Chapter 258: Respective Ends

Respective Ends

Bai Meilan spoke very naturally. After her voice fell, she looked at Qin Yuxia again and then stepped forward to walk away. But Qin Yuxia didn't have a good temper, so upon hearing Bai Meilan say this, her face instantly darkened, and she reached out and pulled Bai Meilan:

"Bai Meilan, you stand still! What do you mean the situation has changed?! What exactly do you mean?!"

Qin Yuxia wanted to get to the bottom of it, but Bai Meilan clearly didn't want to say anything more. Seeing her like this, Qin Yuxia, who was already furious, instantly smiled, then lifted her chin, and with a smile on her face, said proudly and arrogantly:

"But forget it, if you don't want to say, I'm too lazy to ask... Anyway, tomorrow, I will enter the palace. By then, you walk your sunny path, and I'll cross my single-plank bridge; we won't see each other again! Hmph~!"

When she said this, Qin Yuxia was incredibly smug. That arrogant posture made it seem as if she were already in the imperial palace, covered in glory, and a noble lady. After she finished speaking, Qin Yuxia didn't even look at Bai Meilan and turned to leave first... Watching Qin Yuxia's demeanor, Bai Meilan wasn't angry at all; instead, she laughed:

"Hehe..."

Bai Meilan laughed very lightly, but it carried a trace of indescribable mockery. So, upon hearing that laughter, Qin Yuxia, who had already walked a few steps, instantly stopped in her tracks and turned around abruptly:

"Bai Meilan, what are you laughing at?"

Qin Yuxia looked displeased. Meeting her eyes, Bai Meilan still didn't stop laughing. At the same time, just as Qin Yuxia was about to say something, Bai Meilan walked over on her own and came directly in front of Qin Yuxia:

"Hehe~, what am I laughing at? What do you think I'm laughing at?"

She blocked Qin Yuxia with her opening words, and without waiting for Qin Yuxia to speak, Bai Meilan sneered again and said:

"Qin Yuxia, you're going to enter the palace, you're happy, right! But do you really think entering the palace is good?"

"...... What do you mean by that?!"

"Exactly what I said!"

"Bai Meilan, stop playing riddles with me! Hmph, I know, you're regretting it now, aren't you? But it's too late; since you've already said you're leaving, the Imperial Concubine won't agree to let you enter the palace anymore!"

"Regret?! What do I have to regret?! I think you're the one who should be regretting! As for that Imperial Concubine..."

Speaking of this, Bai Meilan deliberately paused, then took another step forward, coming straight in front of Qin Yuxia:

"Qin Yuxia, do you really think that Imperial Concubine likes you so much that she's bringing you into the palace to learn the rules?!"

Looking straight at Qin Yuxia, Bai Meilan said word by word, a trace of contempt flashing in her eyes:

"Qin Yuxia, do you know who that person you were just talking to is? That is the Zhang Guifei of yesteryear, the current Imperial Concubine, the most noble woman in the harem today! And what kind of place is the palace? That is a place that eats people without spitting out the bones; today you can be arrogant, but tomorrow you might die without a whole corpse, and you might not even know how you died! And do you know how long that Imperial Concubine has been in the palace?! You know, the once-unrivaled Empress Dowager Duan was so arrogant, yet she couldn't do anything to the Imperial Concubine, so do you really think she is that simple?! That kind? Kind enough to let you and me, two concubines, enter the palace to learn the rules?!"

"Hmph! Qin Yuxia, stop dreaming! To tell you the truth, whether you admit it or not, in the eyes of the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine, the only person who can enter the palace is Nie Jinxuan! And you and I are just concubines who are not even as good as servants! Even if Han Luoxue were still alive, I tell you, she would be no different from you and me! And if you don't believe me, think about it: have you ever heard of an imperial elder running to their nephew's residence just to chat and relieve boredom with their nephew's wife?!"

Word by word, Bai Meilan's words became increasingly sharp. Hearing this, Qin Yuxia, who had been very arrogant, was instantly stunned. But afterward, she couldn't help but retort:

"Th-then so what?! Anyway, the Imperial Concubine just said in front of everyone that I should enter the palace to learn the rules; she can't just say it and not do it!"

