Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

Cheng Wanyun was frightened out of her wits!

Before she saw what was happening inside, her first reaction was one of rage: Who dared to bully her child? Who?!

But when she looked, she let out a sigh of relief—it was E Linzhu hitting someone. She hadn’t been hit, which was good. Hmm, Hongxuan was really great, protecting his little brother… But then, she suddenly snapped to attention—wait! This fighting didn’t seem right either!

Seeing Concubine Wu’s pale and frightened face, she was just a Gege, sent by the Eldest Consort to look after the four princesses. Now, the third Princess was being pinned to the ground and beaten—how was she supposed to go back and explain this to the Eldest Consort and Master? Her life was in danger!

Cheng Wanyun inexplicably felt a bit guilty and quickly urged the eunuchs and wet nurses to separate the children.

Mama Geng and Mama Suo stepped forward with great reluctance, but before they could reach E Linzhu, the child turned around fiercely and shouted, “I dare anyone to touch me!”

Cheng Wanyun: “…” Well, her child was tough.

No wonder so many servants hesitated earlier. Who would have the courage to touch the Crown Prince’s precious gem? Moreover, E Linzhu was not only cherished by the Crown Prince, but even the Emperor doted on her as if she were his own eye.

The third princess from the Da Gege’s family could no longer hold back and began to wail loudly, “Mother! I want my mother!”

E Linzhu even looked down at her disdainfully and said, “What are you crying for?! How dare you cry! No crying!”

The third princess’s cries stopped momentarily, but then she cried even harder, causing her three other sisters to start crying as well.

Wu Gege let out a small sob, almost kneeling and clutching Cheng Wanyun’s leg, “Side Concubine Cheng… Please, save the third princess…”

Cheng Wanyun felt that although E Linzhu could be a bit spoiled at times, she would never hit someone without reason. There must be more to the situation, but keeping her pinned down like this wasn’t the right approach. So, with a stern face, she stepped forward, “E Linzhu, get up!”

Seeing her mother, E Linzhu’s eyes turned red, and she immediately released her grip on the third princess, crying louder than all of them combined. She ran towards her mother, wailing, “Mother! They are bullying me!”

Concubine Wu: “?”

The third princess: “???”

“…”

Cheng Wanyun held E Linzhu, who had thrown herself into her arms. Although she knew that E Linzhu was usually a stubborn child and rarely cried so forcefully, she instinctively felt a little heartache. However, she couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed by her words—E Linzhu’s shamelessness didn’t seem to resemble hers at all. She thought she was rather modest, but it must have been inherited from the Crown Prince—yes, that’s right! The Aisin Gioro family had thick skins! Thick and dark!

“Cheng E-niang.” Hongxuan, with Hongshi, quickly ran over and clutched her skirt, hiding behind her.

“Hongxuan is really acting like a big brother. Thank you,” Cheng Wanyun said as she patted both children’s heads in comfort, “Now, who can tell E-niang what exactly happened here?”

Hongxuan didn’t hesitate and immediately began to explain the situation. Since he had started studying with his teacher, he had become very articulate, narrating everything clearly and vividly:

The scene flashes back to half an hour earlier.

The Consorts went to the front hall to talk, while Cheng Wanyun, Side Concubine Tian, Side Concubine Li, and Wu Gege led around a dozen princes and grandsons to the side hall.

While they spoke outside, the children, under the care of their wet nurses, went to the inner room to drink water, eat snacks, play chess, and toys.

Cheng Wanyun was always well-prepared when leaving. Mama Geng carried E Linzhu’s supplies for eating, drinking, and other needs, while Mama Suo brought a box full of new toys that Cheng Wanyun had made for her.

Among the toys was a small carriage with two tracks that had an obstacle course. Using the slope and mechanical mechanisms of the track, the small carriage would roll along the track with the help of gravity. The track could also be disassembled and recombined. It had taken the craftsmen at the manufacturing office three months to create it. Once E Linzhu and Hongxi received it, they were immediately fascinated!

There were also puzzles and Lego blocks. For the puzzles, the Taizi had painted pictures on thin wooden boards, such as landscapes, palaces, vast rivers and mountains, galloping horses, and plum blossoms in bloom. The artisans then cut them into small, interlocking pieces, turning them into wooden puzzles.

