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

The emperor secretly admired the empress's methods.

Not only did they find an opportunity to send Jung-sook away, but once this incident occurred, all the attention in the palace shifted to Kim Ok-yeon, and no one would bother to investigate the Princess's mysterious illness.

The emperor felt that he had done a good job in educating the empress, who had been a kind but naive woman who knew nothing about scheming.

The Northern tribes sent Jin Yuyan, seemingly as tribute to show submission, but in reality they had ulterior motives. Now that Jin Yuyan has a son, if the Northern tribes' spies in the Qing Dynasty are not thoroughly investigated, these villains may use the Fourth Prince to undermine their own throne in the future.

He drafted two imperial edicts: one was a public edict instructing Jinzhong to deliver it to Qixiang Palace, while the other was a secret edict instructing Jinzhong to deliver it to the Sticky Rod Office.

The Sticky Rod Office was originally established by the late emperor. Ostensibly, it was in charge of the emperor's entertainment, but in reality, it was an office for investigating the private affairs of the royal family.

He had not used it since he ascended the throne. Even in the case of Hongxi's rebellion, in order to deal with Hongxi fairly, he had the imperial guards keep an eye on him.

But now that Fu Qing and Fu Heng, both relatives of the emperor, are not in the palace, he thought it was time for the Imperial Guard to make his mark.

After drafting the decree, he originally wanted to find Consort Gao, but having just dealt with Jin Yuyan, he did not want to see her son; so he summoned Yi Huan and went to the garden together to enjoy the scenery, discuss poetry and have fun. After returning, he was suddenly inspired to write poetry and summoned Consort Wan to serve him with writing materials.

As always, Chen Wanyin quietly ground a piece of inkstone with the dragon playing with a pearl, without saying anything.

The emperor knew that Chen Wanyin was a bit introverted, but he wanted some peace and quiet at the moment, so he specially sent her.

The emperor wrote a poem and admired it for a long time before saying, "Consort Wan, how have you been getting along with the First Prince lately?"

Chen Wanyin seemed startled, her hand trembled, and she stammered, "It's...it's fine."

The Emperor said, “Consort Chun is not only confused, but also excessively biased. I have long noticed that on many occasions, she only takes the Third Prince with her, but not the First Prince. In her eyes, the First Prince is probably already an obstacle to her own son.”

Consort Wan sensed the emperor's displeasure and dared not say anything.

The Emperor continued, “You, Consort Gao, are better than Consort Chun in this respect. You don’t have your own children, so I thought I wouldn’t be biased. Sure enough, Consort Gao treats the Fourth Prince as her own son. You are not foolish either; you know how to behave. Yonghuang lost his mother at a young age. Such a child knows how to be patient and read people’s expressions better than other children. You must fulfill your duties as a foster mother.”

Consort Wan said, "Your Majesty, I will take good care of the First Prince."

What she didn't say was that she was actually a little afraid of the eldest prince.

Chen Wanyin was skilled in painting, and those who are good at painting often have keen observation skills. Since entering the prince's residence, although she rarely said anything, her eyes had seen a great deal.

For example, the way she looked at the Empress, Yingluo, and Mingyu made her feel that they were already in their forties or fifties, even though they weren't that old.

For example, the emperor and empress dowager appeared to be a loving and filial couple, but in reality, they often secretly competed with each other. After the Hongxi rebellion, the empress dowager lost ground, and the eldest princess seemed to be worried about something, looking melancholy all day long.

For example, she saw Consort Chun and Yonghuang interacting on some occasions. Their relationship was cold for a period of time, but then it suddenly warmed up again. Consort Chun, the First Prince, and the Third Prince would even take a walk together. However, when she happened to see Consort Chun and her two sons taking a walk, she clearly saw that the First Prince's lips were curled up, but there was no smile in his eyes.

Later, Consort Chun angered the Emperor, and the First Prince was sent to her palace.

She didn't know the secret, but her intuition told her that the eldest prince was not just a boy who liked making paper effigies.