At this moment, although Qin Yuxia still said this, doubt had already arisen in her heart. And her words drew another sneer from Bai Meilan:

"Do it! Of course, she will do it, she might even be impatient to bring you into the palace! But whether it's learning the rules afterward, that's another matter~!"

"...... Y-you... what do you mean? I, I don't understand?"

"Don't understand?! If you don't understand, then use your brain! However, if you really can't think of it, let me remind you... In this palace, it looks glamorous on the surface, but in reality, a falling leaf can crush someone to death! And Nie Jinxuan is kind-hearted and can't bear to take action, but the Imperial Concubine is different! She is a woman who has lived in the palace for a lifetime. Now she says she's letting you learn the rules, but once you enter the palace, that's her territory. When the time comes, wanting to do something will be simpler than pinching an ant to death..."

Bai Meilan deliberately lowered her voice. After her voice fell, she looked at Qin Yuxia with a smile that wasn't a smile, and pursed her red lips:

"Actually, to tell the truth, I also fantasized about life in the imperial palace. Even without the Emperor's favor, I would still be a little mistress. If the Emperor bestowed favor one day, I might even be covered in glory and become a consort, and then I could let those family members who looked down on me see! It's a pity, although I really want to see those people looking up to me, the key is, compared to this glory, I care more about whether I can survive until that time... So Qin Yuxia, you'd better pray for yourself! I hope you can be infinitely glorious in the future~!"

Finishing the last sentence with a smile, Bai Meilan looked at Qin Yuxia's dumbfounded face again, and then walked away with a smile...

Although she came from a merchant background, Bai Meilan was absolutely a very clever woman. And although she didn't know what contentment was, she absolutely knew how to assess the situation! And just as Bai Meilan thought, early the next morning, someone from Zhang Guifei's side came.

The person who came was a young eunuch, not very old, but his airs were not small. Upon meeting, the young eunuch didn't talk nonsense and directly stated Zhang Guifei's rewards:

One thousand taels of gold, five thousand taels of silver, a two-courtyard residence outside the city, one hundred mu of fertile land, and in addition, two servants, two guards, and two maids!

Zhang Guifei's reward was generous enough. Although Bai Meilan knew Zhang Guifei would reward her, she didn't expect so much. Not only money, but also land and servants; let alone anything else, just these things alone were absolutely enough for Bai Meilan to live the rest of her life without doing anything!

So, after a moment of shock, Bai Meilan immediately knelt down to thank her with joy. At this moment, the young eunuch waved his hand, and then several palace servants walked over carrying the gold and silver, as well as the deeds to the house and land. At the same time, several young servants followed behind, looking like the ones just mentioned who were bestowed upon her.

Bai Meilan was overjoyed. After handling the affairs here, the young eunuch had people go find Qin Yuxia, but after searching the entire villa, they couldn't find Qin Yuxia's shadow!

……

Winter afternoon, inside the Xiangning Palace.

Today's lunch was a bit late, so Zhang Guifei was lazily leaning on a soft couch resting.

Ever since Yin Fengzhan ascended the throne, Zhang Guifei no longer lived in the Qianhe Palace, but had moved to the Xiangning Palace! Although the Xiangning Palace was also located in the back of the harem, the surroundings were very quiet, the environment was good, and there was a small garden next to it; let alone the previous Qianhe Palace, even ordinary places in the palace couldn't compare to it!

Of course, this was a matter of course. After all, now that Prince Chen, Yin Fengzhan, had ascended the throne, and Zhang Guifei was his aunt who had actually taken care of him like a mother for all these years, Yin Fengzhan naturally wouldn't treat her unfairly after ascending the throne! And the people in the palace naturally had eyes, so they served Zhang Guifei even more carefully.

The so-called "son relies on the mother for status"—this was the principle.