Cheng Wanyun had even asked the Crown Prince to draw pictures of a cat eating fish and a dog catching birds, which were also turned into puzzles.

The Lego blocks were made of wood, not as fine as the modern plastic ones, but they incorporated ancient mortise-and-tenon joints, allowing for complex constructions. Cheng Wanyun had instructed the artisans to make models of pavilions, boats, various animals, and more.

Hongxi particularly liked these, even more than the small carriage track toy. Now, he could quietly spend two or three days working on a puzzle until he completed it! He had once spent five days assembling a large ship model from the Lego blocks, and when he finished, he excitedly showed it to Cheng Wanyun, who was astonished. She had initially made these toys to help E Linzhu with her temper, but it was Hongxi who ended up assembling them!

So, when they arrived in the front hall, E Linzhu immediately asked Mama Suo to take out her toys, wanting to play with Hongxuan and the small carriage.

Hongxi, having grown tired of it, asked his wet nurse for his puzzle. Cheng Wanyun had made a wooden frame with a baseboard for him, which had grooves to easily remove or replace the cover. This prevented the puzzle from being ruined when it was only halfway completed.

Hongxi’s wet nurse was fond of him. As he asked for the puzzle, she lovingly took it out, set it on the table, and brought over a high stool so Hongxi could sit comfortably and work on his puzzle. She sat next to him, gently fanning him, and occasionally took out a thermos to pour carrot apple juice for him.

The wet nurse adored Hongxi. He was smart and quick-witted, and he was easy to look after. Unlike the eldest Princess, who was always running around riding horses and practicing archery, Mama Geng and Mama Suo had worked so hard that they were almost turning into muscle-bound athletes. They looked like they had been dug out of a coal pit!

E Linzhu’s toy quickly attracted the attention of all the other children. Guangshan was the first to approach, his eyes sparkling as he watched. After a while, he begged, “E Linzhu, let me play too!”

“Wait, I haven’t had enough fun yet,” E Linzhu replied without turning her head. She was focused on shaking the wooden lever to move the small carriage onto the second level of the track, while also pressing a button to lower the bridge so the carriage could pass!

At home, Guangshan always wanted everything, not settling for less. How could he be patient and wait? Moreover, he was the eldest grandson of the Yuting Prince and the eldest son of Baotai, who had received special favor from Emperor Kangxi to have the same “Bao” character in his name, just like the Eldest Prince and Crown Prince. His father, Baotai, and grandfather, Yuqin Prince, were both deeply fond of him, so he immediately reached out to grab the toy. “There’s another red little carriage here. I’ll play with this! You play with the blue one!”

Children have a strong sense of order. E Linzhu was not happy: “It’s supposed to be in line here! You’re not allowed to touch it! It’s not your turn yet!”

At this moment, the third and fourth princesses of the First Prince were also watching nearby. They were about the same age as Guangshan, and the Eldest Prince’s residence was not far from the Yuqin Prince’s. Additionally, the families had shared ties from the time they had jointly campaigned against Galdan. Because of this, the Eldest Consort had carefully maintained the relationship with the Yuqin Prince’s family, so their children were close, even more so than E Linzhu.

The third Princess of the First Prince immediately said, “Brother Guangshan, what’s the big deal? Later, we can just ask the palace to make one for us. Don’t pay attention to her; she’s very petty!”

E Linzhu suddenly looked up and glared at the Third Princess: “What nonsense are you talking about? It’s my toy! How can he just take my toy and still be in the right?”

Since she had been scolded by her father last year for not participating in the horseback riding competition, the third princess had been forced to ride for an hour every day when she returned to the capital, which had left her thighs sore for a long time! Seeing E Linzhu show off, the third princess was especially displeased.

With old grievances and new ones mixed together, the Third Princess crossed her arms and snorted, “We’re all siblings. It’s just a small toy. You can’t even share it to play together, yet you’re talking about what’s yours and mine!”

Though she was young, the third princess had already learned from watching the eldest consort and the concubines fight for power, the art of making baseless arguments to gain the moral high ground.

E Linzhu was left speechless by her words. Seeing that someone was backing him up, Guangshan grew bolder and pulled the track completely toward himself, shamelessly saying, “Third Sister is right! Your mother invited my grandmother to be a guest! I am your guest too! Is this how you treat your guests?”

