webnovelfull Chapter 271 The authorities are obsessed with it
Chapter 271 The authorities are obsessed with it
They arrived at the palace, and Wen Jiayue stepped off the carriage with some doubt.
She still couldn't quite believe that requesting an imperial title would be so easy. If it were really that simple, why didn't Shen Fuhan request one in his previous life?
"What are you thinking about?"
Shen Fuhan suddenly spoke, and Wen Jiayue snapped out of her daze and shook her head.
"It's nothing, I was just thinking that the Marquis and the Emperor have a really good relationship."
She wouldn't be foolish enough to keep questioning him; if he got angry and refused to grant her the title, she would be the one who suffered.
After parting ways, Wen Jiayue went to Chunhexuan.
Before she even got close, she could smell the aroma of the food, which masked much of the medicinal smell.
"Sister Jiayue, you've arrived."
Yunxi came to greet them personally, leaning against the door frame and smiling as she looked at Wen Jiayue.
She still looked as delicate as a willow in the breeze, but her cheeks had filled out a bit, making her appear less thin.
Wen Jiayue nodded gently and smiled, "You look much better than last time."
Yunxi touched her face and said with surprise, "Rong'er said it twice, but I didn't believe it. I didn't expect Sister Jiayue to say the same thing."
Rong'er sighed sadly, "Now the beauty only believes Madam Shen's words, and my words have no effect."
Yunxi patted her head and quickly coaxed her, "Of course it works, I'll definitely believe it from now on."
The two, mistress and servant, got along like sisters, and Wen Jiayue and Ruyi smiled at each other.
"Sister Jiayue, are you hungry?" Yunxi asked. "I deliberately chose this time before lunch so that we could have a meal together. I hope I didn't disturb you?"
Wen Jiayue shook her head: "Of course not, I happen to be hungry too."
"That's good, that's good," Yunxi patted her chest. "Looks like I picked a good time."
The two of them chatted while eating.
Wen Jiayue asked with concern, "After I went back last time, did the Princess make things difficult for you?"
Yunxi swallowed the food in her mouth and said, "No, after you left, the Princess didn't stay long before she also left."
Wen Jiayue was relieved; thankfully, Li Zhilan hadn't implicated any innocent people.
"Sister Jiayue, please try this stir-fried bamboo shoots," Yunxi recommended. "It's my favorite dish."
Wen Jiayue asked in surprise, "It's almost winter, and there are still bamboo shoots?"
Yunxi explained, "The Emperor specially kept it because he saw that I liked it."
Mentioning the Emperor reminded Wen Jiayue of her previous statement that she would no longer have such wild thoughts.
Wen Jiayue ate a piece of bamboo shoot and asked hesitantly, "How is your relationship with the Emperor lately?"
Yunxi pursed her lips before honestly saying, "Sister Jiayue, I can't completely let go."
The Emperor was so good to her that she could forget about the three thousand beauties in the harem and was always captivated by the Emperor's tenderness.
Whenever she indulged in this, she would remind herself that she shouldn't, but to little avail.
She even occasionally went to the Imperial Garden to relax, and when she saw the Emperor and other concubines, she gradually calmed down.
She blamed herself, saying, "I know I shouldn't, but I just can't let go."
Wen Jiayue smiled and said, "Don't blame yourself, it's only human nature."
She had already sensed that Yunxi wouldn't give up easily, so her current state was perfectly normal.
She said some comforting words to her, and Rong'er walked in with a blank expression.
"My beauty, Consort Pei has come to pay her a visit."
Yunxi was taken aback. Consort Pei?
No concubines have ever visited her Chunhe Pavilion before, so why is Consort Pei here today?
She was a little undecided and subconsciously looked at Wen Jiayue.
"Sister Jiayue, should I see her?"
Wen Jiayue pondered for a moment and asked, "Is Consort Pei the daughter of the Duke of Qi?"
Among the concubines who entered the palace was indeed a young lady from the Duke of Qi's mansion. Although she was a concubine's daughter, the Duke of Qi treated her the same as any other concubine and raised her as a legitimate daughter.
Yunxi nodded: "I've heard that Consort Pei is kind-hearted, but I haven't had any dealings with her yet."
Wen Jiayue then said, "Please invite her in."
