Nong Nu Jiao

"Sister Sun, there's no need to ask around. Just ask anyone in the entire Eastern Palace, and you'll know how favored Consort Qin is. His Highness has been staying at Consort Qin's Yiqing Courtyard for three consecutive days."

Chen Yanyan sat on a small stool opposite Sun Peihuan, speaking slowly and softly, appearing very kind.

She looked at the dishes on the table.

Sun Peihuan has already been confined to her home, and there are still seven or eight dishes for lunch.

The servants all say that Cen Lingyi is fair in her handling of palace affairs and never settles personal scores.

She might not be so sure.

Cen Lingyi was probably still afraid of the Sun family behind Sun Peihuan, and wanted to leave herself a way out.

Of course, it was also out of respect for His Highness the Crown Prince.

After all, even though Sun Peihuan committed such a serious mistake, His Highness only confined her to her quarters.

This shows that His Highness the Crown Prince still needs the Sun family's help.

"Isn't it because you're useless?" Sun Peihuan was agitated. "You and she entered the East Palace on the same day, and she gets the Emperor's favor every night. What about you? You haven't even seen His Highness's face. I feel ashamed just saying it."

She had a burning anger inside her, with nowhere to vent it, so her words were naturally impolite.

"After all, she was raised by the Empress Dowager. Even if His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't care about her, he should at least consider her feelings." Chen Yanyan lowered her head, seemingly feeling quite inferior. "I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince personally applied medicine to her face and even personally brewed tea for her. The two of them would stay in the room until well past midnight..."

She discreetly observed Sun Peihuan's expression.

Sun Peihuan's face turned black with anger: "Stop talking!"

Before Qin Luoshui entered the Eastern Palace, she would give Xia Qinghe better gifts and give her inferior ones.

Now, she has stolen the Crown Prince's favor.

Even when her father and brothers were most favored, His Highness never visited her courtyard for three consecutive nights.

Chen Yanyan swallowed hard, not daring to speak.

"So what if she stays for three nights? His Highness won't touch her."

Sun Peihuan said bitterly.

His Highness the Crown Prince didn't even touch her, so why would he touch Qin Luoshui?

"How do you know His Highness won't touch her, sister?" Chen Yanyan blinked. "He doesn't mind her injury right now and goes to keep her company every night. Once her injury heals, His Highness will definitely..."

"What do you know?"

Sun Peihuan interrupted her angrily.

She couldn't very well say that nothing had happened between her and Yan Chenghui, so she blushed deeply.

Chen Yanyan seemed startled by her, and after a pause, she spoke with concern, "It's not good for you to always be confined to this He'an Courtyard, sister. If this goes on for too long, I'm afraid His Highness will forget about you. Have you written any letters home to Lord Sun and the others?"

"Why haven't they written anything?" Sun Peihuan asked irritably. "It's been so long, and Father and Brother still haven't replied..."

As she was speaking, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Chen Yanyan.

"What are you looking at, sister?"

Chen Yanyan blinked her eyes, looking completely innocent.

"you go."

Sun Peihuan suddenly said.

"Where to?"

Chen Yanyan appeared puzzled, but was secretly delighted.

She longed to go see His Highness the Crown Prince, but she lacked an excuse.

She would never be so shameless as to fawn over His Highness the Crown Prince.

There needs to be a reason to see His Highness.

"Go and deliver some things to His Highness for me."

Sun Peihuan took a deep breath and made up her mind.

"What gift is your sister going to give to His Highness?"

Chen Yanyan asked, puzzled.

"Take whatever I give you," Sun Peihuan said irritably. "Tell His Highness that I specially saved it for him."

"it is good."

Chen Yanyan nodded in agreement.

"Lotus flowers!"

Sun Peihuan called Hehua in and instructed her to fetch the things.

After Lotus left, she turned around and stared at Chen Yanyan, saying, "I'm warning you, you're going there to do something for me, don't even think about seducing His Highness."