With this accusation, E Linzhu lost the moral high ground. Frustrated and angry, she forcefully grabbed the toy back, saying, “I don’t care! That’s an adult issue. My Mother said that no one is allowed to take my things without my permission!”

“Your Mother doesn’t count for anything! She’s just a Han person! That’s not right!” Guangshan gritted his teeth, refusing to let go.

“Say one more word about my mother, and see what happens!” E Linzhu was now beyond angry. She stepped forward and grabbed Guangshan’s collar. “Apologize! Or I’ll hit you!”

Although the third princess was startled by E Linzhu’s haughty attitude, she couldn’t help but chime in with a sarcastic remark: “Brother Guangshan isn’t wrong! Your mother isn’t the crown princess! You should listen to the crown princess’s guidance, not your mother’s!”

Guangshan was a bit intimidated by E Linzhu’s glare, but he still stood his ground, puffing out his chest and pulling his collar out of E Linzhu’s grip. “Look, everyone is saying the same thing!”

Hongxuan had been quietly watching Hongxi put together a puzzle, but when the commotion started with the girls, he quickly stood up and rushed over to mediate, placing himself in front of E Linzhu and scolding Guangshan and the third princess: “Stop it! How can you both bully the younger ones like this?”

The third princess was still not satisfied, shouting, “She’s just a concubine’s child! I didn’t say anything wrong! And don’t stick your nose in, you’re not even better than her!”

Hongxuan was hit in the most vulnerable part of his heart, his face turning bright red. Before he could react, a gust of wind rushed past him from behind, and then E Linzhu elbowed the third princess, knocking her to the ground. She immediately mounted her, grabbed her hair, and slapped her hard: “Apologize! Apologize to me!”

The third princess immediately screamed.

Hongxi was startled and tried to climb off his chair, but his wet nurse quickly came over to support him, not noticing the puzzle pieces on the table. Meanwhile, seeing her younger sister being wronged, the second princess suddenly reached out and knocked all the pieces of the puzzle Hongxi had been working on, sending them crashing to the floor.

The pieces scattered everywhere.

Hongxuan wanted to pull E Linzhu away, but upon hearing Hongxi crying behind him, he rushed back to protect his younger brother. He comforted Hongxi, who was sobbing uncontrollably, while the wet nurse squatted down to gather the puzzle pieces, blocking the others’ view. Taking advantage of the moment, Hongxuan quickly stuck out his foot and tripped the second princess, sending her face-first into the ground. Her nose bled, and she too started crying.

Her nanny rushed over to help her.

The third princess’s nanny tried to pull her away, but E Linzhu held her down firmly. When they tried to pull her off, E Linzhu shouted, “If you dare move me, I’ll pull her hair out!” The nanny was intimidated and dared not touch her, so she knelt on the side and begged for mercy.

Soon after, Cheng Wanyun and the others arrived.

Upon hearing the full story, Wu Gege immediately knelt down, not daring to breathe a word. She was too scared to even listen to the conversation!

Cheng Wanyun was equally speechless. The children must have heard so much talk about concubines and main wives from their parents that they could say things like this. It reminded her of how Yinzhi, even though he was born a concubine’s son, had a deep obsession with having a legitimate heir. She thought back to the consort in Yinzhi’s household who didn’t have any side concubines, but even though there were many daughters, he still tried so hard to maintain a relationship with the Eldest Consort to ensure he would have a legitimate son. It showed just how obsessed Yinzhi was with legitimate children.

But he himself was a concubine’s son! How ridiculous!

At this moment, Cheng Wanyun no longer felt guilty. E Linzhu hadn’t even tattled on her, and she and Hongxi were truly the ones who had been wronged! Although they hadn’t lost the fight, they hadn’t started this trouble!

Side Concubine Tian, who was close to the eldest consort, noticed Cheng Wanyun’s serious expression and tried to smooth things over with a smile: “The children don’t know better, they say things in the heat of the moment. Side Concubine Cheng, don’t take it to heart! Let’s just send the children off to wash up and rest…”

“Side Concubine Tian.” Cheng Wanyun raised her hand, stopping the nannies who were holding the third princess as if they had been pardoned. She coldly said, “Don’t speak so early. Since you all say that my E Linzhu is bullying others, then let’s go in front of each of your consort and clear things up. What does it mean to just muddle through this? Don’t let this come back on me as the lowly, Han-born ‘concubine’—I can’t bear such accusations!”

