Traveling through the Tang Dynasty: The Concubine Goes to War

After dealing with the traitor, Yunxi dragged her exhausted body back to the palace. She sat quietly on the chair, a trace of sadness on her face. Her eyes fell on the small rocking bed made of pear wood not far away.

On the small bed, the little prince was dancing his little hands and feet happily, curiously sticking out his little head, staring at her without blinking.

Yunxi slowly stood up, walked to the cradle with light steps. She bent down and whispered to the little prince: "Ruize, Ruize, why did your biological mother treat me like this..." At this moment, Yunxi's mind once again emerged with bits and pieces of the past. She recalled the parents of the original owner outside the palace - Yang Binghuai and his wife, and Ye Ling'er's adoptive parents. They had repeatedly told her to take good care of Ye Ling'er and her child.

These memories came flooding back to Yunxi's mind, causing her heartache. She wondered silently whether she had failed to live up to their expectations. Did she fail to fulfill her due responsibilities? She could not help but fall into deep self-blame. However, looking at the innocent little prince in front of her, a firm strength surged in Yunxi's heart. She knew that no matter how great the difficulties were, she had to face them bravely, for this lovely child and for those who had high hopes for her. Yunxi gently stroked the little prince's face, her eyes full of tenderness. "No matter what, I will protect you, Rui Ze." She vowed secretly.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of footsteps outside the door. Yunxi raised her head slightly and looked towards the door in the direction of the sound. She saw a woman dressed in palace maid's clothes, carefully holding a bowl of steaming porridge in her hand, slowly walking towards the house.

"Your Majesty, you have been tired all day. Please drink some hot porridge to warm your body." The palace maid spoke softly, placing the porridge gently on the table, and then a faint smile appeared on her face.

Yunxi raised her lips slightly, nodded gently, and then stood up and walked to the table. She stretched out her slender hands and steadily picked up the bowl of hot porridge. She first blew away the hot air on the surface, and then slowly tasted it. The porridge was thick and fragrant, and Yunxi's originally cold body gradually felt the warmth.

After Yunxi finished the whole bowl of porridge, she felt that her mood seemed to become a little more relaxed and happy. So, she sat back on the chair again and began to think about what to do next...

Yunxi knew that if she wanted to find out Ye Ling'er's true intentions and whether there were other forces behind her, she had to take a long-term view. Therefore, she decided to hold back and secretly send people to closely monitor Ye Ling'er's words and deeds. At the same time, she also began to actively collect more information about the internal situation of the palace.

During this process, Yunxi slowly discovered some jaw-dropping clues. What was surprising was that everything Ye Ling'er did was not her personal behavior, but was instigated by the Queen Mother! The Queen Mother was afraid that Yunxi would threaten Mei Fei's status after being favored by the Emperor, so she carefully planned this series of events.

Yunxi was heartbroken after knowing the truth. In her heart, the Queen Mother had always been a loving elder. She never dreamed that the culprit hiding behind the scenes and stirring up trouble was actually the Queen Mother herself.

At this point, Yunxi made up her mind to stand up and fight bravely. She wanted to rely on her intelligence and foresight to build her own power in the palace bit by bit.

The next day, Yunxi sent a eunuch to deliver a letter to Xiuzhen Palace, asking Ye Ling'er to come to Changle Palace.

Soon, Ye Ling'er hurried over with Xiao Cui's support. As soon as she came in, she bowed and said, "Greetings to Concubine Xi, sister is so anxious to find me, is there something wrong with the little prince..."

"The little prince is growing up healthily under the careful care of his wet nurse. Everything is going well! I asked you to come here today because I have something to verify with you." After Yunxi answered Ye Ling'er's question, he turned to Xiaohong and Xiaocui and said, "You can leave for now."

"Yes, we obey your command." Xiaohong and Xiaocui answered in unison and left the room together.

"Ling'er, I want to ask you, in your heart, how do I, your sister, treat you?" Yunxi asked in a tactful but meaningful tone.

Ye Ling'er seemed a little puzzled: "Sister is like a second parent to Ling'er, her kindness is as heavy as a mountain!"

"Haha, is that really the case? What a great favor! But is this really what you think in your heart?" Yunxi stared straight at Ye Ling'er, as if he wanted to see through her inner world.

Ye Ling'er was frightened by Yunxi's gaze. She slowly lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

"Raise your head and look directly at me!" Yunxi's voice suddenly became stern, with an unquestionable majesty.

Ye Ling'er trembled all over and had to slowly raise her head. However, when her eyes met Yunxi's sharp eyes, she couldn't help but lower her head again in guilt.

"Speak! Why did you instruct the palace maids to spread rumors and slander me for abusing the little prince? You even used money to bribe my maids! This is something I absolutely cannot tolerate!" Yunxi's voice was full of majesty and anger. She stared at Ye Ling'er in front of her with wide eyes, anger flashing in her eyes.

Ye Ling'er was so frightened when she heard this that her face turned pale, her legs softened, and she fell to her knees with a plop. With tears streaming down her face, she said in a trembling voice, "Sister, please stop talking... Ling'er knows that I have committed a grave sin, and I am sorry for you! You can punish me in any way you want, but please don't take your anger out on the little prince..."

Yunxi was about to respond when a loud shout came from outside the door: "The Emperor has arrived—" This sudden shout made the already tense atmosphere even more solemn...

As the emperor entered the palace, they both knelt down and saluted. The emperor's eyes swept over the two of them, and finally stopped at Ye Ling'er. He frowned and asked, "What happened here? It's so noisy."