Chapter 73: Prayer

Lianrui, please summon the imperial physician to examine it. After the examination, send the first layer to His Majesty. We’ll eat the second layer together. The rest will be distributed to the palace servants.” Ning Wanyin instructed Lianrui.

She didn’t think Wei Yingya would openly send poison.

But she also had to be prepared in case someone took advantage of Wei Yingya’s absence…

Previously, whenever His Majesty received snacks, she would get a copy. Now that she had something good, she naturally had to reciprocate.

The snacks sent to His Majesty had to be tested for poison first, so this seemed perfectly reasonable.

“Yes!” Lianrui happily accepted the order.

The people of Lingxue Pavilion had a lively and unusual “breakfast.”

Wei Yingya returned to Jinguizhai in a good mood.

Dongwu couldn’t help but say, “Your Highness, you have such clever ideas. Why didn’t you prepare them for His Majesty’s birthday a few days ago? You wasted these good ideas on Concubine Ning.”

“Heh—” Wei Yingya sneered.

She had tried her best to please the emperor, but he had sent her to the cold palace without batting an eyelid.

It was a waste to give it to the emperor!

From now on, she would feed all the delicious food she made to Concubine Ning and her sister!

…

At noon, Ning Wanyin arrived at Danshui Qingxie.

The wind blew through the hall, and the rain fell like pearls.

There was not a hint of heat in the water pavilion.

Helan Qi was wearing a moon-white robe today. He sat by the window, holding a jade bone and gold-spangled folding fan, gazing at the scenery outside.

He looked less like an emperor and more like a debonair young master.

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. You have given me such a generous gift. I am deeply grateful. I never expected to have the honor of receiving a lotus painting made by Your Majesty himself. I am overjoyed and speechless.” Ning Wanyin bowed to express her gratitude, her face full of carefully cultivated surprise.

Helan Qi was very pleased with the smile in the young woman’s eyes.

He had indeed touched her heart. She liked it.

But Helan Qi didn’t show any emotion. He said calmly, “Rise. It’s your birthday today. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Ning Wanyin sat down in the seat below Helan Qi.

The palace servants set out a dazzling array of delicacies and served the two masters.

There were no outsiders to disturb them.

Ning Wanyin was very satisfied.

If she had held a banquet at Xianyinlou, there would have been seven or eight incidents during this meal.

They enjoyed a leisurely and comfortable lunch.

Helan Qi didn’t leave. He had the memorials brought in and began to review them.

Ning Wanyin naturally couldn’t leave. As usual, she practiced calligraphy and painting.

The afternoon passed quietly as she wrote and painted.

“Let me see if you’ve made any progress recently.” After reviewing the memorials, Helan Qi got up and walked to Ning Wanyin’s desk. He picked up one of her drawings at random. Seeing the ugly figure on the drawing, his expression was indescribable:

“You wouldn’t dare tell me that this is me, would you?”

If he hadn’t seen the dragon pattern on the man’s robe, he wouldn’t have been able to tell that it was supposed to be him.

“Your Concubine… Your Concubine is guilty…” Ning Wanyin’s cheeks flushed red.

Helan Qi was almost amused by her. “With such terrible painting skills, you dare to paint me? You really are…”

His gaze fell on the young woman’s face, and he saw that her cheek was stained with ink.

Like a kitten’s whiskers.

Funny and cute.

Her white and delicate neck, adorned with the red bead necklace he had just given her, made her skin look even whiter and sweeter.

Helan Qi’s eyes…

His eyes darkened, and a surge of heat rose in his heart. He felt that the airy water pavilion wasn’t so cool anymore.

“Return to Lingxue Pavilion.”

…

The moon was high in the sky.

After eating two meals, Helan Qi went to the bathhouse to change clothes.

Ning Wanyin lay lazily on the couch, not wanting to move a finger. But after thinking about the three flower lanterns she had asked Lianrui to prepare, she forced herself to get up, changed into her nightgown, and went to the lotus pond.

In Dayan, there was a custom of releasing lanterns to pray for blessings on one’s birthday night.

Ning Wanyin reached the edge of the lotus pond, picked up a fire stick, lit a lotus lantern, and placed it in the water:

“First wish, may Dayan be prosperous and peaceful.”

“Second wish, may my family be safe.”

“Third wish, may His Majesty be healthy and happy.”

The three lanterns were released into the water one after another.

A slightly hoarse voice came from behind her: “Why don’t you make a wish for yourself?”

Ning Wanyin turned around in surprise. “Your Majesty, how did you…”

Actually, she had timed it so that she would come to release the lanterns after His Majesty finished bathing.

Of course, the emperor might not come out to find her.

He might just wait for her to return to the palace.

But it didn’t matter. The palace servants would naturally report her three wishes to him.

“Your Concubine’s wish has already come true.” A hint of shyness flashed in Ning Wanyin’s eyes.

“What wish?” Helan Qi looked at her.

Ning Wanyin also looked at Helan Qi, her eyes bright, honest, and beautiful:

“Your Concubine only wishes to be with Your Majesty.”

This was certainly true.

If she wasn’t with the emperor, wouldn’t she be out of favor?

It’s just that some people want love when they are with the emperor, while she wants power.

She spoke the most sincere words, but for the most unspeakable reasons.

Helan Qi was startled. The young woman’s eyes were too intense.

He thought for a moment. Although he wouldn’t love her, he would spoil her, which would fulfill her wish.

Helan Qi lifted Ning Wanyin’s chin and leaned down to kiss her lips.

As a result, neither of them slept that night.

…

The lotus flowers in Lingxue Pavilion gradually withered, but the lotus painting hanging in Lingxue Pavilion remained.

Summer passed and autumn came. July was a time of scorching heat.

Ning Wanyin rarely went out, except for occasional visits to Changchun Palace.

“Your Highness, it’s not that we’re not diligent, but we can’t find an opportunity. She hasn’t been seen strolling in the Imperial Garden once in all this time!” Zhusa, the newly appointed head palace maid, reported with difficulty:

“We thought she was afraid of the heat, but now that the weather has turned cool, she still hasn’t gone out…”

A cold glint flashed in Xue Jinyan’s eyes. “Humph, I think she’s a turtle, hiding in Lingxue Pavilion and not moving! Forget it, if she doesn’t go out, her sidekick will have to go out, right? Let’s put on a show for her elder sister!”

She still remembered how Concubine Tang had dared to contradict her because of Ning Wanyin.

“Yes.”

Xue Jinyan smiled faintly. “I believe Ning Wanyin won’t disappoint me.”

Others dared not offend her.

But she and Ning Wanyin were already declared enemies.

She would give Ning Wanyin a chance to kill herself.

She believed that Ning Wanyin would not miss this opportunity.

…

Imperial Garden.

“Cuiping, look at these orchids. They’re so beautiful…” Tang Miaoling strolled leisurely along the shaded path.

Cuiping smiled and agreed.

The two of them walked a little further when they suddenly heard a woman’s voice from the flower bushes nearby:

“This is the reward from Your Highness. The information you provided last time was very useful. Your Highness remembers your contribution. Meet here at this time seven days later.”

Tang Miaoling held her breath and looked forward…

She saw a palace maid handing a bag of silver to a young eunuch in a corner of the flower bushes.

The eunuch then handed her an envelope.

Tang Miaoling quickly covered her mouth with one hand and Cuiping’s mouth with the other. Her eyes widened.

She seemed to have stumbled upon something big!