Traveling through the Tang Dynasty: The Concubine Goes to War

Mei Fei instructed the guards on both sides with a sharp look to bring Yunxi before the emperor, and then quickly put on a pitiful and lovable look, saying in a tender voice: "Your Majesty, you have to make the decision for me!"

When the emperor saw this scene, he roughly guessed what was going on. Needless to say, it must be another incident caused by the women in the harem competing for favor. He couldn't help but frowned slightly and asked in a somewhat unhappy tone: "What happened?"

Concubine Mei raised her head with tears in her eyes and pointed her trembling finger at Yunxi who was standing beside her. She said in a choked voice: "She...she took advantage of my absence and had the audacity to come and steal the invaluable jade bracelet that Your Majesty bestowed upon me." After saying that, she lowered her head again and sobbed softly, as if she had suffered great injustice.

The emperor looked at Yunxi, "Mengxi, is what she said true?"

"Your Majesty, do you believe what she said?" Yunxi looked directly at the emperor and asked.

Of course the emperor would not believe it. Yang Yunxi certainly had no shortage of treasures. However, at this moment, she entered the palace as Yang Mengxi, and Mei Yingluo didn't know her background.

The emperor's mind raced as he tried to come up with a foolproof plan...

"Theft can be a big or small matter. If this is true, I will punish them severely; but if there is any misunderstanding, a good person should not be wrongly accused." The emperor looked at Yunxi, a complicated look flashing in his eyes.

Yunxi's heart moved, she knew that the emperor was giving her a chance. So, she said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Your Majesty is wise. Although I have not been in the palace for a long time, I also know the rules of the palace. How could I do such a stupid thing? I hope the emperor can see clearly."

When Concubine Mei heard Yunxi's explanation, she cried even more sadly: "Your Majesty, please don't be deceived by her sweet words! I have always regarded this bracelet as a treasure. I have carefully kept it and was reluctant to wear it. She must have heard that the emperor rewarded me with many treasures, so she became greedy."

The emperor frowned even more after hearing this, staring at Yang Yunxi, and asked sternly: "Yang Mengxi, why are you in Yimei Garden?"

Yunxi was calm and composed, and answered calmly, "I am leaving on the orders of the Queen Mother..." Her voice was soft but firm, as if she had been prepared.

"Oh? Your mother ordered you to go? What's the matter?" The emperor frowned slightly, obviously a little surprised by this answer. He looked at Yang Yunxi, waiting for her further explanation.

Yang Yunxi took a deep breath, turned her gaze to Mei Yingluo beside her, and then said slowly: "The Queen Mother heard that Concubine Mei was unwell, and knew that I had some knowledge of medicine, so she sent me to visit her." Her words were clear and convincing.

There was a hint of doubt in the emperor's eyes, but he continued to ask: "If that's the case, why didn't you see Concubine Mei herself?"

Yang Yunxi looked at Mei Yingluo again, with a hint of helplessness in her eyes, and continued, "After I entered Yimei Garden, I did not see Concubine Mei. Instead, her maid forced a bracelet on me, and then ordered the guards to bring me to His Majesty..." Her voice was slightly low, as if with a hint of grievance.

The emperor's face turned gloomy. He turned to look at Mei Yingluo and asked, "Mei Fei, is this true?"

Mei Yingluo's heart tightened, and she knelt down and kowtowed, explaining, "Your Majesty, I was indeed ill today and was unable to personally welcome Sister Mengxi. As for the palace maid's behavior, I was not aware of it! It must have been that girl who acted on her own initiative. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

The emperor's eyes moved back and forth between the two of them, and he fell into deep thought for a moment.

At this time, Aunt Liu beside the Empress Dowager came in, saluted to the Emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, I am here to summon you on the orders of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager heard that Concubine Mei was unwell, so she sent you to visit her, but she didn't expect it to cause misunderstandings."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor slowly said to Concubine Mei: "Since it is a misunderstanding, just clear it up. Concubine Mei, if you are not feeling well, go back to the palace and rest!"

Then he said to Aunt Liu, "I will go to Yongshou Palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager later. You report back to the Queen Mother."

"Mengxi, please stay. I have something to tell you." The emperor finally said to Yunxi.

After Concubine Mei and Nanny Liu left, the emperor stared at Yunxi and said, "I have roughly understood the matter of the jade bracelet. I know whether it is a misunderstanding or not, but you have to be more careful in the future." There was a hint of concern in the emperor's tone.

Yunxi said softly: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I understand."

The emperor paused, then continued, "I have one more thing to ask you. I plan to confer a title on you soon. Regarding the question of where to live, do you want to continue living in your mother's Yongshou Palace, or do you have another vacant palace in mind that you like?"

After hearing this, Yunxi thought carefully for a while, and then replied softly: "I want to move to Changle Palace, which is closer to the East Palace. I wonder if this is feasible?"

The emperor nodded slightly to show his approval. He said in a gentle tone: "Well, that's very good. However, I hope you can remember that from now on, your new identity is the newly promoted concubine Yang Mengxi, and no longer my former favorite concubine Yang Yunxi. In this palace, it is best to be cautious in what you say and do."

Yunxi quickly lowered her head and said respectfully, "I will keep the emperor's teachings in mind." There was a hint of firmness in her voice.

The emperor looked at the pleasing woman in front of him, and couldn't help but feel a little pity in his heart. He said softly, "Okay, you can go back first." After that, he waved his hand, signaling Yunxi to leave.

Yunxi slowly stood up, saluted the emperor, and then turned and left. Her steps were light and graceful, like a dancing butterfly.

However, only she herself knew that her heart was not as calm as it appeared on the surface. Although the emperor's words were gentle, the warning contained in them could not be ignored by her.

She understood that in this palace, one wrong step could lead to multiple wrong steps, and she had to remain vigilant at all times to survive in this complex environment.

She had just walked out of the gate of Xingqing Palace when she ran into a young maid who was walking towards her in a panic. Yunxi took a closer look and recognized her as a maid from Xiuzhen Palace. She had a bad feeling and asked hurriedly, "How is your master?"

The maid also saw Yunxi clearly at this time, "My mistress has a stomachache now, I am afraid she is about to give birth... My mistress ordered me to find you, I have been looking for you everywhere but couldn't find you, and I was just about to report to the emperor."

Hearing what the maid said, Yunxi hurriedly followed her to Xiuzhen Palace...