Since she's Dragonfly Brother's sister, nothing should go wrong.
Before long, Consort Pei walked in unhurriedly.
Just as Wen Jiayue and Yunxi were about to bow, she spoke gently, "No need for formalities, please sit down."
Her appearance, like her voice, was dignified, gentle, and harmless, not at all like that of a concubine's daughter.
Yunxi was a little reserved and asked softly, "May I ask what brings Consort Pei here?"
"I came here after hearing that Madam Shen had entered the palace."
Consort Pei looked at Wen Jiayue and asked bluntly, "Madam Shen, I heard you attended the flower viewing banquet last month. Did you see my elder brother?"
Wen Jiayue nodded and said, "Of course I saw him."
"Is he alright?" Consort Pei sighed softly. "Since entering the palace, I haven't seen my family, and we rarely even exchange letters. So I came here in a moment of panic. I hope Lady Yun and Madam Shen won't be offended."
It turned out that she was asking about Pei Huaijin. Wen Jiayue smiled and said, "It's alright. The young master seems to be in good health and there's nothing seriously wrong."
After a pause, Wen Jiayue asked, "Why don't you send letters home?"
She only had a vague understanding of Brother Dragonfly, so Consort Pei might as well write a letter to ask him directly.
Consort Pei smiled and explained frankly, "After all, I come from a noble family, and I'm worried that the Emperor might overthink things, so the less contact I have with my maternal clan, the better."
What she said makes sense, but being overly cautious to this extent is really...
Wen Jiayue shook her head and said sincerely, "I know very little about the Crown Prince. You should send him a letter."
She doesn't have much to say, and asking her won't do any good, so it's better to just send a letter back.
Consort Pei hesitated before saying, "I will consider it."
She stood up and said, "Thank you, Miss Yun and Madam Shen. I'll head back now. Please come visit me sometime."
After seeing Consort Pei off, Wen Jiayue and Yunxi continued their meal.
“Consort Pei is clearly a lady from a prominent family,” Yunxi said enviously. “The difference between us is like heaven and earth. If I were the emperor, I would definitely prefer her.”
At this point, she said with self-deprecation, "I am not worthy of the Emperor's favor at all."
Wen Jiayue smiled but remained silent; it's impossible to say for sure who likes whom.
The Emperor simply prefers Yunxi, but he's too close to the situation to see it clearly.
After lunch, and after staying for a while longer, Yunxi wanted to rest, so Wen Jiayue left.
Unexpectedly, Shen Fuhan was already waiting for her. She hurriedly asked, "Why didn't you send someone to inform me, Lord Marquis?"
"It's alright, waiting a bit won't hurt."
Shen Fuhan said, "The imperial edict has been prepared. Once I have handled this case, it will be delivered to the Marquis's residence."
The imperial decree was not given without reason; there had to be a justification.
But this speed was beyond Wen Jiayue's expectations.
She quickly said, "Thank you, Your Excellency."
Shen Fuhan asked, "How should I thank you?"
Wen Jiayue: "...Verbal thanks."
Shen Fuhan didn't argue with her; he could take credit for her later that night.
As he walked forward, he asked in a good mood, "What did you and Yun Meiren talk about?"
Wen Jiayue only mentioned what she could say, casually adding, "By the way, Consort Pei came by halfway through."
Shen Fuhan asked, "Pei Huaijin's sister?"
He had never met Consort Pei and had no opinion of her personally, but the thought of her connection with Pei Huaijin made him feel a little irritated.
The Pei family is like a persistent ghost, always appearing before Wen Jiayue's eyes.
They never appeared before, but they appeared right after Pei Huaijin returned.
What, do you want to see what the woman your brother likes looks like?
Wen Jiayue nodded: "Yes."
Shen Fuhan said with a displeased expression, "We'll see each other less often in the future."
"why?"
Shen Fuhan said in a serious tone, "It's enough that you're on good terms with Consort Yun. You can't get involved with the other concubines. Otherwise, they'll develop a rift with each other, and you'll be in a difficult position."
Wen Jiayue said thoughtfully, "What the Marquis said makes sense."
Seeing that she had taken his advice to heart, Shen Fuhan nodded and said, "Of course you're right to listen to me, A-Yue. I'm doing this for your own good."