Traveling through the Tang Dynasty: The Concubine Goes to War

Just as Ye Ling'er was immersed in the infinite pride of regaining the emperor's favor, other concubines also came to her. Even Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen came to curry favor with her.

Ye Ling'er knew clearly that these people were just eyeing her current favored position and wanted to use her to climb up the ladder! But she did not show any displeasure and continued to greet them with a smile. After all, more friends mean more paths, so there was no need to make enemies for herself.

That day, Ye Ling'er was strolling around the palace when she had nothing to do. She walked to the Imperial Garden. As soon as she entered, she heard a burst of laughter coming from not far away. After listening carefully, she found that it was Concubine Mei and Concubine Zhu. Concubine Zhu asked, "Sister, can we really get any benefit by trying to please Concubine Ye Shu like this?"

Mei Fei chuckled and said disdainfully: "You are such a fool! Now the emperor favors only Ye Shufei, and she is the biological mother of the little prince. If we can hold on to her thighs, we can naturally gain a foothold in this harem!"

Ye Ling'er couldn't help but laugh after hearing this. It turned out that these two people didn't really want to curry favor with her, but had their own purpose. It seemed that there was no such thing as pure friendship in the harem, and everything was driven by interests. But she didn't care. As long as she could keep her position, other things didn't matter.

Ye Ling'er decided to continue eavesdropping on their conversation to see what else she could hear. Zhu Cairen said, "But sister, I always feel that it is better to rely on ourselves than on others. We still have to find a way to gain favor." Mei Fei nodded, "You have a point, but the most important thing at the moment is to win over Ye Shufei first. When the time is right, it won't be too late to find a way."

Ye Ling'er thought to herself that these two people were quite scheming, but she would not let them succeed easily. As she was thinking, she suddenly heard a cough behind her. She turned around and saw that it was the emperor!

The emperor came over with a smile, "I just passed by here and heard you guys chatting, so I came to see you." Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen hurriedly bowed, "Your Highness!" Ye Ling'er also hurriedly bowed, but she was a little confused. Why did the emperor suddenly appear here? Was he deliberately testing her?

She secretly glanced at the emperor, only to see that his eyes were gentle and he didn't seem angry. The emperor helped Ye Ling'er up and said, "My beloved concubine, there is no need to be so polite." Then he said to Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen, "You all should stand up too."

Seeing this, Ye Ling'er hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be blessed with good health. Today is a sunny day, so I thought of taking a stroll in the Imperial Garden, but I didn't expect to run into Concubine Mei and Lady Zhu."

The emperor nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Well, such a beautiful scenery is perfect for a walk. My beloved concubine, you have come at the right time. Please walk with me." After that, he looked at Concubine Mei and Concubine Zhu, "You can come too."

Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen looked at each other, secretly delighted, and quickly responded, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The four of them strolled in the Imperial Garden together. The Emperor walked side by side with Ye Ling'er, occasionally talking in low voices, and the atmosphere was harmonious. Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen followed carefully behind, looking for opportunities to interrupt.

After walking for a while, the emperor suddenly stopped and pointed to a plum tree not far away and said, "My beloved, look how beautiful the plum blossoms are."

Ye Linger looked in the direction of his finger and saw plum blossoms blooming on the plum tree. It was indeed beautiful and moving. "Your Majesty is right. This plum blossom is proud of the snow and frost and blooms alone. It is truly a gentleman among flowers."

The emperor smiled and said, "Yes, although the plum blossom is inconspicuous, it has the quality of perseverance. Just like the women in the palace, although they live in a prosperous place, there are also some tenacious people." He turned his head to look at Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen, "You two are also like these plum blossoms, each with its own merits. If you can live in harmony like you do today in the future, and assist the queen in managing the harem together, it will be a great achievement."

Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen quickly knelt down to thank the emperor, "I will follow the emperor's instructions."

Ye Ling'er watched from the side, knowing that the emperor was warning them and hinting that she should be lenient. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I will work together with my sisters to help you."

The emperor nodded with satisfaction and continued to walk forward. Along the way, he chatted and laughed with Ye Ling'er, not noticing that he had neglected Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen behind him. Ye Ling'er was secretly happy, it seemed that her position in the emperor's heart was becoming more and more stable. While chatting with the emperor, she paid attention to the expressions of Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen. A trace of jealousy flashed in Mei Fei's eyes, while Zhu Cairen lowered her head, not knowing what she was thinking.

At this time, the emperor suddenly asked, "What interesting things have happened in the palace recently?" Ye Ling'er rolled her eyes and replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, I heard that the imperial kitchen has recently developed a new kind of cake, which tastes very good."

The emperor asked with great interest, "Oh? What kind of cake is it?" Ye Ling'er pretended to be mysterious and said, "I have only heard about it. You will know what it looks like after Your Majesty tastes it yourself."

The emperor laughed, "Very good! I must try this novel pastry someday." Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen also took the opportunity to agree, "I have also heard about this. The pastry is indeed delicious." The emperor turned his head and looked at them, "In this case, you can also try it, and by the way, tell the imperial chef who made this pastry in the imperial kitchen that I am very interested in his craftsmanship." Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen hurriedly thanked them, secretly happy in their hearts that they finally found an opportunity to please the emperor. Ye Ling'er looked at the happy expressions of Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen, and couldn't help but sneer in her heart. She knew what these two people were planning. However, she didn't care, because she was confident enough to deal with their tricks.

After they strolled around the Imperial Garden for a while, the Emperor left on the pretext of having something to do. After Mei Fei and Zhu Cairen saw the Emperor off, they turned and walked towards Ye Ling'er.

"Sister, thank you for mentioning that pastry in front of the emperor just now, otherwise we would not have had the chance." Zhu Cairen said with a smile.

Ye Ling'er responded calmly: "You are too polite, sister. It's just a coincidence."

Mei Fei said, "Then let's go and try the cake together, and visit the imperial chef while we're at it."

Ye Ling'er thought that this was a good opportunity to see what tricks they were up to, so she agreed.

The three of them went to the imperial kitchen and tasted the new cake. As expected, it was delicious and left a lasting impression.

Zhu Cairen praised the chef highly and said to him, "The emperor is very interested in your cooking skills. You are really amazing!"

The imperial chef replied in panic: "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. This is what I should do."

Mei Fei smiled and said, "If you have any new dishes in the future, please remember to inform us."

The royal chef nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Ye Ling'er watched coldly from the sidelines, knowing that these two people wanted to gain more favor from the emperor through the imperial kitchen. However, she would not let them succeed so easily...