Chapter 105 : Major Affairs in the Palace

Xue Qingyin had the rare experience of waking up early.

Last night, King Xuan had been busy with official matters and returned to the palace very late, so he had again spent the night alone in a side chamber.

At the hour of the Si (around 9 AM), King Xuan, keeping track of time, thought that given Xue Qingyin’s personality, she should have woken up by now. He then made his way to the Changqiu Pavilion.

When the palace maid saw King Xuan arrive, she was startled and said, “The side concubine has already entered the palace.”

King Xuan quickly understood the situation. Xue Qingyin had used his name to send a message to the Fourth Princess for a reason.

Just yesterday, she had said she would go to the palace with him to pay respects to the Crown Prince.

But today, she had gone on her own to visit the Fourth Princess.

King Xuan lowered his gaze.

Upon seeing that King Xuan did not speak, the maid’s voice trembled as she softly called, “Your Highness…”

King Xuan suddenly said, “Take all of the side concubine’s things back to the Cunxin Hall.”

The maid froze for a moment and quickly replied, “Yes… Yes!”

The Fourth Princess was still residing with the Noble Concubine Wan.

Since Xue Qingyin was going to see her, it was only natural that she would come near the main hall of the Noble Concubine.

At that moment, Liu Yuerong had just finished greeting Noble Concubine Wan and was about to leave.

As a woman, it was expected to serve her mother-in-law, and this rule applied even to royal daughters-in-law.

“Xue Qingyin?” Liu Yuerong didn’t walk far before she saw that familiar figure.

“What is she doing here? Is she alone?” Liu Yuerong subtly furrowed her brow.

The Fourth Princess, who had come out of Noble Concubine Wan’s palace with her, lifted her skirt and happily said, “She’s here to see me.”

Liu Yuerong then remembered that Noble Concubine Wan had previously chosen companions for the Fourth Princess.

She had picked Xue Qingyin and Xie Yiyi, the daughter of the Minister of Education.

But back then, Xie Yiyi privately mentioned that it was because Noble Concubine Wan disliked Xue Qingyin and intentionally had the Fourth Princess make things difficult for her, in order to dissuade Prince Wei’s romantic interest in her.

So, at the time, no one envied Xue Qingyin for her situation. They had been waiting to see her embarrass herself.

Now, how had things changed?

Liu Yuerong appeared puzzled, glancing at the Fourth Princess and then at Xue Qingyin in the distance.

“Why is the side concubine of King Xuan riding a palanquin in the palace?” One of Liu Yuerong ‘s maids exclaimed.

Liu Yuerong then noticed…

“Indeed, how dare she ride a palanquin in the palace? Isn’t it the queen mother who controls the palace affairs now? Without her approval, how can she command the palace attendants?” Liu Yuerong frowned. “Does she think the palace rules don’t matter just because King Xuan dotes on her?”

At this point, she was already prepared to return and report the matter to Noble Concubine Wan.

The Fourth Princess was also surprised.

But she said nothing, and quickly walked up to Xue Qingyin, starting a conversation beside the palanquin.

Liu Yuerong watched from afar, her frown deepening. “One sitting in the palanquin, the other standing beside it. If one didn’t know better, they’d think Xue Qingyin was the princess herself.”

The maid beside her nodded in agreement, “It does seem to be against the rules. The Fourth Princess doesn’t look much like a princess either.”

As the maid was about to turn and go inside, the Fourth Princess turned around and came back.

The Fourth Princess raised her chin slightly, a hint of disdain in her eyes: “You aren’t planning to report this to Noble Concubine Wan, are you?”

The maid frowned, “What do you mean, Fourth Princess? If something is against the rules in the palace, it should be reported…”

Before the maid could finish, the Fourth Princess impatiently said, “Enough. If you really go, you’ll only drag Noble Concubine Wan into making a fool of herself. Let me tell you the truth: this is a royal gift. Do you understand?”

