Chapter 1264: Chapter 1264: Making Inquiries
Ying Luo was quite frightened.
"Your Highness The Princess, what are you thinking about? You wouldn’t be..."
A cold glimmer flashed in Yue Er’s eyes, her eyes slightly narrowed.
"Hmph!"
"Rest assured, I absolutely will not kill anyone lightly!"
Unless that person truly deserves it!
Otherwise... she would rather leave them to live like a dog.
After all, living like a dog is much more painful than dying quickly and happily.
Ying Luo breathed a sigh of relief.
"You gave me a fright!"
"Since we’re not playing to the death, Your Highness The Princess just give the word, whatever you want to do, I will accompany you all the way!"
Yue Er knocked on her head.
"Alright, hurry up and find me some clothes! My skin is starting to wrinkle!"
Ying Luo covered her head and hurriedly pleaded for mercy.
"Alright, alright, Your Highness The Princess, you are always right!"
"I’ll go get it for you right now, just you wait!"
With that, Ying Luo scurried out.
...
After bathing and changing clothes, she came out.
Yue Er tossed and turned on the bed all night and barely slept.
Luckily, the next day was a rest day.
She could go out and relax, so she took a deep breath and then fell asleep.
Early the next morning.
Yue Er woke up early, stretched lazily, then cuddled with the quilt and closed her eyes for a moment.
Thinking of yesterday’s matters, she couldn’t help but sigh.
"Father, oh Father, I hope you have not betrayed Mother, have not betrayed us!"
As she was thinking, Ying Luo peeked her head in from outside.
"Your Highness The Princess, you’re awake!"
Yue Er, feeling annoyed, couldn’t help but complain when she saw her enter.
"The sun is high and I haven’t woken up? Quickly bring in some water so I can wash my face!"
"Yes, yes, Your Highness The Princess!"
Ying Luo spoke as she directed the palace maids to bring in water to serve.
After washing and dressing, and having breakfast.
Yue Er walked towards the Eastern Palace with Ying Luo, unable to resist teasing her.
"You tell me, you’re almost ten years old, and you still can’t gather even a bit of information. I’m embarrassed for you!"
Ying Luo was a bit baffled.
"Your Highness The Princess, what information?"
"I may not be clever, but in this palace, there’s not much I can’t find out if I want to!"
Yue Er looked at her sideways, holding back a smile while maintaining a stern face.
"Oh?"
"But when I asked you to find out about Noble Concubine Shih, you said you didn’t know!"
Ying Luo was somewhat speechless.
"So that’s what you were curious about!"
"But, Your Highness The Princess, no one in the entire harem dares to gossip about this, and it’s difficult for me to inquire!"
Yue Er raised an eyebrow.
"So you still can’t find out, huh!"
Ying Luo was exasperated.
"Your Highness The Princess, you’re really putting me in a difficult position!"
Yue Er tilted her head.
"I don’t care, I don’t care about any difficult positions, nothing can stop me from knowing what I want to know!"
Ying Luo hesitated for a long time, contemplating back and forth, and finally nodded fiercely.
"Alright, alright! I have to think of a way!"
Yue Er finally chuckled.
"That’s more like it!"
"Don’t worry, I will give you my personal token. If anyone bullies you, just show this!"
"If they don’t know any better, this princess will make them regret it!"
Ying Luo’s eyes lit up when she heard this.
"Really?!"
Yue Er’s eyes sparkled brightly.
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"True!" Ying Luo muttered to herself.
"Alright!" Yue Er interrupted her.
She took off a translucent jade pendant from her body and placed it in Ying Luo’s hand, instructing her.
"Take this jade pendant with you!"
"Today it’s not early, I still need to find my brother and leave the palace, you’ll stay here and keep an eye out for news!"
"When I return, we will plan further!"
Ying Luo was a bit displeased that the princess was leaving her behind again.
But given how much the princess trusted her, she decided to forgive her.
"Alright, alright, go on!"
"I know what to do!"
Yue Er nodded, and patted her shoulder.
"You’re truly my dear sister!"
With that, she turned and left.
Ying Luo glared at her playfully, and after watching the princess leave, she too departed.
But she couldn’t help but feel a warm flow in her heart.
’Unexpectedly, the princess values friendship so dearly, one mustn’t disappoint her!’
...
That night, when Yue Er returned, it was already late.
Ying Luo, with the palace maids, had come out early to welcome her.
Having been tired all day, Yue Er bathed and changed clothes with the help of Wetnurse Sister.
After having dinner, she lay on the bed and fell asleep quickly.
In the following days, she was busy with her studies and school matters, so the princess had no time.
Ying Luo used this period to thoroughly gather all the rumors in the harem about Noble Concubine Shih.
Finally, during another rest day for the princess.
Ying Luo recounted in detail everything that happened in the harem these days, along with the news about Noble Concubine Shih, to Yue Er.
"Your Highness The Princess, these days Honored Lady Luo is indeed the only one favored in the harem!"
Yue Er was so startled she slapped the table.
"What about my mother the Empress?!"
Ying Luo hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"As for the Empress, the Emperor still visits her on the first and fifteenth of every month. But during normal days..."
Yue Er was furious.
"Vile woman! How dare she take my father away from us!"
Ying Luo quickly stepped forward to calm her.
"Your Highness The Princess, ultimately this harem belongs to the Emperor, please don’t speak this way!"
Even though Yue Er was only a few years old, she was not unfamiliar with the concept of a harem.
She knew since she was little that her father was different from others.
He had many more concubines than other men.
Later, as she grew up, she saw that her father always favored only her mother the Empress.
So gradually she forgot that her father was the Emperor.
Now, with other women in the harem gaining favor, Yue Er finally saw the real situation.
"Alright!"
"Let’s not mention this for now. Then... what exactly is going on with that Noble Concubine Shih?!"
She was very familiar with this woman.
But back then, she was too young and could only hear the name as a mere code, with no clue who she was.
Yue Er pondered deeply, yet couldn’t really remember!
"Never mind, just tell me directly what you’ve found out!"
Ying Luo, without any hesitation, briefly narrated the matters concerning Shih Wanxin.
There were mainly three points.
First: She is the Emperor’s cousin, and had a childhood bond with him, initially being greatly favored by the Emperor.
Second: Because of the Empress Dowager and the struggles in the harem, the Emperor gradually became displeased with her.
Third: Unwilling to be out of favor, she played some tricks on the Empress, which eventually led to the Emperor stripping her of her title, making her serve the Empress Dowager!
These three aspects precisely encompass the three life stages of Shih Wanxin.
"But... Your Highness The Princess!"
Ying Luo continued.
"Hmm?"
Lingering on the information, Yue Er lifted her head when called.
"What’s wrong?"
"These are also the current rumors circulating in the harem about Noble Concubine Shih!"
"Not to mention the absence of detailed facts, even the truth of it all is uncertain!"
