Chapter 40: Blocking the Road

May had arrived, and the weather was getting hotter.

“Wanyin, you’re here, come and sit.” Concubine Shun saw Ning Wanyin and smiled, instructing the maids, “It’s so hot now, it’s hard on you to come over every three or five days. Quickly put the ice cooler in front of her, Chunque, go get the new Yingtao fruit that arrived today!”

Chunque brought a plate of cherry-red fruit and placed it on the table, while several palace maids placed the ice cooler around Ning Wanyin.

The first time Ning Wanyin came, she was very unwelcome. But from the second day onwards, she was treated like a goddess.

“Thank you, Concubine Shun.” Ning Wanyin bowed politely, as always, neither humble nor arrogant.

Ning Wanyin inspected Changchun Palace as usual, and then asked the imperial physician about Concubine Shun’s condition.

Finally, she looked at Concubine Shun and said, “There will be a poetry gathering in the palace tonight. I know Your Ladyship has been bored because you can’t go out, but there will be many people and it’s not safe, so you need to be careful.”

Holding a poetry gathering in the palace during the summer was a custom passed down from who knows which dynasty.

The Emperor would be present, all the concubines would be dressed up in their finery, looking forward to it, Tinglan Palace would be very lively tonight.

“Wanyin, don’t worry, I know. I won’t go out.” Concubine Shun nodded in agreement.

She had almost miscarried after going out to greet the Empress Dowager once, although she was bored, she really didn’t dare to go out.

Seeing that she understood, Ning Wanyin didn’t say anything more.

The most troublesome thing was the concubines who refused to cooperate.

Although Concubine Shun had many ulterior motives, she knew the importance of protecting her pregnancy.

As usual, Ning Wanyin checked everything and got up to leave.

“Wait a moment, Wanyin, the Internal Affairs Department sent two boxes of newly made rouge this morning, I think the color is beautiful and very suitable for you, I’ll give it to you.” Concubine Shun gestured to Chunque.

Chunque immediately took two boxes of rouge and presented them to Ning Wanyin.

“Concubine Shun, you’re too kind…”

“It’s nothing good, it’s just my heart, please don’t refuse, Wanyin.” Concubine Shun quickly said.

Ning Wanyin bowed, “Then this concubine will accept your generosity, thank you, Concubine Shun.”

Leaving Changchun Palace.

Ning Wanyin got into her colorful sedan chair and left.

“Mistress, Concubine Shun keeps sending you things…” Lianrui asked in a low voice:

“What should we do with this rouge?”

“Store it in the warehouse.” Ning Wanyin said calmly.

If she didn’t accept it, Concubine Shun wouldn’t be at ease. Concubine Shun was now afraid that she would find an excuse to leave…

…

Imperial Garden, Lotus Pond.

“Mistress, look at these lotus flowers, they’re so beautiful…” Shi’er pointed at the lotus flowers in front of them.

Song Qingzhi smiled faintly, “The lotus is noble, born in the mud, but it’s not stained by the dirt.”

“Our mistress is so knowledgeable. This servant heard that the one in Lingsxue Pavilion also said she likes lotus flowers, but she likes lotus flowers because they have many seeds and symbolize many blessings…” Shi’er sneered.

Song Qingzhi snorted, “Crude!”

“That kind of person is not worthy to be compared to our mistress. No matter how much the Emperor favors her for now, but your rank is higher than hers, she can only bow respectfully to you.” Shi’er flattered her.

Song Qingzhi was in a good mood when she heard this.

Since entering the palace, she had been secretly competing with Ning Wanyin. Now that she had been promoted, she felt that she had finally gotten her revenge!

As the two were talking.

On the palace path outside the nearby flower trees, a colorful sedan chair passed by.

Through…

Through the gaps in the flower shadows, Song Qingzhi saw the person in the sedan chair, it was Ning Wanyin.

“She’s just a beauty, but she rides in a sedan chair back and forth every day, she’s so ostentatious!” Shi’er said indignantly.

The smile on Song Qingzhi’s face also turned cold, she said, “Stop her.”

The palace path was next to the Imperial Garden.

Going out from this small path, it was just right to block the sedan chair.

Shi’er accepted the order and immediately ran out, blocking the sedan chair, she said arrogantly, “Who are you, so rude, you don’t even bow to our Jieyu!”