The Emperor, having received a satisfactory reply, continued writing his poem, chatting casually with Consort Wan: "The Empress has worked hard this time, and I'm thinking of what to reward her with. The Empress asked you to help choose things for the Empress Dowager, so she must trust your judgment. Tell me, what should I reward the Empress with?" At this moment, Qi Ru came to report that Consort Shen had some abdominal pain after eating a bowl of white fungus soup in the afternoon, and after being examined by the imperial physician, it was discovered that she was pregnant.

The emperor's face lit up with joy: "I'll go see Consort Shen."

After saying that, he quickly walked out.

Consort Wan opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, the words she didn't say turned into a silent sigh in her heart.

She curtsied and said, "Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off."

Zhen Shu was banished, and Jin Yuyan was demoted, causing a stir in the harem.

Jin Yuyan was not usually kind to her subordinates, which pleased some of the palace servants.

Granny Meijia handed a bowl of medicine to Ye Xin and sighed, saying, "I'm an old woman with a respectable status, yet Zhenshu, a young maid from a vassal state, attacked me without even asking what happened! Thankfully, Her Majesty the Empress had the eye and kicked her out!"

Ye Xin said apologetically, "I've troubled you this time, and I've also troubled you with your care several times recently. I really feel bad about it."

Granny Mei waved her hand and said, "Hey, I used to be a nanny at Zhaoxiang Palace. Taking care of sick palace maids is my duty. But that girl Yanwan, she hasn't said a word since she brought us medicine that day. I hope she wasn't frightened."

Ye Xin sighed: "Perhaps she was bullied for no reason and is feeling resentful. Let her be alone and have some peace and quiet."

As Granny Meijia stepped out of her room, she saw a palace maid approaching. The maid, beaming with joy, handed Granny Meijia a purse: "Congratulations, Granny! Her Majesty the Empress has decreed that because of your upright character and compassion for the poor and weak, you have been promoted to the rank of Elite Madam and will be serving in the Xiefang Palace! We have gathered some silver as a small token of our congratulations!"

When Granny Meijia heard that she had become the most senior of the nannies, she was overjoyed and said, "I haven't even offered to treat you to something nice yet, why are you spending money on me!"

After a brief exchange of polite refusals, the palace maid insisted on giving her the purse, and they parted ways.

Rongyin went to visit Princess Roushu, whose condition was not good.

That day, she witnessed her mother's cruel and terrifying side.

She couldn't reconcile the person who would torture others with her mother, who would be heartbroken and on the verge of tears even if she just scraped her skin.

When she overheard her elder brother and mother arguing, she couldn't help but suspect that her mother had really harmed Princess He'an.

But at that time, her sister-in-law told her that her mother might not harm her own granddaughter.

She was like a drowning person grabbing onto a piece of driftwood, ignoring the word "maybe" and telling herself wholeheartedly to trust her mother.

But her mother that night was so terrifying that she couldn't help but believe that what her brother had said was true.

The driftwood was taken away by her closest loved ones, and she suffocated in the abyss of despair.

Upon waking, she wept constantly, and whenever she saw the Empress Dowager, she would cower in a corner like a beast under attack, filled with fear.

The imperial physician came to examine her once, but shook his head and said, "This is a mental illness, which cannot be cured by medicine. I can only prescribe some calming remedies. If she is to recover, it depends on the Princess herself."

Yingluo understood perfectly well that the princess was unable to withstand the shock. The princess was now in a similar state to her daughter in her previous life when she was rescued after being locked in a dung cart by Yuan Chunwang.

Add to that the face that looked exactly like Zhao Hua's, and even though Yingluo knew they weren't the same person, she couldn't help but feel pity for her.

Rongyin also felt sorry for the princess and, considering Yingluo's feelings, let her stay by Hengti's side to take care of her.

Rongyin walked out of Cuiyun Pavilion, where the Empress Dowager stood outside with a gloomy expression.

She bowed and was about to take her leave when the Empress Dowager suddenly said, "Empress... have I really made a mistake?"

Looking at the Empress Dowager's rapidly aging face, no longer as domineering as before, she sighed and replied irrelevantly, "Since it is a mental illness, listening to Buddhist chants and Taoist rituals may be beneficial to the Princess's condition. Your son will invite Master Anbo to chant scriptures and perform rituals, and will also invite the shaman lady and the Taoist priests from Baiyun Temple to come. The Princess will get better."