Side Concubine Tian’s face instantly turned pale!

Cheng Wanyun’s words made it sound as if she were preparing to make a big scene. How could she be so sure that the crown princess would stand up for her? Side Concubine Tian knew all too well the conflicts between the consort and side concubines. She was highly favored, but ever since the third consort came into the household, she had been repeatedly dealt with, both openly and secretly. If the third consort found out that her eldest daughter had made such a mistake, she would just enjoy the show, wishing for Side Concubine Tian to suffer even more!

Side Concubine Tian curled her lips, thinking, Anyway, it has nothing to do with me. Let’s just see if the reputation of the crown princess as a virtuous woman is true or not.

So, Side Concubine Tian remained silent.

Fourth Master’s Side Concubine, didn’t say much either. Instead, Side Concubine Li crouched down, picked up the fourth master’s two-year-old daughter, and, in a roundabout way, sighed, “Don’t be afraid, my dear. Although your mother is of Han descent, now that you are raised under the fourth consort’s care, no one will dare look down on you. When you grow up, make sure to be filial to your legitimate mother, do you understand?”

Fourth Master’s little princess nodded, a bit confused. Side Concubine Li smiled and said, “What a good child.”

The eldest princess of the eldest prince had already reached seven years old. She was able to understand when words were laced with hidden meaning and felt a bit scared. She hadn’t stopped her two younger sisters earlier because she, too, wanted to show E Linzhu a lesson…

Her mother had told her that when the crown princess entered the family, the positions of the first three children of the crown prince were awkward. Once the crown princess firmly established herself and bore legitimate sons and daughters, these older children would probably never have the chance to be seen in public again.

For all these years, in the eldest prince’s household, there were seven or eight daughters, yet none of them were born to a concubine, proving just how skilled the eldest consort was at managing the household!

The first princess of the eldest prince, having grown up in this environment, naturally looked down on Cheng Wanyun and even more so on E Linzhu and Hongxi. She thought it was time to take revenge for last year. After all, they were all concubine-born children, and only their birth in the Eastern Palace made them appear a little more noble. Once the crown princess had a legitimate son, would they still be in the spotlight?

They were like grasshoppers after autumn—bouncing around, but their time was limited!

Her fear now wasn’t due to doubting her own understanding, but because she saw Wu Gege’s face turning pale, even trembling slightly, which made her feel that things were taking an unpredictable turn. However, the first princess still felt confused.

Would the crown princess really help Side Concubine Cheng? Her own mother would never speak on behalf of a concubine!

Qingxing received Cheng Wanyun’s words and immediately went to fetch someone. But just as she was about to step out, she saw a large group of noble women approaching from the distance. Naturally, the one at the front was the crown princess.

It turned out that while Cheng Wanyun was listening to Hongxuan, the sharp-witted Tianjin had quietly slipped out amid the commotion and found Yue Nu, who had been waiting at the front steps. Tianjin exaggerated the story of how the children of the crown prince had been wronged and told Yue Nu to report it.

While those outside didn’t know, the people inside Yuqing Palace knew well that the crown princess was always attentive to the feelings of her family. Tianjin, having worked his way through the ranks of the palace eunuchs, knew that the crown princess would not neglect to support her own side, even for the sake of the Eastern Palace’s reputation!

This thought aligned perfectly with Cheng Wanyun’s own.

Though the crown princess wasn’t particularly close to them and maintained an air of authority, Cheng Wanyun could detect traces of the leadership style from her previous life. Her instincts told her that this might be an opportunity to confirm her suspicions.

She knew the crown princess would be hosting a banquet for the Fujin at this hour, and the meal probably hadn’t been served yet, so the crown princess wouldn’t lose face in front of the guests. By now, the polite greetings and pleasantries must have already been exchanged a few times. It was the perfect moment to call the crown princess over to administer justice!

Qingxing saw the crown princess and her entourage stepping onto the long corridor and quickly knelt at the door, knocking her head on the ground. “The Crown Princess, Third Consort, Fourth Consort, and the Yuting Prince Consort are here!”

