The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

When Ye Xin opened her eyes, she saw Wei Yanwan sobbing by the bedside.

She propped herself up, and Wei Yanwan exclaimed in surprise, "You're awake?" She hurriedly poured a bowl of water and was about to feed her.

She took a few sips of tea from the bowl, and seeing that Wei Yanwan still had tear stains on her face and was sobbing, she weakly cursed, "I'm not dead yet, what are you wailing about?"

Wei Yanwan hurriedly wiped away her tears, but the more she wiped, the more she couldn't stop them: "It's all my fault for dragging you down..."

Ye Xin said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense! It's not your fault."

Just then, the curtain was lifted, and a young palace maid peeked in.

Wei Yanwan exclaimed in surprise, "Chun Chan? What brings you here?"

Ye Xin felt that the young palace maid looked familiar and said, "Your friend? Let her in."

Chun Chan then entered, first bowing to Ye Xin, then grasping Wei Yanwan's hands urgently, saying, "I heard you were bullied, why didn't you say so sooner?"

Wei Yanwan simply sighed.

Ye Xin looked closely at Chun Chan's face and suddenly remembered that although she was younger, her face clearly showed that she was the palace maid who came out to scold her when she went to provoke Consort Ling in the dream.

She was terrified and hurriedly asked Chun Chan, "Whom do you serve?"

Chun Chan was completely confused: "This servant works in the Four Treasurys, not in the Six Palaces."

An idea suddenly popped into Ye Xin's mind.

Could Wei Yanwan be Consort Ling?

She recalled the dream and asked Wei Yanwan, "Do you have a brother in your family?"

Wei Yanwan didn't know why Ye Xin suddenly asked this question, but she still honestly replied, "Yes, this servant has a younger brother named Zuolu, who is good for nothing."

She was startled to see Ye Xin fall backward as if all her strength had been suddenly drained away: "Miss Ye Xin, what's wrong?"

Ye Xin closed her eyes, and after a long while, she finally said, "So it was you, it was you..."

She turned to Wei Yanwan and said, "I'm fine. Remember, when the people from the Accounting Department come to question you, you must answer them properly. Don't be afraid. Her Majesty the Empress is like a Bodhisattva; she will stand up for us."

At that moment, Zhao Yitai's voice came from outside the door: "Her Majesty the Empress has summoned the palace maid Wei Yanwan to Changchun Palace for questioning."

Wei Yanwan was surprised that the Empress herself had inquired about this matter, and she rose up in fear and trepidation to look at Ye Xin.

Ye Xin said, "Go."

Wei Yanwan was led into Changchun Palace by Zhao Yitai.

She had never been to Changchun Palace before, but she felt that although it was the Empress's residence, it was completely different from the extravagance of Qixiang Palace and Zhongcui Palace. The palace was simply and unpretentiously furnished. Behind a four-panel screen painted with landscapes, there was only an antique rosewood kang table on the kang, on which sat a straight-mouthed vase with Jun glaze and a bunch of pink jasmine flowers. Beside it was a black lacquered wooden clock with gold trim, a blue and white plum vase with a withered tree and birds, and some other light-colored furnishings. On the other side was an antique-style Boshan incense burner, from which the fragrance wafted. There was also a wooden shelf with a bonsai of a floating immortal and a jade unicorn spitting out a book.

The most eye-catching thing is an ice chest in front of the kang (a heated brick bed). It is made of cypress wood and has lead paint on the four sides. It is divided into compartments and drawers. The bottom is filled with ice blocks, and fruit plates and ice bowls are placed in the small compartments.

Her anxious heart gradually calmed down in the fragrant and cool air.

When Yingluo asked her about the events at Qixiang Palace these past few days, she recounted how she had been bullied and humiliated, answering all the questions one by one. She then rolled up her sleeves, displaying her injuries to everyone.

The Empress then ordered that Consort Jia, Zhenshu, and Lixin be summoned.

Upon seeing the three people, Wei Yanwan was immediately overcome with fear, and her legs trembled uncontrollably. But when she thought of Ye Xin still lying in bed and the old woman from the flower room who had been slapped, and when she recalled Ye Xin's words, she mustered her courage and, ignoring their threatening looks, pointed out the three people.

Jin Yuyan said, "Oh dear, Your Majesty, this lowly servant is a troublemaker. She was kicked out of Zhongcui Palace by Consort Chun before, and then she tried to seduce the Emperor. Look at her face, so seductive and alluring, just like that commoner Ulanara. How can you believe her words?"