At this moment, Zhang Guifei was even more leisurely than leisurely. But just then, a young eunuch walked in from outside and whispered a few words in Yuzhu's ear, then retreated. After the young eunuch left, Yuzhu stepped forward to Zhang Guifei's side:

"Imperial Concubine, Little Dezi is back, the matter has been handled!"

Yuzhu spoke slowly. Hearing this, Zhang Guifei, leaning on the soft couch, smiled slightly, and still closed her eyes lazily:

"Heh~, that Bai girl is quite clever! But forget it, after all, she was once Zhan'er's person. Since she is clever enough, I naturally won't treat her unfairly... Oh, that's right, what about the other one? Was she brought in?"

The other one Zhang Guifei spoke of naturally referred to Qin Yuxia. But upon hearing this, Yuzhu shook her head:

"No, they said that Qin Yuxia actually ran away..."

"...... Ran away?!"

Clearly, Zhang Guifei hadn't expected things to turn out this way, so upon hearing Yuzhu's words, she was stunned and opened her eyes on her own. At this moment, Yuzhu also pursed her lips and explained slowly:

"Yes, Imperial Concubine, this servant heard from Little Dezi that he had searched the entire villa but couldn't find that Qin girl. Later, he caught the servants in the residence and found out that she had left quietly in the middle of the night last night. At the time, the people in the villa didn't know what was going on and didn't dare to stop her..."

Frowning, Yuzhu also felt that this Qin Yuxia was truly lacking in decorum, but now it wasn't just a matter of her running away. Moreover, Yuzhu had been by Zhang Guifei's side for so long that Yuzhu naturally understood Zhang Guifei's thoughts. So after her words fell, Yuzhu whispered:

"So, Imperial Concubine, what do you think about this matter..."

Although she understood, Yuzhu couldn't make the decision on her own. At this moment, Zhang Guifei, who had been silent, raised her gaze and laughed lightly:

"Ran away... I reckon that Bai girl must have said something to her in private, otherwise, with her stupid brain, she wouldn't have been able to figure it out! But the more critical point of this matter is that that Qin girl is too stupid and clumsy, yet she has been with Zhan'er. If that's the case, who knows what kind of trouble she might cause in the future! So..."

Speaking of this, Zhang Guifei paused and glanced at Yuzhu. Yuzhu immediately nodded in understanding:

"Yes, this servant understands. This servant will handle it immediately!"

"Hmm, remember, do it cleanly... That's right, it's best to handle it in another place, not in the capital. Otherwise, if that Jinxuan girl finds out, who knows, she might complain about me again! Sigh, I'm afraid of her now~! Hehe~"

Saying this, Zhang Guifei actually laughed. Then Yuzhu also smiled and said:

"Yes, rest assured, Imperial Concubine, this servant knows what to do!"

"That's good! Alright, it's boring to stay in the palace. In a while, pack up some things; I'm going to Jinxuan's place. This time, I'm going to stay for a few days, otherwise, this back-and-forth tossing is really troublesome~! Oh, that's right, by the way, call the one in Jilan Palace too, to save her from being bored staying in the palace alone..."

Zhang Guifei mentioned Prince Yun, Yin Fengjin's mother, Concubine Li. In fact, ever since Yin Fengzhan ascended the throne, Concubine Li no longer lived in the Qianxiu Palace, but had moved to the more spacious and better-environment Jilan Palace.

And for Concubine Li, she had attached herself to Empress Duan Yueshan for decades, living in constant fear and careful flattery, but in the end, Empress Dowager Duan didn't give her any benefits. But now, as soon as Yin Fengzhan ascended the throne, he took the initiative to change her palace, which naturally made Concubine Li's heart happy.

Of course, Yin Fengzhan doing this was not purely out of kindness. It was also a means of winning over people. It's just that the target wasn't Concubine Li, but Prince Yun, Yin Fengjin.

But no matter what, whether it was Yin Fengzhan's kindness or his methods, now both Concubine Li and Zhang Guifei's side, as well as Prince Yun, Yin Fengjin's side, were much closer to Yin Fengzhan, so overall, the result was good.