"Sister knows that I am timid and useless, and His Highness would never be interested in me. I only ask that you lift my confinement as soon as possible so that I can regain His Highness's favor and be protected."

Chen Yanyan quickly expressed her opinion, praising her highly.

Sun Peihuan was satisfied and snorted, "That's more like it."

Her Highness was indeed unlikely to be interested in Chen Yanyan, so she wasn't too worried.

Send some things to His Highness, and he will naturally remember their past relationship and her father and brothers, and lift her confinement.

She wanted to see what kind of ability Qin Luoshui had to keep His Highness in her courtyard every night.

Chen Yanyan carried the nanmu box that Sun Peihuan had given her, and walked a long way from He'an Courtyard before stopping in the garden.

The wooden box is exquisite, with copper corner protectors on all four sides, which shimmer and sparkle in the sunlight.

She lifted the wooden box a crack and peeked inside.

Inside was a red fox fur coat and a paper package.

She opened the paper package again and saw that it contained dried mutton.

Both of these items are unique to the border regions. When His Highness sees them, he will naturally think of Sun Peihuan's father and brothers who are far away at the border, and thus make an exception for her.

Chen Yanyan smiled, realizing that Sun Peihuan was not as foolish as she had imagined.

"Madam, shall we go to Mingde Hall now?"

Behind her, the maidservant, Yinzan, asked her in a low voice.

Chen Yanyan stood there for a moment, pondering, and then instructed, "Go back to the courtyard and bring me ten pieces of agarwood incense I made."

With nothing to do in her boudoir, she learned how to make incense and is now quite skilled at it.

"Madam, His Highness the Crown Prince surely has enough incense?"

The silver hairpin whispered a reminder.

"Yes, and I've heard that His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't like incense."

Another maid, Baoyu, chimed in.

"Who said it was for His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Chen Yanyan smiled.

The master and his servants walked to the Mingde Hall, where two guards stood on either side of the courtyard gate.

Yun Gong leaned against a pillar under the corridor, gazing at the sky in a daze, feeling utterly bored.

Yun Que was inside, serving him with writing materials.

Chen Yanyan peeked out from the courtyard gate, and Yun Gong spotted her.

"Lord Yun Gong."

She smiled and waved at him.

Yun Gong walked towards her, smiling, and asked, "Madam Chen, is something the matter?"

"Consort Sun asked me to deliver something to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Chen Yanyan patted the nanmu box in her hand.

"Give it to me."

Yun Gong reached out to take it.

"Wait a moment." Chen Yanyan withdrew her hand, replaced it with two small purses, and handed them to him with a smile: "Lord Yun Gong, these are agarwood cakes that I made in my spare time. Standing for long nights can easily make one feel tired, so these can be used to refresh the mind. They also smell nice when burned on ordinary days."

"No, no, no, no!"

Upon seeing that she had given him something, Yun Gong reacted as if he had been provoked by fire, quickly withdrawing his hand and taking two steps back.

Are you kidding me?

He's His Highness's man, how could he accept things from Lady Chen?

He doesn't want to die.

Besides, what has he not done by following His Highness? Does he need something from Madam Chen?

This Madam Chen is really looking down on people.

"Oh dear, these aren't anything valuable." Chen Yanyan said, stuffing the pouch into his hand. "Two pouches, and please give the other one to Yun Que for me."

She had inquired about it before entering the Eastern Palace.

Of the two people who serve His Highness the Crown Prince closely, Yun Gong is easier to talk to, while Yun Que is not so easy to deal with.

Of course, she chose to win over those who were easy to talk to.

This agarwood, though it looks like a small packet, contains extremely precious spices.

Does Yun Gong not even look down on it?

"I don't want to." Yun Gong turned and left. "I'll go and inform them for you."

Just then, Yun Que came out of the palace and saw Yun Gong in a panic. He put on a stern face and asked him, "What's wrong?"

"Madam Chen, why do you insist on sending me some kind of incense?"

Yun Gong explains.

Chen Yanyan followed and smiled at Yun Que, "It's nothing valuable, you can take it."

