Chapter 373: Chapter 368: Imperial Concubine
Ye Qiu watched Little Golden Crow fly away willfully and couldn’t help but smile helplessly, then became contemplative once more. A disturbance in the palace? What kind of disturbance? The only thing that could cause panic would be the matter of the two Princes and Consort Hui and Consort Wang’s pregnancies.
Is Ji Fei unable to sit still and planning to deal with the Wang family?
It’s not impossible. The Wang family has always coveted the positions of the Queen and the Crown Prince. However, on one hand, I am sitting in the position of the Imperial Concubine. On the other hand, Lady is of little use. Now that Wang Yajing just entered the palace a few months ago and is already pregnant, it is normal for the Wang family to have ideas.
It’s also my fault. Who made me give Wang Yajing the Fertility Pill? No wonder Ji Fei can’t sit still.
Ye Qiu snorted with a laugh, as long as she isn’t blamed for any issue that arises, otherwise, she would have to take another path.
However, before Ji Fei’s plan has been put into action, another big event happened in the palace that is related to Ye Qiu.
Because Princess Yuhua, who divorced earlier this year, has taken a fancy to Ye Qiu’s brother, Ye Mu!
This has caused a lot of discussions in the palace, and many people are laughing at both parties. The Imperial Concubine and Empress Dowager Wang have been at odds not for just a day or two. How can such people become in-laws?
Not to mention, Princess Yuhua divorced because she had no children. Can the Ye Family do something?
Ye Mu is not some prodigal son. He and the Imperial Concubine come from the same mother, handsome and elegant since childhood, a Lan Zhi Yu Shu, and has long been ranked as the foremost of the capital’s four distinguished young masters. At a young age, he is already a sword-bearing fifth-rank guard in front of Your Majesty. He is the dream lover of many noble maidens, and it was only because the Marshal and Marshal’s wife have been guarding the border all these years that they have not arranged a marriage for him. If he wanted to marry, countless nobles would be willing. Would the Ye Family be interested in a Princess who has been divorced?
Not to mention the Ye Family, even those who had eyes on Ye Mu think that Princess Yuhua is aiming too high.
What good is it that she is a Princess? Firstly, she has no real power, and secondly, she can’t bring glory to the Ye Family, but instead would diminish their value by marrying her. With the support of the Imperial Concubine and the Ye Family, how could Ye Mu’s future be poor? But once he becomes a Prince Consort, for life, he would hold an empty rank of Deputy Fifth-Rank, and Princess Yuhua, who is prone to jealousy, might mean there won’t even be children in the future.
The people of the capital all shake their heads and sigh. However, fortunately, the Ye Family has great influence, and Empress Dowager Wang and Princess Yuhua don’t dare to brazenly force Ye Mu to marry her.
"My child, why did you take a fancy to him? Aside from his face, what’s so good about Ye Mu?" Empress Dowager Wang said with difficulty, and then she advised her daughter with all earnestness, "Be obedient, let’s look at someone else. There are many more handsome than him."
"I will not, I’ve set my heart on him." At this point, Princess Yuhua’s cheeks reddened just like a young girl’s, "Empress Mother, please grant my wish. I want no one else but him."
"But the Ye Family will not agree."
"Then you just issue an imperial decree, it’s not like the Ye Family would dare defy it?" said Princess Yuhua nonchalantly. In her months in the capital, she had fully felt the benefits brought by power. At any banquet, when going out, who didn’t flatter her?
This led to an inflated ego in Princess Yuhua; she really thought her mother the Empress Dowager was omnipotent!
Empress Dowager Wang’s complexion turned even greener, feeling that this daughter of hers really knew how to make her pay her debts. Her tone grew anxious as she spoke, "The phoenix seal is in the hands of the Imperial Concubine; what decree can I issue? The moment I issue a decree here, they will ask the Emperor to revoke it over there. Wouldn’t that be slapping my face?"
Princess Yuhua remained indifferent: "Then I’ll go and ask the Emperor to issue the decree."
"Come back!" Empress Dowager Wang quickly scolded her, "Yuhua, can you not cause trouble for your mother? Just stay in your Princess Mansion and stop running to the palace for no reason."
Princess Yuhua stopped in her tracks, incredulously looking at Empress Dowager Wang: "Empress Mother, did you just shout at me?"
As she spoke, her eyes reddened: "I am your own daughter, Empress Mother. How many times have I ever asked you for anything? When Father Emperor was alive, I didn’t even dare to leave the palace. Now that we’ve finally made progress, do you still want me to live cautiously and timidly? I know you are from the Wang Family, always planning for my uncle’s family, but can you also consider me?"
By the time she finished these words, not only Princess Yuhua was in tears, but Empress Dowager Wang also felt a bitter pain in her heart. How could she not know how difficult her daughter’s life had been? When the late Emperor arranged a powerless Prince Consort for her daughter, she couldn’t object at all. Now that the late Emperor had passed away, perhaps she had indeed been too harsh on her daughter?
Empress Dowager Wang seriously reflected upon herself, then sighed to her daughter: "Forget it, let your Empress Mother think it over again."
Hearing this, Princess Yuhua wiped away her tears and, looking at Empress Dowager Wang, smiled happily: "Thank you, Empress Mother."
At the moment when Empress Dowager Wang turned around, she failed to see the cunning light shining in her daughter’s eyes.
"How could Princess Yuhua fancy you?" In Changchun Palace, Ye Qiu looked at Ye Mu with an incredulous expression. In his previous life, it seemed that something similar had transpired, but at that time, Ye Mu went to the border, and the matter was dropped. However, due to Ye Qiu’s grand aspirations, Ye Mu could not casually go to the border now, so solving this turned out to be rather difficult.
Princess Yuhua is bold and not particularly bright. Who knows what rash actions she might take?
Ye Mu’s face also looked unhappy. Going out now meant receiving whispers everywhere, with some even directly addressing him as Prince Consort Ye, which annoyed him immensely. Even while he was on duty, Princess Yuhua would come to find him.
"I myself have no idea why she’s taken a liking to me," he said in distress, "Maybe I should ask for leave from His Majesty and avoid her for a while?"
Ye Qiu took a deep breath: "Can you really hide forever by avoiding it temporarily? However, it might be good to take a break for a couple of days. I’ll speak with the Emperor."
"Alright, I’ll trouble you with this matter then, sister."
No sooner had Ye Mu left than Princess Yuhua received the news and headed for Changchun Palace. She sat restlessly, looking around constantly.
Honestly, Ye Qiu really looked down on Princess Yuhua. Even with the status of Princess, she could live comfortably even if she were divorced; why must she keep revolving around men? If she likes handsome men, why not just keep a couple of concubines? But dreaming of her brother Ye Qiu was not going to be so easy.
"Paying respects to Imperial Sister-in-law," said Princess Yuhua, feigning obedience.
As the Imperial Concubine, equivalent to a Vice Empress, Ye Qiu certainly deserved her addressing him as Imperial Sister-in-law. Yet, despite Princess Yuhua having been in the capital for so long, this was the first time she had addressed him so.
Ignoring her eager gaze, Ye Qiu spoke with a somewhat cold expression: "Princess, do you have any business at my Changchun Palace?"
"Imperial Sister-in-law, where is Ye Mu?" Princess Yuhua boldly inquired, without a shred of shame.
"Princess, my brother’s whereabouts seem to have nothing to do with you," Ye Qiu said coldly.
Listening to Ye Qiu’s indifferent words, Princess Yuhua was simultaneously embarrassed and furious, but considering that he was Ye Mu’s sister, she held back her anger.