Wei Yanwan knelt down in a panic and said, "Your Majesty, everything I said is true. Yesterday, so many people were watching in the flower room. They can all testify to it!"

The Empress said in a deep voice, "Consort Jia has been outrageous! In front of everyone, you have tarnished the reputation of a palace maid. Do you know your crime?"

Jin Yuyan sneered, "Oh dear, I didn't wrong her! Your Majesty, you should ask her yourself, wasn't she punished by Consort Chun? Didn't she repeatedly try to talk to the Emperor?"

Wei Yanwan was about to defend herself when she heard the Empress say, "When the Emperor encounters a palace maid asking him questions, can the maid not answer? You should know that rumors can spread like wildfire and can destroy a person. If you continue to make baseless accusations like this, I will first punish you for defamation!"

At this moment, Zhao Yitai presented two documents: "Your Majesty, these are the testimonies of the flower room attendants, Mei Jia and Ye Xin. They both stated that on the sixteenth of July, Consort Jia came to the flower room and ordered people to beat them. Mei Jia also stated that since the eleventh of July, Consort Jia had often kept the palace maid Wei Yanwan, who was responsible for delivering flowers, in the palace. After the thirteenth of July, she even sent the head palace maid Zhenshu or Lixin to the flower room to summon Wei Yanwan. The palace maid Wei Yanwan left at dawn every day and did not return until 9 PM. Because Mei Jia was in charge of the lights, she often saw her. Sometimes her hair was disheveled and she walked unsteadily. She asked Wei Yanwan about it, but Wei Yanwan seemed very afraid and dared not say much."

Mingyu also came in and presented a document: "Your Majesty, this is the statement obtained by the Accounting Department after questioning the maids and eunuchs of Qixiang Palace. One of the maids, Chen Zhen, testified that since July 11th, Consort Jia had sent the maid Wei Yanwan to Qixiang Palace every night to commit acts of abuse. Another eunuch named Ding Xiu, who swept the passageway near Qixiang Palace, testified that the maid Wei Yanwan would arrive at Qixiang Palace at the end of the morning hour every day."

The Empress said, "Show these testimonies to Consort Jia." She then turned to Jin Yuyan and asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"

Consort Jia's face paled slightly, and she argued, "I punished the Flower Room Nurse because she was abusing her seniority, and I punished Ye Xin because she was disrespectful. As for Wei Yanwan, she is just a palace maid. Your Majesty would not hold me accountable for her crimes, would you? Is Your Majesty being kind to your subordinates, or is she using this as an excuse to attack your rivals?"

When Yanwan heard the Empress call out "Yingluo," she heard the head palace maid Yingluo say, "Let me remind Consort Jia of some past events. At the end of the thirteenth year of Yongzheng's reign, a commoner named Keliyete, because of a slight displeasure with the palace maid Yexin, tortured the maid and delayed her treatment, causing Yexin to almost die. After the Emperor and Empress learned of this, they demoted Keliyete to the rank of concubine because of her cruelty and lack of benevolence."

From then on, this commoner, Keliyete, harbored resentment towards the Empress. When the Second Prince fell ill with a cough, she attempted to harm him with reeds. After the plot was exposed, she was demoted to a palace maid. Still unwilling to give up, she took poison after becoming pregnant, trying to frame the Empress. This caused her son, the Fifth Prince, to be born prematurely and become weak, and she was thus banished to the Cold Palace.

Now the evidence is conclusive; it is clear that Consort Jia committed the abusive act first, then publicly beating the palace servants without regard for decorum, and now she is questioning the Empress in this way. This servant wonders if Consort Jia, like the commoner Keliyete, is dissatisfied with the Empress because the Empress wants to handle the matter fairly?

When Wei Yanwan heard that Ye Xin had such a past, she couldn't help but feel sad for her.

Consort Jia dared not answer.

The Empress said in a deep voice, "There are many taboos around the Ghost Festival, not to mention that the Princess is currently suffering from a cold and is bedridden. It is the time for her to rest and recuperate. Consort Jia, you have beaten the palace servants and made a scene in the flower room."

Furthermore, the Northern tribes submitted to our Great Qing as early as the reign of Emperor Taizong. The current Emperor is renowned for his benevolence, yet it is lamentable that Consort Jia, as a noblewoman from the Northern tribe, who is constantly by the Emperor's side, has not learned any of his benevolence. She arbitrarily beats and bullies the palace maids and nannies of the Eight Banners, thus tarnishing the Emperor's sagacity. Zhenshu, as Consort Jia's dowry maid, instead of offering advice, leads the way in such absurd and cruel acts, blatantly defying the Emperor's will.

