Chapter 29: The Suitor Who Never Proposed

Flowers bloom in clusters, each with its own unique beauty.

Lady Consort Wen, being the lowest in rank, lived in the most remote palace. But being brought out by the Emperor, she was eager to compete for favor.

“Lady Consort, His Majesty went hunting with Consort Zhuang early this morning, I heard that he left Ning Meiren to stay with him…” The maid reported the news she had gathered.

Lady Consort Wen’s heart sank, His Majesty has Consort Zhuang during the day, and that vixen Ning Wanyin at night…

When will she have a chance to sleep with him!

“Consort Zhuang is fine, but Ning Wanyin is actually living with His Majesty, how dare she, she’s clinging to His Majesty, not giving anyone else a chance!” Lady Consort Wen was very annoyed.

She had been in the palace for a month and hadn’t slept with the Emperor yet, she couldn’t hold her head up.

As the two of them were talking, the eunuch who led the way came in and reported, “Lady Consort Wen, Minister Wen has arrived!”

“Quickly invite Father in!” Lady Consort Wen said happily.

Lady Consort Wen dismissed the extra palace servants, leaving only her personal maid, she looked at Minister Wen anxiously, “Father, I’m not favored in the palace, you have to help me!”

Minister Wen’s face was serious, he reprimanded, “Why did you befriend Lady Consort Cen?”

“Father didn’t teach me that after entering the palace, I shouldn’t compete for favor, I should make friends widely…” Lady Consort Wen asked in confusion.

“That’s for you to make friends with Lady Consort Song and those from the pure families, so you won’t be alone in the palace.” Minister Wen was exasperated, “Our Wen family has always avoided associating with the Xue and Cen factions, do I need to remind you of this?”

Lady Consort Wen didn’t think she had done anything wrong, she argued, “Daughter knows that His Majesty and the Empress Dowager are not on good terms. His Majesty let Consort Shu manage the six palaces, he’s using the Cen family to counter the Empress Dowager. I’m helping the Cen family against the Xue family, it’s also helping His Majesty.”

“You’re being presumptuous! The Emperor’s heart is unpredictable, how dare you guess His Majesty’s intentions. You think you’re helping His Majesty, then why is he cold to you?” Minister Wen asked back.

Lady Consort Wen was speechless for a moment.

“Look at Ning Meiren, who is now the most favored in the palace, how did she do it?” Minister Wen’s eyes were sharp, “She didn’t give any face to the Xue and Cen factions, she stepped on them to become the Emperor’s favorite.”

Lady Consort Wen was completely stunned, it was like a sudden realization, “Father means… Ning Wanyin is favored because she didn’t side with the two families…”

“The palace cannot be ruled by the Xue and Cen factions, His Majesty needs some people of his own.” Minister Wen reminded her.

Lady Consort Wen finally understood, “Daughter understands! Daughter will definitely distance herself from the Cen family!”

“It’s good that you understand. Don’t worry, since His Majesty brought you to the summer hunt, he hasn’t completely abandoned you. You just need to wait patiently for the opportunity, by the way, you can spend more time with Ning Wanyin, it will be beneficial to you!”

Lady Consort Wen nodded, “Daughter understands. Now His Majesty is favoring Ning Wanyin, it’s unwise for me to compete for favor and offend her. Don’t worry, Father, I will definitely befriend her.”

She had to distance herself from the Xue and Cen factions, so the only one left in the palace she could use was Ning Wanyin.

…

In the palace next door, Lady Consort Song also met her parents and brother.

Her father, Right Censor Song Gu, was the Emperor’s right-hand man.

Her brother, Song Chengyi, who was born from the same mother, was handsome and elegant, last month he was appointed as the 探花 (the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination) by the Emperor.

The Song family, father and son, were both the Emperor’s loyal ministers. Although the Emperor

Lady Consort Song rarely saw the Emperor, but he had sent her many gifts. Among the new concubines, she was considered favored.

The family talked about some intimate things.

Song Qingzhi stammered, “Ning Shi is actually living with His Majesty, there has never been such a thing before… Before, the officials all impeached the Marquis of Shou’an for failing to teach his daughter properly, Ning Shi’s behavior is outrageous…”

Song Chengyi heard this, his eyes flashed, and his expression changed slightly.