But at this moment, just as she finished speaking, Zhang Guifei shook her head again:

"Sigh, forget it, don't call her! Princess Yun has been married for several years, and there's no movement in her belly. If I call her now, I reckon she'll feel stifled when she sees Jinxuan! So I'll just go by myself~!"

Saying this, Zhang Guifei looked at Yuzhu, and Yuzhu immediately nodded with a smile:

"Yes~! This servant will arrange it immediately~!"

……

Actually, Nie Jinxuan was the first to notice Zhang Guifei's thoughts. And although she didn't approve of Zhang Guifei's approach, Nie Jinxuan ultimately didn't say anything. So she didn't ask about the subsequent matters.

Things just passed like that. But what Nie Jinxuan didn't expect was that on the evening of the day Qin Yuxia and Bai Meilan came to the residence, Yin Fengzhan, who had been busy day and night in the palace, actually returned!

It turned out that just after Qin Yuxia and Bai Meilan left, someone had sent the news into the palace. At the time, Yin Fengzhan was discussing state affairs with a group of ministers, but even so, upon hearing the news for the first time, Yin Fengzhan stood up immediately and returned directly to the residence.

Watching Yin Fengzhan just leave like that, the ministers present were quite frightened. One must know that for these days, although the ministers were exhausted by Yin Fengzhan's day-and-night busyness with state affairs, and some of the older ones were nearly collapsing from exhaustion, at the same time, Yin Fengzhan's ability in state affairs made everyone admire him! Even setting aside Yin Fengzhan's status as emperor, they followed his lead!

So, watching the usually serious Yin Fengzhan just leave like that, everyone felt that some earth-shattering event had occurred. But afterward, they learned that Yin Fengzhan had actually returned to the residence, and the ministers were left dumbfounded.

Fortunately, the ministers all knew Yin Fengzhan's temperament, thinking that something must have happened to the designated Empress, which was why the Emperor acted this way. So after a brief surprise, they calmed down. And considering that it would take some time after returning to the residence, Yin Fengzhan simply gave the ministers a half-day holiday before leaving. Upon hearing this news, the ministers were overjoyed!

One must know that these ministers had been handling state affairs with Yin Fengzhan in the palace for many days! And during these days, the ministers ate in the palace, lived in the palace, and worked the moment they opened their eyes, so how could they not be happy about a holiday?!

The ministers were happy and ran home from the palace, while Yin Fengzhan went directly out of the palace and returned to the Wangfu. And for Nie Jinxuan, although she didn't know the details, she could guess the general idea. So seeing Yin Fengzhan return, Nie Jinxuan was both moved and heartbroken.

After meeting, intimacy between Yin Fengzhan and Nie Jinxuan was inevitable. But afterward, Yin Fengzhan asked Nie Jinxuan about Qin Yuxia and Bai Meilan, and Nie Jinxuan answered truthfully. Upon hearing that Zhang Guifei had taken action, Yin Fengzhan finally felt at ease.

"Hmm, it is indeed better for Aunt to come forward for this matter."

Yin Fengzhan was also a man of extreme shrewdness, so upon hearing Nie Jinxuan say that Zhang Guifei was going to bring the two into the palace, he understood immediately. Of course, Yin Fengzhan also knew that Nie Jinxuan was soft-hearted, so he changed the subject and talked about other things.

That night, Yin Fengzhan stayed at the Chen Wangfu. Having not seen each other for many days, the two naturally had a lot to say. Yin Fengzhan even mentioned some difficulties he encountered in government affairs to Nie Jinxuan, and Nie Jinxuan helped him devise strategies and thought of many ideas. Listening to Nie Jinxuan's suggestions, Yin Fengzhan couldn't help but feel enlightened!

Just like that, the two chatted for a long time, and finally, considering that Nie Jinxuan was pregnant, they went to sleep. Early the next morning, Yin Fengzhan rarely slept in and got up with Nie Jinxuan. But just as the two had finished tidying up, Zhongli walked in from outside and stepped forward to whisper:

"Reporting to the Emperor, news just arrived that the Xidi Kingdom is moving and is gathering troops to head toward our Dongling border." ===== CHAPTER 259 =====