Upon hearing that his grandmother had arrived, Guangshan rushed to the door with a look of grievance and immediately ran into the arms of Yuting Prince Consort. “Grandmother!”

He was truly frightened. He hadn’t expected E Linzhu to be so fierce! She really dared to hit people! And the third princess of the eldest prince was older than her, taller than her, yet she still dared to strike!

Guangshan trembled, burying his face in Yuting Prince Consort’s embrace.

The Crown Princess, known for her gentle and virtuous demeanor, smiled as she softly asked, “What’s wrong? Why does Guangshan look so wronged? Don’t be afraid, tell Aunt, and Aunt will help you.”

She already knew the whole story from Yue Nu, so she asked on purpose.

Upon hearing her question, Cheng Wanyun felt a sense of clarity and knew her judgment had been right—the crown princess was indeed going to intervene!

While the crown princess was caring for Guangshan, Cheng Wanyun hurriedly made her way forward, along with the other side concubines and children, to offer their greetings and curtsy to the crown princess.

The crown princess kindly addressed them, then looked at E Linzhu and Hongxi, both of whom had tears on their faces, and asked in surprise, “Why is E Linzhu crying? Hongxi too…” Then, her tone turned stern. “Cheng! How are you taking care of the children? You were entrusted with them, and this is how they’ve turned out! Come here!”

Cheng Wanyun’s eyes flickered, and she quickly pulled the three children behind her to stand beside the crown princess, then took out a handkerchief to wipe away nonexistent tears. “I, a humble and lowly Han woman, failed to take care of the princess and the two young masters. I am guilty, please punish me, consort!”

The crown princess immediately furrowed her brows and scolded, “Cheng! What is this nonsense? Who taught you to say such things about being a lowly Han? The Emperor has said time and again that we are one family, Manchu and Han! How can you not keep the Emperor’s words in mind? I’ve always thought well of you, but now you’re speaking such rebellious words! This is truly outrageous!”

“Crown Princess, please calm down. It’s all my fault for not reflecting on myself,” Cheng Wanyun stammered. “It was the third princess of the eldest prince who taught me this. Only today, under her guidance, did I understand my humble origins…”

Side Concubine Tian: “…” This was some clever double talk!

Side Concubine Li, holding her daughter, slowly walked up behind the crown princess and chimed in, “Even the little young master from the Yuting Prince’s household said the same. I’ve been taught too.”

Yuting Prince Consort’s heart tightened. She hurriedly took Guangshan and knelt down. “This child is spoiled by me and speaks out of turn. Please forgive this child, crown princess!”

Wu Gege: “…” She might as well faint now! So, she rolled her eyes and collapsed, not getting up.

The crown princess didn’t even glance at her. Her sharp gaze immediately landed on the third princess, who was hiding behind her older sisters, too scared to show herself. The third princess’s legs trembled, and she nearly forgot to breathe.

At that moment, the third princess realized she had caused a huge mess! She understood the meaning of “rebellious words” and knew that those four words were definitely not something to be taken lightly!

Guangshan was too scared to lift his head from Yuting Prince Consort’s embrace, clutching his grandmother’s clothes tightly as he knelt down with his mother, his palms sweaty.

“The Consort should properly discipline their own children,” the crown princess said, her voice serious. “Someone, tell her exactly what happened earlier! There were many people around, and the facts are clear. Don’t think that I’m favoring my own children.”

For the first time, the crown princess’s smile disappeared, and her face turned stern. “Today, I am hosting and inviting all of you here for the first time, and I shouldn’t have to say these things, but at this point, some truths must be spoken. You are all guests, but you are also my relatives by blood, and some are even my elders and sisters-in-law. Yuting Prince Consort, I should call you ‘Aunt,’ but none of you should be so rude as to insult the host family! The children’s playful words, behind them, are the fault of you, the elders, who failed to be careful in your speech and actions! I must ask—do you all no longer remember the basic principles of respect, courtesy, and honor? What of the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children? If we were to calculate this, it’s not my children who’ve been insulted! Let me ask, Third Princess, is your father of legitimate birth? The only legitimate son of the Emperor is the crown prince, who else is considered a legitimate child?!”