Song Gu looked at her, his eyes sharp, “Do you want your father to impeach her?”

Song Qingzhi met Song Gu’s gaze, her eyes darted away, “Father is a censor, it’s Father’s duty to advise His Majesty…”

“As a subject, it is indeed my duty to advise the monarch. But which matter in the court is more important than a concubine? Corrupt officials, people’s livelihood, compared to these, which concubine the Emperor favors is insignificant? Censors focus on court affairs, affairs of the world, not the Emperor’s private affairs.” Song Gu stared at Song Qingzhi, word by word, “Moreover, you and she are both concubines, for your sake, I should also be cautious and avoid suspicion, otherwise, His Majesty will suspect that you are using your family’s power for personal gain and eliminating rivals, how will you prove yourself? When the officials impeached the Marquis of Shou’an, Father didn’t say a word, firstly because the matter was insignificant, and secondly because I was protecting you.”

Song Qingzhi’s face turned pale, she was ashamed and embarrassed.

“You’ve become a concubine, you can’t be as willful as you were at home. Think before you speak.” Song Gu sighed.

Lady Song stayed to talk to her daughter.

The father and son left first.

The eunuch who led the way led the father and son out of the palace, and they happened to meet the old lady Ning and Cheng Shi coming out of the warm pavilion.

Song Chengyi couldn’t help but look at them for a few more seconds.

He didn’t see that figure, so he withdrew his gaze.

Out of the palace, only the father and son remained.

Song Gu suddenly looked at his son, “Father suddenly remembered something, last year you asked me to propose to the Marquis of Shou’an, the eldest Miss Ning you liked, is the current Ning Meiren.”

“You didn’t agree.” Song Chengyi lowered his head.

“Of course I wouldn’t agree, our Song family is a pure family, we can’t associate with the nobility. If you like a woman from a pure family, or even a merchant’s daughter, I can propose for you, but not a noble daughter.” Song Gu paused, patted his son’s shoulder, and advised him earnestly, “Now she’s His Majesty’s new favorite, if you don’t want to harm yourself, and also harm her, just pretend you don’t know her. See less, hear less, and care less.”

Song Chengyi was silent.

Ning Wanyin didn’t actually know him.

It was just that they happened to have the same chess tutor. Last year, one day, the tutor accidentally dropped a scroll of a broken chess game that she had written by hand.

He picked it up and saw that the chess game he had been thinking about for a long time but couldn’t solve had already been solved.

He repeatedly asked, and the tutor finally told him that it was solved by the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Shou’an.

He begged his father to propose to the Ning family, but he was rejected, he just waited for himself to pass the imperial examination and get a title before negotiating with his father, but unexpectedly…

She had already entered the palace.

…

“Who was that young man who just walked past?” Lady Consort Cen stood on the spring platform on the second floor, looking out from afar.

“That’s Lady Consort Song’s brother, this year’s new 探花 (the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination), he’s very favored by His Majesty.” The eunuch glanced at him and replied.

Lady Consort Cen pondered, “Why do I feel like he’s looking at the Ning family?”

“It seems like it…”

“That’s strange. He’s not a playboy, he’s a well-educated scholar, how could he be so bold as to stare at women… It’s like he has a connection with the Ning family. Go and investigate, I want to know what relationship this person has with the Ning family.” Lady Consort Cen ordered.

The eunuch bowed and left.

Lady Consort Cen suddenly smiled, “By the way, invite the old lady Ning to my place for a visit.”

A moment later, the old lady Ning was invited to Lady Consort Cen’s residence.

After a round of greetings and pleasantries.

The old lady Ning said, “Lady Consort, don’t worry, my eldest granddaughter is useless, but my youngest granddaughter will definitely serve you…”

Just as they were talking, a maid came to report, “His Majesty is back, he kicked Miss Ning Zi Yin out!”

The old lady Ning couldn’t believe it, her face turned pale, how could this be?

Lady Consort Cen was stunned, then she shook her head and smiled, “His Majesty is always unpredictable, it seems that this Miss Ning doesn’t have her sister’s skills. Old lady, you should go back and talk to Ning Wanyin, good birds choose good trees to perch on.”