Chapter 155: Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law

Upon hearing that the Ninth Prince was going to accompany Kangxi to inspect Beiwu Village, Yan Yan actually calmed down considerably. Seeming to realize that she had no one left to rely on, she resigned herself to her fate with a sense of fatalism. This amused the Ninth Prince quite a bit. In truth, the Ninth Prince was not too worried about Yan Yan meeting his birth mother, Noble Consort Yi. Even though he knew his mother was not particularly fond of Yan Yan, he believed that Yan Yan possessed a peculiar knack for turning decay into magic.

Of course, the Ninth Prince also knew that even if Noble Consort Yi’s perception of Yan Yan remained unchanged by the end of the visit, she would not make things too difficult for her. After all, since Kangxi had just evaluated Yan Yan favorably, Noble Consort Yi would still have to save some face for the Emperor.

Thus, on the auspicious day of the sixteenth day of the eleventh month, the Ninth Prince and Yan Yan split up. Yan Yan took He Xuan'er to the Garden of Joyful Spring to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and Noble Consort Yi, while the Ninth Prince joined his brothers and ministers to accompany Kangxi as he set off for Beiwu Village.

The Garden of Joyful Spring was very close to the Garden of Rosy Clouds, so Yan Yan and He Xuan'er arrived quickly. Along the way, He Xuan'er was extremely nervous, tugging at Yan Yan and asking questions endlessly. In the end, Yan Yan could only laugh helplessly and said, "Xuan'er, please stop asking me questions. I've never been to the Garden of Joyful Spring either. Let's just wander around blindly and see if we can stumble upon a lucky break."

Hearing this, He Xuan'er couldn't help but chuckle. "You are truly witty, Side Consort. Even at a time like this, you still have the mood to joke." Yan Yan curled her lip, thinking to herself that she would love to cry too, but the occasion simply didn't permit it.

Fortunately, no sooner had their carriage stopped at the gates of the Garden of Joyful Spring than Noble Consort Yi sent someone to escort them in. Yan Yan had naturally prepared red envelopes, and Cui'er, ever sharp, discreetly tipped everyone involved so that every person was properly placated. This made Yan Yan realize that Cui'er's skill points were actually higher than her own; after all, in all this time, she had never once seen Cui'er make a mistake.

It was not until they were almost at Noble Consort Yi's residence that Yan Yan was informed that the Empress Dowager was feeling somewhat indisposed today and would not be seeing her. Consequently, the primary mission of Yan Yan's trip to the imperial enclave became introducing He Xuan'er to Noble Consort Yi.

From the moment she stepped into Noble Consort Yi's courtyard, He Xuan'er grew exceptionally cautious. Every word and action conformed strictly to the rules, earning a mental thumbs-up from Yan Yan. In the end, Yan Yan instructed He Xuan'er to wait outside the hall while she went in alone to pay her respects to Noble Consort Yi.

"This concubine pays her respects to Your Ladyship. May Your Ladyship be blessed with auspicious fortune!" As soon as Yan Yan entered Noble Consort Yi's grand hall, her eyes fell upon the Eighth Prince's Primary Consort sitting beside Noble Consort Yi. A bitter taste welled up in her heart, but she still executed a standard curtsy. However, Noble Consort Yi and the Primary Consort of the Eighth Prince were apparently chatting so happily that they failed to hear her greeting. Yan Yan was thus left stranded in a half-squatting, suspended posture.

Yan Yan felt a surge of anger. She bit her lower lip, her mind echoing with the sentiment that women should not make things difficult for other women. She told herself to hold out for just three minutes; if Noble Consort Yi still hadn't told her to rise by then, she would simply stand up on her own.

Yet, Yan Yan never imagined that this half-squat would last a full quarter of an hour. Her legs grew completely numb, and Noble Consort Yi showed no intention of letting her off the hook. Several times Yan Yan prepared to rise, only to hear a cold hum from Noble Consort Yi's head administrative maid. What could Yan Yan do? Accept the punishment, of course. She had to let Noble Consort Yi vent her spleen.

Fortunately, after a quarter of an hour, the Eighth Prince's Primary Consort finally spoke up. "Oh my, so it's Side Consort Yan. Look at me, I was so busy talking to my aunt that I didn't even notice you."

