Quick Transmigration: Knowing I'm a Bad Woman, Yet Still Liking Me?

After Bai Yuan had walked away, Consort Shu turned to her maid Qiu Ye and said, "I thought she was stupid, but I didn't expect her to be this stupid. No wonder His Majesty dotes on her."

Qiu Ye continued, "The higher they're lifted, the more painful the fall will be. Your Highness doesn't need to worry about her; the Empress and the Crown Prince are more important."

Consort Shu sighed. "The Empress is so stable right now, I can't even find an opportunity to intervene. What has the Crown Prince been up to lately?"

The maid shook her head. "Ever since the Qi family's incident three years ago, the Crown Prince has learned his lesson. The Eastern Palace is like an ironclad fortress; we can't find anything there."

"If we can't find it, we'll keep searching. His Majesty is still young; we have plenty of time and opportunity."

Meanwhile, Wan Yue, seeing Bai Yuan's angry expression, coaxed her, "Master, this has always been the way things are in the harem. If you get angry over something so trivial, you'll only hurt yourself."

"What's the point of getting angry with those pitiful women? I'm the one who's angry with the emperor. Since he's spoiling me, he can't exempt me from paying my respects. Who can stand getting up so early every day? I'll ask for leave tomorrow and say I'm not feeling well."

They were all women trapped in the harem. Even the empress, who had some power, only had power over the harem and the women within it.

She doesn't bother with them unless they come jumping around in front of her for no reason.

Startled by her words, Wan Yue quickly looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when she found no one. "Oh my, my mistress, you dare to say and do anything now. Seeing how arrogant you were in the Empress's palace just now, I was so scared that my back was covered in sweat. If His Majesty takes this to heart, you will be punished."

"If not now, when? When will I be arrogant? When His Majesty gets tired of me, or when the General's Mansion is gone? Don't worry, if His Majesty wants to punish you, no matter how virtuous you are, it won't matter. If His Majesty doesn't want to, he won't say anything even if I'm arrogant."

The more arrogant she becomes, the happier the emperor and the people in the harem will be.

"But Master..."

Bai Yuan knew that Wan Yue was doing it for her own good, but it was still quite annoying to hear her nagging every day.

She quickly raised her hand to interrupt the other person's rambling, and said solemnly, "Wanyue, you must understand that these are all minor matters. The future of me and the General's Mansion is the most important thing. Only when I am well can you and your families be well. What you need to do is help me and remind me, not keep advising me."

Wan Yue looked into her eyes and pursed her lips.

She always thought she was doing what was best for her master, but did her master actually need it?

Moreover, what the master said is right. She only cares about whether what she is doing now conforms to the rules, but the master cares about the future.

After instantly understanding, she quickly curtsied and said, "Master, I will definitely take good care of Jade Lotus Courtyard for you from now on and will not be a burden to you."

Get up.

Bai Yuan pulled the person up and instructed, "That person named Shen Xun'er was sent by His Majesty and has some connection with the Empress. Tell Tingxue and Xiaoqi not to let her trick them into saying anything they shouldn't."

"Yes, I understand. Should I keep an eye on her?"

"Not for now."

The two walked back slowly, and when they were almost at Yufu Palace, they found two people, one big and one small, standing halfway there.

Upon seeing them, the Fourth Prince quickly walked over, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a clear and respectful voice, "Your subject greets Your Highness, may Your Highness be well."

Bai Yuan raised her hand slightly, "Fourth Prince, you may dispense with the formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The fourth prince is eight years old this year, but as a prince, he has a more mature demeanor than most adults.

He straightened up, his eyes lowered, his posture still respectful. "Your Majesty told me a few days ago that someone had offended Her Majesty, causing her to feel unwell and requiring some rest. I have been quite worried about her and haven't been able to come to pay my respects. I wonder if Her Majesty is feeling much better now?"

Bai Yuan stared at him for a few moments. "He was just grounded. He's been released now."

These words almost left the Fourth Prince speechless. He thought, "I gave you a way out, and you didn't take it. Why did you have to tear it down?"

He looked at Bai Yuan pitifully, "Then...then when I have some free time, could I go to Your Majesty's palace to pay my respects? I heard that Your Majesty likes lotus seeds, so I specially learned how to make lotus seed soup."

Bai Yuan raised the corners of her lips, "You're a prince, why are you learning these things? The servants who serve you let a prince like you into the kitchen? They really have no manners."

"Your Majesty, please don't blame them. It was your son who missed you and wanted to learn it himself."

"Since it's your own choice, then so be it. But I have a small kitchen in my palace; just have them make whatever you want to eat. You should focus on your studies."

Before the Fourth Prince could say anything more, Bai Yuan walked straight past him, saying, "I'm tired, I'm going back to the palace."

The fourth prince stood there with a complicated expression, staring at Bai Yuan's back for a long time.

Did this imperial concubine not understand her meaning?

Wan Yue spoke only when they were far away, "This fourth prince rarely shows his face and isn't close to anyone in the harem. Why is he so close to the master today?"

"His previous inaction was simply a matter of waiting for a higher price; we can ignore him."

Logically speaking, the emperor only had three princes. Even if the fourth prince's mother was a palace maid, there would still be many people who would support him.

But the fourth prince, even at such a young age, knew that his mother couldn't just look for someone randomly, so he kept observing her.

He probably saw that she was becoming more and more favored, and since she wasn't very smart and was easy to control, he was preparing to make his move against her.

Or perhaps they have other motives, but who cares!

Wan Yue turned back to look at the Fourth Prince who had walked away. "Your Majesty, if you would allow me to say something, even if you become pregnant in the future, the child you give birth to may not be a prince. It would be better to raise him by your side as a backup option."

"Am I out of my mind to raise someone else's child?" Bai Yuan glanced at Wan Yue speechlessly, but she knew it wasn't her fault for having such thoughts; that's just how things are in this era.

Even if Bai Yuan didn't have a son, she wouldn't raise someone else's son.

The struggle for the throne is a bloody path, requiring a lot of planning, spending a lot of money, and losing many lives. Why should someone else's son become emperor in the end?

Even if she gave birth to a daughter, she could simply have a boy from the family instead.

When her daughter grows up, she can become an empress, leaving the father behind and the son behind.

It doesn't matter if she doesn't want to be empress; after all, the emperor is still a member of her family.

If she gives birth to a son, she will retire early.

By any measure, it's not her place to take advantage of a son who doesn't even know how to live.

Many people already knew about this scene before Bai Yuan even returned to Yu Fu Palace.

The Empress looked at Zhiyi in surprise, "You mean the Fourth Prince went to see the Imperial Concubine?"

"Yes, after I saw Consort Hui off, I was on my way to find Xun'er when I ran into her on the way."

"What did the Imperial Concubine say?" The Empress unconsciously tightened her grip on the scissors.

"The Imperial Concubine didn't pay much attention to the Fourth Prince, and she didn't seem to have any feelings for him."

Upon hearing this, the Empress breathed a sigh of relief and continued pruning the flower branches. "The Consort feels that she is favored and will have children sooner or later, so naturally she looks down on princes whose birth mother is a palace maid."