palace servants followed from afar, and without Worthy Consort Xu’s order, they did not dare to rashly approach.
When she walked under a weeping willow tree, Worthy Consort Xu stopped in her tracks. “Madam Yu, tell me honestly, was the fire in the Fengshai Palace set by the Young Master Manor?”
Yu Wan looked at the sparkling water and said, “Why do you say that, Your Highness?”
Worthy Consort Xu snorted. “I know the Empress’s personality better than you. She doesn’t have the ability or the guts.”
Yu Wan smiled faintly. “So Your Highness is sure that it’s the Young Master Manor? Why did I hear through the grapevine that the culprit is actually Your Highness?”
Worthy Consort Xu looked at Yu Wan coldly and said, “Isn’t that the rumor you spread?!”
Yu Wan was not frightened at all. “So what if I did? So what if I didn’t? Is Your Highness afraid?”
Worthy Consort Xu’s nails dug into her flesh. “Madam Yu, don’t think that you can look down on me just because you married into the Young Master Manor. Do you really think that His Majesty will hand over the empire that our ancestors worked so hard to build into the hands of a piece of trash? The Eldest Prince has done nothing. Can he support this empire? His Majesty only misunderstood me because of some rumors, so he released the Empress to punish me. My son is His Majesty’s favorite prince. It’s not good for you to offend me! I advise you to stop. On account of your young and insensible nature, I can let bygones be bygones. However, if you continue to be stubborn, you can’t blame me for being rude to you!”
Yu Wan asked calmly, “How are you going to be rude to me, Your Highness?”
“Your Highness!”
As soon as Worthy Consort Xu opened her mouth, a pleasant girl’s voice came from not far away.
Worthy Consort Xu restrained her anger due to Yu Wan and slowly turned her head, revealing a gentle smile. “Why is Shu’er here?”
The person who came was none other than the daughter of the Prime Minister, Han Jingshu.
Han Jingshu was dressed in pink and white. She was delicate and beautiful. She held an exquisite basket in her hand and walked towards Worthy Consort Xu innocently.
“Greetings, Your Highness!” Han Jingshu bowed lively. “Isn’t the Empress sick? My mother brought me and my sister to visit her, but I came to see you first!”
When the news of the Empress’s return to favor was released, people would come to visit one after another. This was not strange, nor was Han Jingshu’s appearance.
“Who is she?” Han Jingshu looked at Yu Wan. In fact, the first person Han Jingshu noticed was Yu Wan. She had never seen a woman with such outstanding looks and temperament. She was beautiful but not glamorous, quiet but not nightmarish. One look and one could not take their eyes off her. However, she was not stupid and only asked about Yu Wan after greeting Worthy Consort.
Worthy Consort Xu liked Han Jingshu’s sense of propriety. She looked innocent but was actually not stupid at all. Only such a woman could become an outstanding wife.
Worthy Consort Xu introduced, “Young Master Yan’s new wife.”
“Mrs. Yan.” Han Jingshu bowed and said innocently, “My surname is Han, and my name is Jingshu.”
“Miss Han.” Yu Wan nodded slightly.
Miss Han looked ignorant, but she was actually a smart person. This was because Yu Wan noticed that when Worthy Consort Xu introduced herself as someone’s wife, the vigilance in her eyes instantly disappeared.
Could it be that she thought that she had appeared beside Worthy Consort Xu because Worthy Consort Xu wanted to choose a beautiful secondary consort for Yan Huaijing?
Yu Wan wanted to laugh.
Although she was not the concubine Worthy Consort Xu chose for Yan Huaijing, Yan Huaijing had always been pestering her. He even took the risk of being discovered on the day of the wedding to kidnap her from the bridal sedan chair. Han Jingshu was still too young. She thought that once a woman was married, she would no longer gain the favor of men. Little did she know that some men like this kind.
“Has His Highness entered the palace today?” Han Jingshu asked Worthy Consort Xu coquettishly.
Worthy Consort Xu smiled dotingly. “He will come and greet me every day. What do you think?”
Han Jingshu lowered her head shyly.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave first.” Yu Wan was also very tired from being sandwiched between this “mother-in-law and daughter-in-law”.
“The flowers there are not bad. Shu’er, go and pick them for me.” Worthy Consort Xu sent Han Jingshu away and looked at Yu Wan for a second before her expression changed. “You better seriously consider what I said just now.”
Yu Wan smiled faintly and said, “When Your Highness threatens me, shouldn’t you at least ask your son what he did on my wedding day?”
Worthy Consort Xu frowned.
Yu Wan said unhurriedly, “Your son personally told me that once he becomes the Emperor, he will bring me into the palace. At that time, will Your Highness tolerate me?”
Worthy Consort Xu’s expression changed. “You… you’re spouting nonsense!”
Yu Wan smiled faintly. “Whether it’s nonsense or not, you can ask His Highness. Instead of worrying about me here, why don’t you think about how to take care of His Highness and let him marry Miss Han in peace! After all, Your Highness’s phoenix seal is about to be gone. If you lose the backing of the Prime Minister Manor, His Highness’s throne will be in danger.”
With that, Yu Wan no longer looked at her. She bowed and left without looking back.
Worthy Consort Xu was furious when she saw that Yu Wan actually dared to threaten her and leave so arrogantly. She glanced at the pool at the side and took a few steps forward to push Yu Wan down.
However, Yu Wan did not fall into the water alone. Han Jingshu was picking flowers by the pool. Yu Wan grabbed her and pulled her into the water.
“Ah—” Han Jingshu screamed. She didn’t know how to swim!
Worthy Consort Xu was frightened. She did not expect Yu Wan, this black-hearted person, to drag Han Jingshu down at the critical moment! What did she want to do? Take Han Jingshu with her even if she died?!
Worthy Consort Xu could not watch anything happen to Han Jingshu. She quickly called the palace servants not far away. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go into the water to save her.”
The palace servants jumped into the water like dumplings.
“Uh…”
Han Jingshu struggled in the water and quickly sank.
Worthy Consort Xu was so anxious that she broke out in a cold sweat. “Save Miss Han! Save Miss Han for me!”
The servants swam towards Han Jingshu. No one cared about Yu Wan’s life.
However, saving Han Jingshu was not as easy as she had imagined. Han Jingshu’s feet were entangled by a vine at the bottom of the lake. The palace servants tried to pull her up a few times but failed. They dived into the water to untie the vine.
Han Jingshu could not hold her breath anymore and revealed a pained expression in the water.
At this moment, a muscular figure jumped into the water.
Han Jingshu’s eyes lit up. His Highness!
Han Jingshu was so excited that she forgot that she was underwater. She opened her mouth to call him, but she suddenly gulped down a large mouthful of water.
Fortunately, Yan Huaijing swam towards her. She stretched out her arm and wanted to throw herself into Yan Huaijing’s arms, but Yan Huaijing didn’t seem to see her at all and swam straight past her.
She saw Yan Huaijing hug the woman who was already married and save her.