Everyone was puzzled.

Where was there a Jieyu?

Ning Wanyin looked in the direction where Shi’er ran out, and saw a woman in a white dress walking out from the shady path.

It was Song Qingzhi.

“This concubine didn’t know Jieyu was here…” Ning Wanyin explained, holding Lianrui’s hand to get off the sedan chair, she bowed to Song Qingzhi, “Greetings to Jieyu!”

Song Qingzhi finally had the upper hand over Ning Wanyin, she didn’t let her get up, she said sarcastically, “Lady Ning is favored by the Emperor, she’s arrogant and looks down on everyone, naturally she didn’t see this Jieyu.”

Lianrui and the other palace maids and eunuchs were speechless. The flower trees in the Imperial Garden were lush and dense, how could they know if there was anyone inside if they didn’t go in?

“Forgive this concubine for being blind for a moment. The flower trees in the Imperial Garden are lush and dense, they blocked Jieyu’s clothes, this concubine only saw Jieyu’s face for a moment, I thought it was a palace maid… It’s all this concubine’s fault, I apologize to Jieyu.” Ning Wanyin calmly retorted.

Ning Wanyin didn’t bully people proactively, but if someone bullied her, they were asking for trouble.

She was never a good-tempered person.

Song Qingzhi’s face instantly turned ashen, she dared to say she mistook her for a palace maid!

How could a lowly servant be compared to her!

“We’ve met.” Song Qingzhi gritted her teeth, seizing on the loophole in her words, “You dare to say you don’t know me?”

Ning Wanyin was waiting for this, she said with a look of self-reproach, “Indeed, I have met Jieyu several times when greeting the Empress Dowager, but there are so many concubines, it’s dazzling to the eyes. This concubine doesn’t have a photographic memory, I can only remember the beauties with outstanding looks… Ah, this concubine has spoken carelessly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this concubine is talking about the beauties in my eyes, not that Jieyu’s beauty is ordinary.”

Song Qingzhi almost fainted from anger. She had been praised as a beauty since she was young, this was the first time she had been insulted for her looks!

She dared to say that her beauty was ordinary, she dared to mistake her for a palace maid!

“Only shallow, vulgar, talentless, and immoral women care about looks and judge people by their appearance!” Song Qingzhi sneered.

Ning Wanyin looked at her in surprise, don’t you think what you said is a bit contradictory?

“Jieyu is right. This concubine never judges people by their appearance, I never think that someone’s character is inferior because she is not beautiful. Jieyu is favored by the Emperor, she must be virtuous.” Ning Wanyin said with a smile.

Song Qingzhi staggered and had to hold onto her maid to stand steady.

She finally came to her senses, she had been so angry that she had spoken before thinking, she couldn’t argue with Ning Wanyin, she forcibly used her rank to suppress her:

“You… you didn’t bow to me, you’re disrespectful to your superior, this Jieyu will punish you to kneel here for an hour, to reflect on your mistake!”

A hint of surprise flashed in Ning Wanyin’s eyes. Using rank to suppress a favored concubine?

How naive.

Although generally speaking, a higher-ranking concubine could punish a lower-ranking one.

But rules are dead, people are alive.

“This concubine has ginseng soup simmering in the small kitchen, it’s for the Emperor. This concubine is in a hurry to deliver the soup to the Emperor, please forgive me, Jieyu.” Ning Wanyin replied calmly, her lips slightly curled, “If Jieyu thinks your matter is more important than the Emperor’s, you can continue to block me.”

“You…” Song Qingzhi’s face turned ashen, but she was speechless.

“Thank you for your understanding, Jieyu, this concubine takes her leave.” Ning Wanyin bowed, turned around and got into the sedan chair.

Song Qingzhi could only watch helplessly as Ning Wanyin’s sedan chair left.

“Mistress, calm down, she’s just arrogant because she’s favored by the Emperor…” Shi’er quickly comforted her, “Tonight’s poetry gathering, Mistress, you will definitely stun everyone, the Emperor will know that you are better than her! He will definitely favor you more!”

Song Qingzhi had been carefully composing poems for a month for tonight’s poetry gathering.

Song Qingzhi clenched the handkerchief in her palm. Ning Wanyin, you wait for me.