I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

Just as the blue brick was no more than an inch above Ye An'an's head, a blue figure flashed past like lightning.

Ye An'an felt a tightening around her waist, and her whole body was suddenly pulled to one side by a gentle yet irresistible force.

"Bang!"

The blue bricks crashed heavily onto the cobblestone path, shattering into pieces, and the flying stone chips even grazed Ye An'an's skirt.

Ye An'an was still in shock, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. She gasped for breath, her face deathly pale, her hands clutching her stomach tightly.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, are you alright!" Fuyun was so frightened that she burst into tears on the spot and rushed over to support Ye An'an.

Ye An'an didn't speak; she just stared blankly at the person in front of her.

She was a woman dressed in a white palace gown. She looked a little younger than the Empress, around thirty years old. Her hair was simply tied up in a bun, without a single extra piece of jewelry. Her face was somewhat pale, the color of someone who hadn't seen the sun for a long time, but her eyes were exceptionally bright, exuding a cold and heroic air.

Just now, it was these seemingly slender hands that steadily supported Ye An'an, helping her escape from death.

"Thank you... thank you for saving my life." Ye An'an regained her senses, her voice still trembling slightly.

The woman released her grip, glanced at Ye An'an indifferently, then looked down at her stomach, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Be careful, this wall is old and can't be broken."

Her voice was a little hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time; it was cold and aloof, but not unpleasant.

"May I ask who Your Highness is...?" Ye An'an asked tentatively.

Someone dressed like this in the inner palace and able to move freely in and out of the palace could definitely not be a palace maid. But this attire also doesn't seem like that of a favored concubine.

The woman didn't answer; instead, she turned around, bent down, and picked up the broken bricks from the ground one by one, piling them against the wall. Her movements were so swift and efficient that she didn't seem like a pampered noblewoman.

"She is Consort Ning." A timid little palace maid ran out from the side, holding a watering can in her hand, and looked at Ye An'an nervously.

Consort Ning?

Ye An'an: I don't know, I've never heard of it.

However, she still expressed her gratitude on the surface.

"So it's Consort Ning." Ye An'an steadied herself and bowed respectfully. "I am Ye from the Crown Prince's Palace. Today, thanks to Your Highness, otherwise..."

Ye An'an still felt a lingering fear when she recalled what had just happened.

Consort Ning dusted off her hands and finally looked at Ye An'an properly.

"Crown Princess?" A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her indifference. "If you're pregnant, don't go to places like this where no one is around. If something really happens, no one can bear the responsibility."

"Yes, Your Majesty is right." Ye An'an nodded vigorously.

Looking at Consort Ning's composed yet somewhat aloof demeanor, she felt a strange curiosity stir within her. This Consort Ning was unlike any other woman she had ever met in the harem.

"Your Majesty saved my life, and I have no way to repay you." Seeing that she was about to leave, Ye An'an subconsciously called out, "May I ask Your Majesty for a cup of tea?"

"I don't drink tea."

After saying that, she walked away without looking back.

Back at Tinglan Waterside Pavilion, Ye An'an's emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

She sat on the couch, holding a cup of hot jujube tea, her mind filled with the image of Consort Ning's actions as she saved the person. It was too fast, too steady; that was a reaction speed no ordinary woman could possess.

"Fuyun, go and inquire about the past of this Consort Ning," Ye An'an instructed, putting down her teacup.

"Your Highness, why are you so interested in her?" Fuyun asked, puzzled, while massaging her legs. "I heard that she is an unlucky person. Her family has fallen on hard times, and she herself is always gloomy."

"Nonsense." Ye An'an glared at her. "How can you call someone your savior an omen of bad luck? Go on, I want to hear the truth, not those gossips."

Fuyun responded and left, returning with the news shortly afterward.

It turns out that Consort Ning's father had distinguished himself in battle on the northern frontier, and Consort Ning had grown up in the army with him since childhood. It was said that she could ride the fiercest horses and draw the heaviest bows. When she entered the palace, it was because the Emperor wanted to appease the military family that he specifically sought her hand in marriage. Unfortunately, the Ning family later made a mistake in a battle. Although they were not sentenced to death, their military power was taken away, and Consort Ning became disheartened and requested to move to Qingzhu Garden.