Noble Consort Yi chuckled. "You child, you're all grown up yet you still lack proper decorum." With that, she cast another glance at Yan Yan and said with a smile, "Get up. You rendered meritorious service in caring for Yingtong this time; this palace should reward you."

Yan Yan slowly straightened up, her face devoid of any trace of dissatisfaction, and replied, "Your Ladyship is too kind. This was only what Yan Yan ought to do."

Seeing Yan Yan's demeanor, Noble Consort Yi narrowed her eyes slightly.

Yan Yan paid it no mind. She took a brocade box from Cui'er's hands and presented it with a smile to the senior maid standing nearby. "Reporting to Your Ladyship, His Highness specially instructed this concubine to bring this inside to honor Your Ladyship. Please take a look and see if it is to your liking."

Although Noble Consort Yi was displeased with Yan Yan, she doted deeply on her son, the Ninth Prince. She reached out and opened the modest brocade box, only to find it filled to the brim with shimmering, brilliant gemstones. Her eyes widened in astonishment.

Yan Yan spoke up from the side, "His Highness specially sought these out from the Westerners, thinking they would make the finest jewelry for Your Ladyship." In truth, the gemstones had been half-bought and half-snatched by Yan Yan from Anna. When she first acquired them, Yan Yan hadn't figured out what to do with them; she had simply acted on her habit of buying anything capable of appreciation. Who could have anticipated that Noble Consort Yi would summon her? Thus, she simply presented them in the Ninth Prince's name.

It wasn't that Yan Yan practiced good deeds without leaving her name; rather, she knew that if she offered them in her own name, Noble Consort Yi probably wouldn't appreciate them. Sure enough, Noble Consort Yi was exceedingly fond of the box of gems and immediately smiled at the Eighth Prince's Primary Consort. "This Yingtong knows best how to please me. No matter where he goes, he always remembers to bring me gifts."

Hearing this, Yan Yan curled her lip slightly, though she quickly concealed it. Perhaps mollified by the gemstones, Noble Consort Yi made things no further difficult for Yan Yan and instead decreed, "I have heard that your culinary skills are exceptionally fine. Stay today and prepare a midday meal for this palace." Then, she looked at the Eighth Prince's Primary Consort. "You stay as well. You haven't come into the palace to dine with me for so long; I've missed you quite a bit."

The Eighth Prince's Primary Consort immediately beamed. "Naturally. Side Consort Yan's culinary skills are praised by everyone. If my elder cousin hadn't discovered this treasure first, I truly would have liked to invite her to my manor to cook exclusively."

The corners of Yan Yan's mouth curved upward slightly. Looking directly at the Eighth Prince's Primary Consort, she replied with poised grace, "Thank you, Primary Consort, for your high regard. To be so valued by you is my honor." Yan Yan thought to herself that such petty games were truly childish. Did making her cook a meal somehow demonstrate that they were superior beings? She knew these people intended to humiliate her through this, but she felt not a flicker of anger—and even if she had been angry, she would never have shown it here.

Noble Consort Yi looked upon Yan Yan's reaction with utter disdain and waved a hand. "Very well, you may go. Send He Xuan'er in to see me."

Only then did Yan Yan bow once more and follow one of Noble Consort Yi's maids toward the small kitchen.

Along the way, the young maid glanced at Yan Yan several times, thinking that this side consort was the strangest person alive. It was completely obvious that their mistress was deliberately picking a bone with her—had she really failed to notice? Yet this side consort had painstakingly inquired about what their mistress loved to eat and proceeded to prepare dishes that were both fragrant and visually stunning. The young maid tilted her head, pondering for half a day without figuring it out. Naturally, her perplexity was shared by everyone else, so much so that when Kangxi returned to the Garden of Joyful Spring that evening, he immediately heard reports of the day's events.

Upon listening to the secret guards' debriefing, Kangxi tapped his finger on the table. After a long silence, he gave a light chuckle. "I bear no grudges, nor do I seek revenge... This girl is truly an interesting creature."

Li Dequan, standing nearby, also smiled and said, "Indeed. Side Consort Yan even gave this slave a set of glassware, saying it was for brewing tea for His Majesty."

Kangxi was momentarily startled, then finally offered a helpless, quiet smile.