"We never use spices, Madam Chen, please keep them."

Yun Que waved his hand in refusal.

Chen Yanyan awkwardly withdrew her hand. She could still persuade Yun Gong if he refused, but Yun Que was too serious, and she couldn't even say a word.

Her mother taught her that if she wanted to get close to His Highness, she should first win over the people around him.

Once they've all been won over, they'll naturally speak well of her to His Highness.

But Yun Que and Yun Gong are unyielding, and His Highness has no one else by his side. What should be done?

Yan Huaijiao came out of the palace.

"This concubine greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Chen Yanyan quickly bowed.

"What is it?"

Yan Chenghui glanced at her.

"Your Highness, Sister Sun asked me to give this to you."

Chen Yanyan looked at him shyly and timidly.

Yan Chenghui's mind was not on her; he merely glanced at Yun Que.

Yun Que stepped forward to take it and smiled at Chen Yanyan, saying, "Madam Chen may leave now."

"Yes."

Chen Yanyan, being a lady from a respectable family, couldn't bring herself to pester him, so she turned and left.

"Your Highness, it's a red fox fur coat and dried yellow sheep meat."

Yun Que opened the nanmu box to report.

Yan Chenghui said, "Relay my message: Sun Peihuan's confinement has been lifted."

"Yes."

Yun Que nodded in agreement.

He wasn't surprised.

Your Highness has been making plans for several days now; it's time to release Consort Sun.

*

In the dead of night, all was quiet.

The candlelight in the side hall bedroom was bright.

All was quiet. Yan Huaijiao was nestled in the blankets on the inside of the big bed, breathing evenly, sleeping soundly and sweetly.

Cen Lingyi sat on the edge of the bed, embroidering a plate bag for him.

The pouch is similar to a purse, but slightly larger. Once it's embroidered and two straps are sewn on, it can be carried by the little one to hold some of his trinkets.

He will definitely like it.

This kind of thing is actually easy to buy at the market, and Yan Huaijiao doesn't lack it either.

But she still wanted to make it for the little one herself—that's what a mother should do.

She really enjoys the process of making things for the little one.

Before confirming that the little one was her child, she didn't like doing needlework and wasn't good at it.

Since staying by the little one's side, she has diligently learned needlework from Lingzhi and has already made two bibs for the little one.

This dish of naan was the first time she had ever tried making it.

Tonight, Yan Chenghui went to Qin Luoshui's place again.

This is the fourth night.

Qin Luoshui nearly injured Huai Jiao, but he didn't take it to heart at all. Instead, he went to Qin Luoshui's place that very night and stayed there for four days.

He is not worthy to be Huai Jiao's father.

Thinking of this, she turned to look at her sleeping son on the bed. The injury on her arm was still throbbing, and she sighed softly.

The candlelight flickered gently in the room as the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside.

Cen Lingyi looked up and saw Yan Chenghui, dressed neatly, walking in.

"Your Highness."

Cen Lingyi stood up, gave a perfunctory bow, and sat back down with her eyes lowered.

In the dead of night, why is he not with Qin Liangyuan, but here with her?

She didn't want to see him or talk to him.

It's annoying.

"What are you doing?"

Yan Chenghui approached and looked at what she was holding.

Cen Lingyi stepped back and whispered, "This is for Huai Jiao."

As soon as she said it, her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a sudden panic.

Given her status, she shouldn't address Huai Jiao that way.

Will Yan Chenghui become suspicious?

Her dark eyes darted around as she secretly observed his expression.

Yan Chenghui showed no unusual reaction and reached out to take the embroidery hoop from her hand.

On the plain blue satin, a cute and endearing Suanni is outlined with silver thread, surrounded by cloud patterns. It is both adorable and heroic, making it very pleasing.

She used to dislike doing needlework and other needlework, so when did she become so good at it?

"Are you sure it's for Huai Jiao?"

His gaze turned cold.

The only thing that could make her care so much is her own child, that bastard currently by Cen Wanrou's side!