The third princess’s face turned white as a sheet. The crown princess had almost directly pointed out that she was just a legitimate daughter of a concubine, and was no more noble than the crown prince’s illegitimate children!

“Now, if we are to discuss legitimate and illegitimate birth, would you dare to speak of it in front of the Emperor?” the crown princess continued, her gaze coldly sweeping over the kneeling Yuting Prince Consort, whose forehead was drenched in cold sweat. The crown princess ordered someone to help her up and sighed, “You are the elder. How can you be blamed for the children’s misdeeds? Please, sit down.”

Yuting Prince Consort’s heart was racing. The crown princess had made her point clear—was the Emperor truly of legitimate birth? He too was born of a concubine, and his mother, Tong Jia, wasn’t even of noble birth within the Eight Banners…

But of course, this did not prevent the Emperor from valuing his own status. Perhaps the Emperor valued certain things more deeply, depending on what he lacked.

If Guangshan’s words were to reach the Emperor’s ears, even the Yuting Prince would have to go to the Qianqing Palace and beg for forgiveness!

The crown princess’s words were a warning as well as a reminder!

Everyone’s face changed at once.

Her words struck right at the heart!

The crown princess had truly struck hard at the reputation of Yuting Prince Consort and the eldest prince’s family, speaking so sharply in defense of the illegitimate children and concubines!

Yuting Prince Consort hurriedly moved to soothe Guangshan, urging him to apologize to E Linzhu. Wu Gege, who was lying on the floor, groaned and slowly woke up, urging the second and third princesses to apologize to E Linzh and Hongxi to apologize.

With the crown princess present, the children obediently came forward to bow and apologize.

The third princess stiffly apologized to E Linzhu, but as she tried to leave quickly, E Linzhu called out, “Hey, you haven’t apologized to my older brother yet!”

Hongxuan froze for a moment. He hadn’t expected E Linzhu to remember.

The third princess’s face turned bright red, but reluctantly, she turned back and gave Hongxuan a proper apology.

Hongxuan nodded and, with his gentle nature, sincerely advised, “Please don’t say such things again in the future.”

The third princess quickly retreated, almost as if escaping, behind her sisters.

The crown princess’s face softened back into her usual gentle and harmless expression. “Alright, now that everything is clear, it’s fine. We’re all family, and there’s no knot that can’t be untied. The feast is already set, so please, let’s all sit down. Side Concubine Cheng has made some pastries herself for all of you to taste; I’m sure you’ll love them!”

This was her way of signaling the end of the matter. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and under the guidance of Li Mama and others, they put on their smiles and made their way outside.

At that moment, the Tcrown princess suddenly paused, turned around, and complimented Cheng Wanyun, who had been quietly following behind. “You did very well just now. I didn’t expect you to react so quickly.” She didn’t say the second half of her sentence aloud: She isn’t as foolish as I thought.

The Crown Princess had never seen Side Concubine Cheng as a threat. When she was nine years old, during the Kangxi emperor’s 23rd southern tour, her father had specifically arranged for her to meet him. Since then, she had received many lessons from wet nurses about proper etiquette and the bearing of a mistress of the household. Little by little, she understood what was expected of her, and she knew that her destiny was to enter the royal family.

Before her marriage, she had stayed in the capital for three years and had already been aware of the situation in the Crown Prince’s Palace.

The Shi family was on the decline. A Crown Prince’s Consort was a crucial step for the family’s revival. When her grandfather passed away, her father had told her not to bind herself within the family, but instead to think like a general on the battlefield—looking at the bigger picture, not worrying about small victories and losses. Her goal was to be the Crown Princess, the Empress. She wasn’t here to engage in petty rivalries.

Her mission was to protect the crown prince’s palace, the crown prince, and the Shi family. The true threats were not Side Concubine Cheng, but those outside the palace who were scheming for the country’s foundation.

The crown prince had no maternal family to rely on in the imperial harem. Concubine Xi was not favored, and her status wasn’t suitable. Apart from the Emperor, the crown prince’s palace had no support! This was no different from an official building surrounded by pirates, perilously close to collapse.