"In that case, Zhenshu should no longer remain in the Qing Dynasty. She shall be expelled from the palace and sent back to her northern tribe. Ye Xin has indeed offended you with her words; she shall be fined half a year's salary. Consort Jia shall be confined to her quarters for one month to reflect on her actions. Her decision will be made by the Emperor upon his return."

Zhenshu was so frightened by the judgment of "disobeying the king's rule" that she knelt down. After hearing the empress's words, her face turned ashen, and she kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! Please, Your Majesty, do not let me leave my mistress!"

Consort Jia suddenly stood up, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, Zhenshu was my dowry maid. If you want to punish her, then punish her as well. I only beg Your Majesty not to let Zhenshu return to her northern tribe!"

The Empress simply said, "Yingluo, take Zhenshu to the Accounting Department and send Consort Jia back to the palace to rest."

Seeing that the Empress remained unmoved, Consort Jia gritted her teeth and said, "Your Majesty, no matter what, I was sent to the Qing Dynasty by the Northern tribes for a marriage alliance. Aren't you afraid that the Northern tribes will be dissatisfied and the Emperor will be in a difficult position by disposing of my dowry in this way? The so-called empress should not interfere in politics. Your Majesty has already overstepped your bounds. If you insist on driving Zhenshu away, I will have no choice but to wait for the Emperor to return and plead my case to him!"

The Empress said, "There's no need to wait for the Emperor to return. You can go back now and write your petition. I will have Jinbao send the Imperial Household Department's report and your petition to the Yuanmingyuan Garden to be presented to the Emperor."

Consort Jia was surprised by the Empress's strong presence, and turned away with a pale face.

Wei Yanwan was stunned. She had thought that Consort Jia had a son and was favored by the emperor, and also had the support of the Northern tribe. She thought the Empress was gentle and would at most give her a few words of reprimand. She never expected that she would banish Zhenshu from the palace so easily! She immediately bowed deeply and said, "This servant thanks Your Majesty the Empress!"

The Empress remained gentle: "No need for formalities. Your name is Wei Yanwan? I remember that Consort Shen asked you to deliver a bottle of jasmine to me. Just now, Consort Jia mentioned that you also served Consort Chun?"

Wei Yanwan never expected that the Empress would remember her, a mere palace maid, who had only delivered flowers once. She respectfully replied, "Yes. I used to serve the First Prince in Zhongcui Palace, but later, because our birth dates clashed, I had to leave Zhongcui Palace."

She lowered her head meekly, not noticing the moment the Empress's smile froze, before saying, "You may leave now, and take good care of your injuries." She then had Mingyu bring her a bottle of antidote and swelling-reducing medicine. Wei Yanwan left, profusely thanking her.

After Yonghuang finished his studies, someone from Changchun Palace came to inform him that the Empress had already returned to the palace.

After Yonglian and the Empress entered Changchun Palace to pay their respects, the Empress asked a few questions about how he had been lately. Then she said to Yonglian, "Jingse has also returned to the palace with the Empress Dowager. Since you went to the Imperial Study, you haven't been close to your sister for a long time. Go and keep her company."

After Yonglian left, the Empress dismissed her attendants, leaving only Yingluo and Mingyu.

When the Empress asked Yonghuang, "Yonghuang, did you suffer any injustice at Zhongcui Palace the other day?"

He was surprised, but tried his best to hide it on his face, saying only, "Empress Chun has always been kind to me, and I do not feel wronged."

The Empress said, "Yonghuang, you used to tell your mother everything you felt wronged about. Now that you're older, you should still speak your mind in front of your mother."

Yonghuang felt a surge of warmth in his heart, but his mind remained rational: he could speak up for the nanny who had wronged him, because he was the master and the nanny was a servant; but Consort Chun was his adoptive mother, occupying the title of mother, and it would be unfilial for a son to accuse his mother, even in front of the Empress Dowager who treated him the best. He could not leave such a handle on her.

He bowed and said, "Your Highness raised me for a period of time, and I can only be filial to Your Highness and Your Highness."

The Empress listened without commenting, only saying, "There was a palace maid named Wei Yanwan who said she served you. When Yonglian was ill, was the peace knot you gave him tied by her?"

Yonghuang was startled again, thinking that his mother must already know something if she asked him this. So he said, "Yes. Yanwan is clever and skillful and serves her son well. When Father Emperor came to Zhongcui Palace once, she even replied to him. Because of her good reply, she was rewarded. It's just a pity that Consort Chun consulted the Imperial Observatory and said that her birth chart clashes with my son's, so she couldn't stay by his side."