After her anger subsided and she came to her senses, the queen asked again, "Nanny Zhou, why has the emperor suddenly started to show me such deference these days? Did someone say something to him?" Otherwise, why would he come to her chambers every night?
Nanny Zhou thought for a moment. "The first night the emperor came to the central palace was the night when the eldest princess pleaded with the emperor on behalf of the Prince of An."
The queen's eyelids fluttered. She looked at Nanny Zhou in disbelief. "You mean the eldest princess said something to the emperor? Would she be so kind? Why would she help me like this?"
Seeing that the queen was starting to let her imagination run wild, Nanny Zhou quickly interrupted. "Your Majesty, this is just my speculation. The eldest princess has always been on bad terms with Your Majesty. Does she really have such a kind heart? Chances are, she's plotting something against Your Majesty through you. You'd better not see her."
The queen nodded.
The Mingde Emperor stormed through the imperial garden. The moonlight cast a pale glow, and Eunuch Wang scurried after him.
The emperor was annoyed by Eunuch Wang's persistence. Just as he was about to send him away, he turned around and saw a young girl sitting beside a flowerbed.
She had her back to him, wearing a simple and elegant dress. Her hair was tied into a single braid that hung diagonally over her chest. There was only a small hairpin in the back of her head.
This figure, this dressing style... wasn't this...
His heart skipped a beat. A long - forgotten name was about to slip out of his mind.
But at this moment, Eunuch Wang let out a loud shout, interrupting his train of thought.
"Bold! The Emperor is here. Why don't you come and kowtow at once!"
The Mingde Emperor collected his thoughts, coughed softly with his head down, and couldn't help but give Eunuch Wang a disdainful look.
Eunuch Wang, "... " What did he do wrong?
Hearing this, the girl quickly turned around and scurried over in small steps to perform the kowtow ceremony.
"I'm Yu Niang, an actress who came to the palace to perform. I had a sudden stomachache in the middle and went out to relieve myself. On my way back, I got lost. I didn't mean to offend the emperor. I hope the emperor will forgive me."
After she finished speaking, she hung her head nervously, covering her chest with her right hand. Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt like dying.
"Look up!"
Yu Niang was so frightened that she was stunned. Then she remembered what the cold and gorgeous white - haired woman had told her. Holding back her fear, she slowly raised her head.
The Mingde Emperor was severely stunned. He almost blurted out that long - forgotten name. It was only when he saw the trace of timidity in her eyes that he came to his senses.
This wasn't her. She was very bold. When had she ever been so afraid of him?
He let out a disappointed sigh and steadied his mind.
"Most places in the palace are restricted areas. You are not allowed to trespass without permission. Since this is your first offense, I won't hold it against you. Eunuch Wang, take her out of the palace."
"Yes!"
"Your Majesty, I... I..." She hung her head, looking at the ground, her eyes darting quickly. "I sprained my ankle."
The Mingde Emperor said, "Go and summon the imperial physician."
Eunuch Wang frowned slightly. He wanted to say something but didn't dare. He had no choice but to do as he was told.
After he left, only the Mingde Emperor and the girl named Yu Niang were left in the imperial garden.
Remembering what the woman had told her, Yu Niang summoned up her courage and walked up to the Mingde Emperor, despite her fear. "I see that Your Majesty is frowning. Have you encountered some difficult problems?"
The Mingde Emperor's eyes turned cold. He looked at her seriously.
Yu Niang was so frightened that she immediately knelt down. Her whole body was shaking like a sieve. She almost wanted to die. "I overstepped my bounds, Your Majesty."
The Mingde Emperor sat down beside the flowerbed. His hands hung on his knees. Thinking about the importance of this banquet and his argument with the queen, his annoyance knitted his brows together.
For some reason, looking at this girl who was only one or two years older than Yuanyang, he had an urge to pour out his heart. But just as the words were on the tip of his tongue, he held back. He only said, "Some problems that I can't solve. No one can help me."
Yu Niang took a deep breath. She crawled on her knees to the emperor's feet and pressed on. "Everyone has their own difficulties. Your Majesty has yours, and I have mine.
But if these difficulties are pent up in our hearts for a long time, we will develop heart problems.
If we let them out, we will feel more relaxed, and our perspective on things will change. Then the solutions will naturally emerge."
The Mingde Emperor was stunned for a moment, then he smiled slightly. "I understand all these grand truths. But it's very difficult to solve the problems."
Although he said so, the serious and prestigious middle - aged emperor really let down his guard because of this sentence, showing his softness and helplessness.
Then he pointed to the flowerbed opposite him, signaling her to sit.
The evening breeze blew, and the petals fluttered in the air. The moonlight shone faintly on the two of them, creating a wonderful picture.
The next day, Li Xinyue heard the news that her father had newly enfeoffed an imperial concubine.
She closed the book on her face, turned to look at Lian'er, and seemed a little dazed. Then, with a flutter of her eyes, she concealed the strange feeling of discomfort.
"It's common for men to have multiple wives and concubines. Moreover, Father is the emperor. It's even less strange."
Her mother wasn't her father's first woman. None of her elder brothers and sisters had said anything. She had even less right to comment.
It was just that the faint kinship she had seen clearly at the banquet was further clarified by this incident.
Now, she only had Chu Junyi left.
She wondered how long Chu Junyi would accompany her.
If Chu Junyi changed his heart, she would probably kill him, cut out his heart, and feed it to the dogs.
But by then, she probably wouldn't want to live anymore because there would be nothing left in this world worth her nostalgia.
"Princess, Nanny Zhou from the queen's side is here."
Li Xinyue looked at Nanny Zhou walking steadily in the sunlight in surprise. The wind blew the corner of her clothes slightly, then let it fall.
Li Xinyue's gaze was attracted by her clothes, and her thoughts wandered for a moment.
"I've come to pay my respects to Your Highness the Princess. I'm sure Your Highness has already heard the news that the emperor has newly enfeoffed an imperial concubine."
Hearing this, Li Xinyue curled the corner of her mouth. She looked at this servant who walked with such arrogance, as if she were the master, meaningfully. "Why are you telling me this? Do you want me to fight for the queen in the harem?"
Nanny Zhou's lowered eyelashes fluttered slightly. Although this was what she meant, she still felt a bit embarrassed when it was said so bluntly.
"Your Highness the Princess may not know that this new imperial concubine looks seven or eight out of ten like Concubine Fu."
"Oh, and then? What does it have to do with me? Even if she dresses in my mother's clothes, combs her hair in my mother's style, and imitates my mother from head to toe. What does it matter to me?
Anyway, it's Father who falls for this, not me.
It's the queen who is wronged, not me." Remembering their coldness at the banquet, she was even less interested. She coldly told Lian'er to show the guest out.
Nanny Zhou couldn't hold her temper any longer. She blurted out, "Her Majesty the Queen is willing to join hands with Your Highness the Princess."
"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"
"You wanted to persuade me first. If it didn't work, you would all come together, right?"
Nanny Zhou was silent because she had no words to refute.
Li Xinyue's gaze tightened. "Show the guest out!"
If she didn't leave soon, don't blame her for getting murderous!
She was just a domineering servant. So what if she died in the princess mansion? The queen was now besieged on all sides. Would she dare to come and ask for her?
Nanny Zhou's breathing tightened. She looked at the princess lying on the couch in surprise.
At this moment, Eunuch Wang came. "Your Highness, the emperor would like to invite Your Highness to the palace to have a chat with Concubine Yu."