"She truly is a daughter of a military family," Ye An'an murmured softly.

Images suddenly flashed through her mind. In the TV dramas she had watched in modern times, women from military families who entered the palace usually didn't have good endings. They were either arrogant and domineering like Consort Hua, who ended up tragically, or they were disillusioned with love and remained aloof for life like Shen Meizhuang.

But this Consort Ning looks more like the kind of person who has already lived a life as bland as plain water.

Chapter 48 Consort Ning's Secret, The Empress's Summoning

The next morning, Ye An'an asked Fuyun to prepare a generous gift.

"Your Highness, are you sending this to Consort Ning?" Fuyun looked at the box full of things and was somewhat astonished.

"It's nothing compared to the life-saving grace," Ye An'an said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I also want to go see her."

To be honest, she was genuinely curious about Consort Ning. How did a woman from a military family survive in the harem? And how did she maintain that aloof and refined demeanor?

Just as I was about to leave, news came from outside.

"Your Highness, the Empress summons you."

Ye An'an: ...Alright, it seems we'll have to postpone sending gifts to Consort Ning.

Upon arriving at Fengyi Palace, Ye An'an froze as soon as she entered.

Goodness, this is quite a spectacle.

The Empress sat at the head of the table, with Consort Shu and Consort Li on either side. On the table was a set of mahjong tiles.

"An'an's here? Please sit down, please sit down." The Empress smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Let's continue today."

"Mother, what's wrong with you...?" Ye An'an was both amused and exasperated.

"We fought all afternoon yesterday, and the more I thought about it, the more agitated I became." The Empress didn't hide anything. "I summoned them both first thing this morning."

Consort Shu nodded silently beside her, her eyes fixed on the mahjong tiles, as if she had seen some rare treasure.

"Your Highness, you've finally arrived." Consort Li was quite direct. "After you left yesterday, Consort De was so slow and indecisive while playing cards, it was infuriating."

"Exactly." Consort Shu rarely spoke, and her voice was somewhat excited. "She can think for half an hour in one game, and I almost fell asleep."

Ye An'an: ...It seems that Consort De had a bad day yesterday.

"By the way, An'an, I had someone prepare something for you." Consort Shu's maid suddenly took out an exquisite box from the side and handed it to Fuyun. "This is bird's nest that I have treasured for many years. Now that you are pregnant, it will come in handy."

Ye An'an was flattered. Consort Shu, who rarely spoke, was actually offering a gift?

"Thank you, Consort Shu." Ye An'an gestured for Fuyun to quickly take it.

"Of course, of course," Consort Shu waved her hand. "You taught me such a fun thing, I must thank you."

Ye An'an: ...So you think of mahjong as some kind of ultimate martial arts manual?

As they were talking, another announcement came from outside.

"Your Majesty, Consort Ning has come to pay her respects."

Ye An'an's eyes lit up.

Speak of the devil and he appears!

"Let her in," the Empress ordered.

When Consort Ning entered, she still maintained her aloof demeanor. She performed the proper curtsy, her voice indifferent.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

"Rise," the Empress said with a smile. "Consort Ning, I have summoned you here today because I have something to discuss with you."

Consort Ning raised her head, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

"I have already heard about how you saved the Crown Princess in the Imperial Garden yesterday," the Empress said solemnly. "The Crown Princess is carrying the eldest grandson of the Emperor. I must thank you properly for saving her life."

Consort Ning shook her head.

"It was just a small favor, nothing to mention."

"Consort Ning, please don't say that," Ye An'an quickly interjected. "If it weren't for you, my child and I might not have been able to... That brick was huge; if it had fallen..."

"Your Highness, you flatter me." Consort Ning remained calm. "Anyone else would have stepped in to help."

Just as the atmosphere was getting right, another sound came from outside.

"Your Majesty, Consort De has arrived."

brush.

The expressions of the people inside the hall changed simultaneously.

The Empress's smile froze on her face, Consort Shu frowned, and Consort Li rolled her eyes without any attempt to hide it.

Ye An'an: ...This Consort De is really persistent.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress." Consort De walked in with a smile, her smile perfectly flawless. "I heard that Your Majesty has gathered your sisters to play cards again today, so I came here to learn from you."