“Ben gong looks at you and sees you getting more and more useless!”

The Huā Concubine, in a fit of anger, slammed the table beside her.

“Your Highness, it’s really that Guàn Guìrén. Her words are too sharp, and I didn’t think of it in time, so I…”

Before Cāo Qīnmò could finish, Huā Concubine snapped:

“Useless is useless! How dare you come up with so many excuses in front of me!”

“Your Highness, it’s not that I’m deliberately making excuses. Yú Meimei was also present. If Your Highness doesn’t believe me, you can ask Yú Meimei if anything I’ve said is a lie.”

Cāo Qīnmò glanced at Yú Yīng’er, signaling her to help smooth things over.

Yú Yīng’er, being in the enemy camp, had to be smart and tactful. She spoke up for Cāo Qīnmò:

“Your Highness, Cāo Jiějiě is telling the truth. It’s really Guàn Guìrén, she’s just too clever.”

“And what about you?” Huā Concubine gave Yú Yīng’er a sideways glance. “I don’t believe it. The two of you can’t even handle one of her!”

“Your Highness, if I openly side with Cāo Jiějiě, wouldn’t that expose everything?”

Seeing that Huā Concubine didn’t respond, Yú Yīng’er bent down and bowed, showing her loyalty:

“If Your Highness tells me not to stay beside Guàn Guìrén as her spy, I will go right in front of her and speak up for Cāo Jiějiě.”

Huā Concubine’s lips curled into a disdainful smile as she looked at the two of them, still in their formal poses.

Cāo Qīnmò, seeing that Yú Yīng’er had absorbed most of the anger, smiled at Yú Yīng’er and then glanced at Huā Concubine:

“Yú Meimei, what are you saying? Your Highness is blaming my incompetence. She didn’t mention your fault. Why are you so anxious?”

“You’re upset with yourself, upset that you’re stuck beside Guàn Guìrén and can’t help the Empress openly.”

As she spoke, Yú Yīng’er’s tears began to fall.

No wonder she was an actress—her facial expressions changed so quickly!

“Your Highness needs people now. If Meimei stays beside Guàn Guìrén, she mustn’t act impulsively. Otherwise, Guàn Guìrén will start suspecting her, which will ruin Your Highness’s grand plan.”

Huā Concubine observed them for a while with her usual high-and-mighty attitude before carelessly saying:

“You two may rise now.”

Yú Yīng’er wiped her tears dramatically and stood up with Cāo Qīnmò’s help.

“Since the matter has already occurred, it’s useless to blame you now.”

Huā Concubine then turned to Yú Yīng’er:

“Rather than crying, it would be better for you to think about what to do next.”

Cāo Qīnmò thought for a moment, then looked pointedly at Huā Concubine and said:

“Your Highness, haven’t you already found a doctor?”

Huā Concubine smiled wickedly at Cāo Qīnmò’s words.

Every time Huā Concubine planned to deal with someone, it was always with this smile.

Yú Yīng’er felt a chill run down her spine.

Huā Concubine instructed Yú Yīng’er that, aside from spending more time with Zhēn Huán, she should also interact more with Shěn Méizuāng.

Additionally, Yú Yīng’er was to report every little thing they did back to her.

Yú Yīng’er agreed, but in her heart, she was already thinking about informing Zhēn Huán.

So, she went to Bìtóng Academy.

Zhēn Huán smiled and said she already knew, but she didn’t seem concerned at all.

Yú Yīng’er wasn’t pleased with this:

“Jiějiě, I’ve told you everything, yet you’re acting as though nothing’s wrong!”

Zhēn Huán glanced at Liú Zhū, then covered her mouth and laughed:

“Look at your impatience. You’re really just like Liú Zhū!”

“Jiějiě, how can you still be joking! I won’t talk to you anymore!”

Yú Yīng’er said, pretending to be angry, and sat aside, refusing to look at her.

“Alright, I understand.” Zhēn Huán reached out and pulled Yú Yīng’er up: “Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“Didn’t Huā Concubine want you to spend more time with me and Méizuāng? I’m just fulfilling her request… and yours too!”

Zhēn Huán said, drawing out the last part, and Yú Yīng’er was so stunned that she didn’t know how to react.

Having lived through a second life, she had let go of all her attachments and now felt much more carefree.

If it were the old her, how could she have gotten along so harmoniously with Yú Yīng’er?

The two of them first went to Fán Yīng Gé to find Ān Língróng, and then they all headed to Xián Yuè Gé.

As soon as they arrived at the door, they saw Shěn Méizuāng drinking something.

It was probably the sour plum soup made by Fú Líng.

When Shěn Méizuāng saw them, she quickly smiled and invited them in to sit.

Compared to Ān Língróng’s calm and reserved nature, Yú Yīng’er was much more talkative.

“Méizuāng, what was that delicious drink you were having? Since we’re here, shouldn’t you hurry and let someone bring it out so we can share it with the sisters?”

Yú Yīng’er, being chatty and unafraid of strangers, always made the atmosphere more lively when she was around.

“Alright, alright.” Shěn Méizuāng responded while instructing Cǎi Yuè, who was nearby:

“Cǎi Yuè, hurry and bring a few more bowls to shut Yú Meimei up!”

At her words, everyone burst into laughter.

Not long after, Cǎi Yuè brought four bowls of sour plum soup.

Shěn Méizuāng smiled and explained that this soup was made by a palace maid named Fú Líng at the Imperial Villa, and she thought it was better than the one from the Imperial Kitchen.

Yú Yīng’er and Ān Língróng quickly tried it and both praised it endlessly after finishing their bowls.

Zhēn Huán observed quietly, thinking that Yú Yīng’er’s personality and Ān Língróng’s were quite complementary.

Ān Língróng wasn’t as confident as Yú Yīng’er, but she was more cautious and thoughtful.

Both of them had their strengths and weaknesses—mainly, neither was particularly literate.

Zhēn Huán thought to herself, if they were both more cultured, maybe she wouldn’t have to get involved so much anymore!

As they continued chatting, the topic shifted to Princess Wēn Yí’s upcoming birthday.

The Emperor highly valued Princess Wēn Yí, and her birthday banquet was definitely going to be a grand affair.

Even Cāo Qīnmò had benefited greatly because of Princess Wēn Yí.

Even though the Emperor didn’t favor her, because of Princess Wēn Yí, the Emperor was forced to see her a few more times.

In the harem, no matter how much favor one received, without children, one’s position was always unstable.

Take the Empress, for instance. No one in the harem could match her position, but why was she still scheming to cause others to miscarry?

It was because she had no children and wasn’t loved by the Emperor, so she didn’t want anyone else to give birth.

She feared that one day a favored concubine might have a son, and it would threaten her position as Empress.

Shěn Méizuāng, as in her previous life, said that bearing a dragon heir was up to fate, but a person could still plan. The Emperor only came to the harem a few times a month, and some human effort was still needed…

When no one else was around, Shěn Méizuāng took out the fertility recipe from Jiāngchéng, famous for its success in helping women conceive.

Zhēn Huán looked at the familiar recipe, feeling more sentimental.

In her previous life, she had warned Shěn Méizuāng that Jiāng Shèn and Jiāng Chéng were full-blooded brothers, and Jiāng Shèn had once helped Cāo Qīnmò preserve her pregnancy.

She had advised her to have Wēn Shìchū examine the recipe before using it.