The maid froze for a moment, then realized, “…It’s His Majesty’s favor?”

The Fourth Princess didn’t bother to reply, and cheerfully returned to Xue Qingyin’s side.

Liu Yuerong said, “Follow them.”

“What?” The maid was still in shock.

But Liu Yuerong could no longer hold back and quickly caught up with Xue Qingyin.

“It’s been some time since we’ve met. I wonder how the side concubine of King Xuan is doing?” Liu Yuerong said, her tone neither warm nor cold.

“So it’s Princess Wei.” Xue Qingyin leaned on the handrail and replied casually.

Liu Yuerong felt a displeasure in her chest, and said, “Isn’t the side concubine of King Xuan going to speak?”

Xue Qingyin replied, “I don’t think so. It seems a bit too troublesome.”

Liu Yuerong sarcastically said, “His Majesty granted you a palanquin, and this is how you show off in front of us?”

Xue Qingyin immediately replied, “That’s what you said, not me.”

Liu Yuerong : “…”

Liu Yuerong coldly remarked, “The side concubine of King Xuan is truly delicate.”

Xue Qingyin nodded, “If Princess Wei were as frail as I am, she could also ask His Majesty for a palanquin.”

This struck a sensitive chord with Liu Yuerong .

Before her marriage, she had been ill, which made Noble Concubine Wan dissatisfied with her. She knew they feared she might not bear children, and she herself was also afraid.

“I’m in good health now, so I no longer need such things,” Liu Yuerong said, her face cold.

Xue Qingyin clicked her tongue, “Oh, then I’m the only one enjoying it.”

The Fourth Princess, who had been listening, also found Xue Qingyin too fragile. She couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t your second brother good enough to you? Why doesn’t he invite more imperial doctors to see you? Being sick all the time isn’t good.”

Liu Yuerong immediately pricked up her ears.

Was King Xuan not good enough to her?

Xue Qingyin glanced at the Fourth Princess.

Well, she really is concerned about me now.

She replied, “You’ll have to ask your second brother about that.”

The Fourth Princess opened her mouth but ended up muttering softly, “I’d have to dare to ask him.”

Liu Yuerong could only suppress her disappointment.

Xue Qingyin’s words were very cautious…

Liu Yuerong then looked again at Xue Qingyin’s face. Surrounded by jewels and finery, her complexion was radiant. Liu Yuerong remembered how she had looked in the mirror this morning… her face was haggard.

How could Xue Qingyin look like a sickly person?

It seemed that King Xuan’s affection for her… perhaps, perhaps…

Liu Yuerong didn’t want to think any further, and hurriedly left with her maid and personal servant.

Outside the palace, Liu Yuerong was already out of breath. She grabbed the maid’s arm and sighed, “Xue Qingyin, a side concubine, seems to be living more comfortably than I am.”

The old woman spoke with a serious expression: “How can the princess say that? The princess holds great authority over the household and is busy with affairs both above and below. She is also a filial and respectful person, who must enter the palace daily to pay respects to the Imperial Concubine. Does the princess envy the laziness of the side concubine of King Xuan? I fear she would want to be as busy as the princess, but is not yet qualified.”

“The old woman is right.” Liu Yue Rong smiled again, but her heart still felt like it was weighed down by a stone.

On the other side.

Before the Fourth Princess could lead Xue Qingyin to her residence, Xue Qingyin asked, “How is the relationship between the Fourth Princess and the Crown Prince?”

The Fourth Princess did not understand the question but answered, “Not good, very bad. The Crown Prince’s temperament… is very strange. I haven’t seen him for a long time. Also… have you seen him? He looks very similar to Second Brother. Every time I see him, it feels like I’m seeing Second Brother.”

At this point, the Fourth Princess involuntarily shuddered.

Xue Qingyin thought to herself, “So the relationship is not good.”

No matter.

