Chapter 0225: No Room for Negotiation

Chapter 0225: No Room for Negotiation

The Empress inquired, "Why do you look so pale?"

"Indeed, with His Majesty staying the night, how come you look so worn out, sister?" Consort Lan covered her mouth.

"Sister, don't talk nonsense," Consort Jin De forced a smile, telling the Empress, "The Second Prince's head wound was painful, making it hard to ease. I hardly slept all night."

The Empress's eyes twinkled with mockery, but she said, "That must've been tough on you, sister."

"Oh dear, my fault for not teaching the child properly," Consort Lan hurriedly explained.

"Let's not dwell on it; the children are young and unaware," Consort Jin De sighed. "It's okay, he's much better today. We'll have the Imperial Physician check again later. A few days of pain will teach him not to speak carelessly."

"Did you take care of the child last night, Consort De? Then His Majesty must have had a restless night too," Consort Mei Shu, unable to stand their pretense, said bluntly.

Consort Jin De was momentarily at a loss for words.

The atmosphere turned awkward until Yun Li smoothly intervened for Consort Mei Shu: "It's just Consort Mei caring for His Majesty. I'll be sure to pass on your concerns when I see him."

Consort Mei Shu laughed, "It's just me being carefree. When the Second Princess had a cough, His Majesty came over, and I, her own mother, didn't even visit her once throughout the night."

That comment... was truly sharp.

Yun Li wanted to laugh badly but restrained herself.

"It's fine as long as someone is attending to her."

Consort Mei Shu gave her a smile and said no more.

The Empress could clearly sense the implication behind their exchange.

She too thought, perhaps Consort Jin De's display of maternal affection was a bit much?

However, as the Empress, it wasn't her place to comment.

After the morning greetings, Consort Lan left in high spirits.

Consort Jin De appeared unfazed, but inwardly she was seething.

Consort Mei Shu, confident in her noble birth, dared to say anything.

Yet, Consort Jin De knew she had to endure; reacting over a few words was not worth it.

Consort Mei Shu went to Yu Qu Palace; she hadn't seen the Ninth Prince yet.

The four-month-old Ninth Prince, although mostly still sleeping, wasn't as inactive as in the first two months.

He was now starting to play a little.

After washing her hands, Consort Mei Shu came to hold him and gently bounced him, "Ah, truly adorable. I wonder who he resembles."

After looking closely for a while, she mused, "Who does he resemble? His eyes a bit like yours, perhaps? And his mouth... like His Majesty?"

"It's hard to tell now; he might just grow up to have his own unique look," Yun Li said, touching the child's cheek and pulling down his little hand that was moving as if he wanted to eat.

Consort Mei Shu nodded, "That's even better, let him grow up to be his own person, resembling no one else."

Yun Li smiled and nodded. Whomever he resembled, he was her child.

He was her closest connection to this world.

"He seems very well-behaved, even more so than the Second Princess," Consort Mei Shu said.

"Is it too early to say? I was quite mischievous as a child; I doubt he'll be very well-behaved either," Yun Li responded.

"That's true. As long as he doesn't end up like the Third Prince. Not to speak ill, but even the Second Prince, at such a young age, dared to throw stones? Consort Lan says it's a lack of good teaching, but what kind of teaching leads a child to crack his brother's head open at this age? If he grows up vying for power, could we end up with a tyrant or a rebel?" Consort Mei Shu huffed.

Frightened, the maid serving Consort Mei Shu, Jian Xiang, quickly cautioned, "Your Highness, please, we mustn't speak of such things."

"It's fine, what's there to fear here?" Consort Mei Shu dismissed the concern.

"Still, sister, best not to say such things. If someone with ill-intent heard, it could cause trouble," Yun Li chuckled. "Anyway, it's not our child. We raise our children not to be crooked."

Consort Mei Shu nodded.

"Your maid is doing well, sister. You should reward her when you return," Yun Li smiled.

Blushing, Jian Xiang bowed, "Thank you, Consort Yi. I'm just doing my duty."

Half of Consort Mei Shu's maids were brought with her from her family, and a few were from the palace; after all, living here meant she had to accept maids from this side.

Otherwise, the maids from her family would have to learn all the palace rules from scratch, inevitably leading to oversights.

Jian Xiang, from the palace, serves her well, and nowadays, she sometimes takes her out alone.

She's a loyal and honest maid.

"So, Consort Lan's child is due in July. Do you think she'll be promoted after giving birth?" Consort Mei Shu inquired.

Yun Li nodded, "A promotion is expected. Even if she hadn't had a child, in a few more years, she'd be due for one anyway. It's only right that two of the top four consort ranks are held by those from the Eastern Palace."

After raising the Third Prince, Consort Lan certainly qualifies, but given her average background and high initial rank, His Majesty has always held back.

"Sometimes, I think the Empress really has it tough, caught in the middle and facing grievances," Consort Mei Shu shook her head.

Yun Li chuckled, "It's not easy indeed."

With Consort Lan's impending promotion, things will be even harder for the Empress.

"Well, we are not her, so it's not our place to worry. But you, be careful too. Now that you are favored and have a prince, some might target you out of jealousy," Consort Mei Shu advised.

"Thank you for the reminder, sister. I'm aware," Yun Li was always on guard.

Because she had to be cautious, she needed to use her position as a shield. Since it's lonely at the top, it's better to be as high as possible.

Consort Mei Shu stayed for lunch before leaving.

Their good relationship is known throughout the harem, so there's no need to hide their interactions; they openly visit each other.

It's not a frequent occurrence, just an occasional gathering.

After spending time together, Yun Li found Consort Mei Shu to be particularly interesting.

She's like a curious cat, fascinated by everything in the world.

Even after years in the palace, her curiosity remains unabated; she has explored every corner of the Imperial Garden and visited even the less frequented palaces.

Nowadays, she either hosts banquets to enjoy the flowers or invites small troupes to perform plays at her residence.

Sometimes, she calls musicians from Yue Mansion to play the zither or sing for her.

Lately, she's taken up embroidery.

She's determined to embroider a dragon and a phoenix.

Her fingers are poked full of holes from the needle.

But she's genuinely interested in it.

Yun Li finds such a person truly endearing, full of passion for the world.

Meanwhile, her attitude towards Emperor He Jin and his harem is much cooler.

Emperor He Jin's interest in Consort Mei Shu is lukewarm; aside from the initial frequent visits due to diplomatic reasons, now he visits only once or twice a month, sometimes not even that.

But Consort Mei Shu is never anxious.

If she disapproves of someone in the harem, she doesn't hesitate to speak up, though she's usually silent.

She's diligent about paying respects to the Empress.

She seems to carve out her own little world within the harem, living boldly and vibrantly.

She's the only one who can afford to not compete yet lives freely and spiritedly.

But reality shows that living in peace doesn't necessarily win the emperor's favor.

Yun Li muses humorously on the novels she read in her previous life, noting how not vying for attention can indeed lead to becoming invisible. With many beauties at his disposal, why would the emperor seek out someone who avoids the limelight?