Realizing this, she understood that her battles wouldn’t be with Yuqing palace, but with the six palaces, both the Eastern and Western courts! Now that the harem was leaderless, the central palace empty, and the imperial seal controlled by the four concubines, the crown princess had no interest in managing Yuqing Palace. What she coveted was the imperial seal and the Bao Ce (imperial ledger) of the central palace!

As the crown princess, in the absence of an Empress and with the senior concubine having passed away, she was far more qualified than the four concubines to manage the harem!

Compared to that, Side Concubine Cheng was not her enemy, but rather a small force she could use.

Thinking this, she added, “Your background is not your fault, so there’s no need to worry about it. Neither the crown prince nor I care about such things.”

Surprised to be comforted by the new leader, Cheng Wanyun was taken aback. “Thank you, Consort… It was also E Linzhu’s recklessness that caused trouble for you.”

“E Linzhu is not wrong either. If she can’t protect her biological mother, she should bear the consequences. It’s not something to be ashamed of!” The crown princess said seriously, reaching out to gently pat E Linzhu’s head. She added, “Once the banquet is over, I will speak with the Emperor and the Crown Prince about this matter. It’s not for any other reason, but to prevent some small-minded people from twisting the story and ruining E Linzhu’s reputation. Although it’s a small matter, it’s always better to nip problems in the bud.”

Cheng Wanyun let out a long sigh of relief. She had also planned to explain things to the Crown Prince later that evening. After all, the matter involved the eldest Prince’s family and Yuting Prince’s family, and neither was easy to deal with.

Since the crown princess had spoken on her behalf, it seemed more impartial than if she had done so herself.

“Thank you so much,” Cheng Wanyun sincerely bent her knee in thanks and then lowered her head to E Linzhu. “It’s all thanks to the Ji E Niang (Legitimate Mother) thinking of you. Aren’t you going to thank her?”

E Linzhu, not daring to act recklessly in front of the crown princess, quickly complied, bowing and whispering, “Thank you, Ji E Niang.”

“We’re family, no need to be so polite.” The Crown Princess gave a slight nod. Noticing that the others were already moving ahead, she continued, “Since this incident has caused a stir, it’s better for you and the children to avoid being in the limelight. That way, no one can use you both as targets at the banquet. You should take the children and go change. There’s no need for you to come back here.”

Before she could finish, He Baozhong entered, carrying some food, and bowed, saying, “Please allow me to deliver greetings to the Crown Princess and the Side Concubine. The Crown Prince has sent me with a message. He’s found a good place for Taqiu (Autumn Walking) at the royal estate and invites the Crown Princess and Side Concubine Cheng to take the three children and come pick persimmons.”

The Crown Princess paused for a moment upon hearing this, then quickly understood: the Crown Prince had sharp ears and eyes! He Baozhong must have already known what had happened here, and that was why he had been sent to protect Side Concubine Cheng!

This was exactly what she had anticipated, which was why she had asked the Side Concubine and the children to leave. She would handle the situation and smooth things over for the crown prince’s palace. Moreover, this time the fault wasn’t even with the crown prince’s palace, and perhaps she could take advantage of this opportunity to earn some favor with the Emperor.

Her thoughts raced, and then she smiled. “Please thank the Crown Prince for me. I still have quite a lot to do here, and the Consorts are still present. I can’t just leave yet—the luggage is still packed in the carriage! Once I’ve dealt with these matters, I’ll need to go to Yanbo Zhishuang Zhai to help the Emperor prepare for tomorrow’s grand banquet. I really can’t leave right now, so please have Side Concubines Cheng take the children and go on ahead.”

She emphasized the words “Yanbo Zhishuang Zhai,” and He Baozhong’s ears perked up. He lowered his head and respectfully responded, backing out of the room to wait at the door.

Watching Cheng Wanyun bowing and taking her leave from the crown princess, he thought to himself that the little eunuchs the crown prince had placed around Side Concubine Cheng had been quite clever. They were quick to act and had even sent a messenger at the first sign of trouble!

As for Cheng Wanyun, being a person who discarded worries quickly, once she had someone taking charge, she felt at ease. She put on a composed expression, left the room, and then immediately headed back to Rehe Palace to change clothes. She quickly set up two carriages, packed two large baskets and several smaller ones, and indeed prepared to go pick persimmons.

Through misfortune, she found good fortune—no need to accompany the leaders for socializing!

Off to have some fun!