“Then, why don’t you go and visit His Highness the Crown Prince later?” Xue Qingyin suggested.

“What? Visit him? I… I won’t go.” The Fourth Princess refused immediately without even thinking.

Xue Qingyin was not in a hurry and asked, “Do you know what a wise person should be like?”

“What do you mean?” asked the Fourth Princess.

Xue Qingyin didn’t answer immediately.

The Fourth Princess thought for a moment and said, “… Someone like Second Brother? Or like Concubine Wan?”

“Indeed, wise people never easily reveal their likes or dislikes.” Xue Qingyin stood next to the Fourth Princess under the shade of a tree and patted her shoulder. “This is your moment to practice. The more you dislike or fear someone, the more you must interact with them. By doing this repeatedly, you’ll develop a strong mentality and won’t make mistakes because of personal emotions.”

The Fourth Princess thought this made a lot of sense.

She felt moved and said, “Only you would say these things to me.”

The Fourth Princess immediately decided to go to the Eastern Palace.

Xue Qingyin grabbed her arm, “Aren’t you going to prepare some gifts?”

The Fourth Princess looked reluctant but still instructed someone to go and fetch them.

“Remember to prepare some women’s jewelry,” Xue Qingyin added.

“Why?” asked the Fourth Princess.

“To also pay a visit to the Crown Princess along the way,” Xue Qingyin replied.

“The Crown Princess… I last saw her two years ago. She doesn’t like me, and probably doesn’t want to see me,” the Fourth Princess said angrily.

“Two years ago?” Xue Qingyin seemed surprised. “Doesn’t the Crown Princess usually come out to greet the Emperor and the Empress Dowager?”

“Since the Crown Prince became ill, her health has also been poor. She’s always in the Eastern Palace, praying for the Crown Prince’s recovery.”

Xue Qingyin asked, “Did anything significant happen in the palace two years ago?”

The Fourth Princess, not being foolish, immediately realized what Xue Qingyin meant and whispered, “You suspect there’s something unusual about the Crown Princess?”

Xue Qingyin didn’t answer directly but praised her: “Always thinking actively, and asking questions—that’s excellent learning ability. Keep it up.”

Though the Fourth Princess didn’t fully understand some of the words Xue Qingyin used, she knew she was being complimented.

The Fourth Princess nodded in a daze, “Oh, oh.”

At that moment, the servants returned with the items.

Xue Qingyin signaled, “Let’s go.”

The Fourth Princess quickly walked alongside her palanquin.

As Xue Qingyin observed, something didn’t seem quite right. She shifted slightly to make some space and asked, “Would you like to sit with me, Princess?”

The Fourth Princess hesitated, “But this is a gift from the Emperor, just for you…”

Xue Qingyin replied, “Yes, since it’s mine, I’ll decide.”

The Fourth Princess felt that Xue Qingyin’s words always made sense. She bit her lip, then cautiously climbed up to sit beside her.

The Fourth Princess had never been so close to anyone before. She leaned back against the chair.

Strong, muscular servants carried them forward.

The wind blew, and she felt a bit dazed.

Though she seemed to be a princess, she had never had any real friends. Her playmates had all been chosen by Concubine Wan.

Those people… she didn’t like them.

Originally, Xue Qingyin would have been one of those people.

“Two years ago, nothing major happened in the palace, but there was a big incident in the court,” the Fourth Princess said, as the wind seemed to clear her mind.

Xue Qingyin asked curiously, “What happened?”

“That year, several places suffered major disasters. The Emperor even ordered the palace to cut down on luxuries. And… a military unit defected from the border, and they’ve never been found,” the Fourth Princess explained.

“Defected?”

“Yes. It was a huge incident. Even bigger than the disaster,” the Fourth Princess lowered her voice and whispered to Xue Qingyin, “Do you know Qinggui? He is a close guard of Prince Zhang. They’re said to be brave, decisive, and able to appear and disappear without a trace.”