After walking a few steps, she still said, "Actually, the reason why Princess Duanshu married into the Dzungar Khanate was not because you didn't fight against anyone in the harem."

"It was not because of foreign invasion."

"Even if someone like Empress Dowager Zhao ruled from behind the curtain, she still had to send her most beloved child to another country as a hostage. Besides, with all your infighting, you could never go that far."

“You have mistaken your opponent. Your opponent is neither your son, nor the Noble Consort, nor the commoner Ulanara. Fighting for power in the harem is meaningless for the future of the Princess. It is against the natural order and not worth it.”

The Empress Dowager swayed a few times, and Fu Jia caught her.

Back at Changchun Palace, Mingyu brought in a bowl of chilled watermelon juice. Rongyin drank the whole cup in one gulp before feeling a little calmer.

In this world, her body had been enhanced by various spells cast by the ghost messengers, and she had also followed their instructions on "health and scientific wellness practices," making her much better than before. However, Yingluo still felt that she was still made of flesh and blood and should be well cared for, so she continued to watch her and took the glass away from her after she drank her third glass of watermelon juice.

Now that Yingluo wasn't around, she and Mingyu drank several cups of wine like two children plotting to steal candy.

After finishing her fifth cup, she ordered Zhao Yitai, "Go and summon Wei Yanwan to Changchun Palace."

Wei Yanwan entered Changchun Palace again. This time, she carried a tray with an exquisite jasmine-embroidered sachet on it, emitting a delicate jasmine fragrance.

Rong felt that something about her seemed different.

She suppressed her doubts, first asking Mingyu to take the tray away, and then asked a few questions about how her injury was healing.

Yanwan replied, "My injuries have almost healed. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Then she hesitated and said, "Actually, I have always wanted to pay my respects to Your Majesty. I am grateful for Your Majesty's kindness, so I made a sachet to present to Your Majesty. It is just a humble offering."

Rongyin smiled and said, "You're so thoughtful."

Yanwan made up her mind and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, I have done wrong and feel uneasy. After thinking it over, I have no choice but to report to Your Majesty."

Yanwan saw so many palace maids standing in the hall and wanted to speak, but her face turned red. Then she thought, if not now, when?

She gritted her teeth and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Jia is right. This servant, this servant did indeed think about attracting the Emperor's attention. Good, good... good, a shortcut to the Emperor's harem!"

Although the palace maids all harbored ambitions to be favored by the emperor and taken into the harem, such a direct statement shocked even the usually disciplined Changchun Palace. The maids and eunuchs were all taken aback, though they dared not show it on their faces, and their expressions became furious.

Rongyin coughed lightly and said gently, "It is common for palace maids to catch the Emperor's eye and become concubines." She then gave Mingyu a wink, and Mingyu understood, telling the palace maids to go out and wait.

Yanwan was surprised that Rongyin showed no disdain, and was even more encouraged by this unexpected turn of events. Seeing that only Mingyu remained, she grew bolder and continued, "Your Majesty, I dare to guess that I am of lowly birth, a mere blade of grass. Consort Jia's act of disciplining me must be because I have gained the Emperor's favor. Please help me! I will repay you in the future, and I will follow Your Majesty's lead! If there is anything Your Majesty is unable to do, I will do it for you!"

Rongyin was also somewhat surprised.

She paused for a moment before saying, "Yanwan, don't rush to make a decision. Let me give you a few options."

"I know you used to serve the First Prince. In another year or two, he will be married and establish his own residence. If both you and the First Prince are willing, I can arrange for you to go to Yikun Palace to continue serving him. When he establishes his own residence, I will then betroth you to him as a concubine. If there are not many suitable candidates for a secondary consort at that time, you may also be granted the title of secondary consort. Are you willing?"

Yanwan replied firmly, "This servant does not wish to."

Rongyin continued, "The second option is that my mother and maternal relatives know several young men from Manchu noble families. You can serve by my side for a period of time, and my maternal relatives can act as matchmakers to help you find a good marriage."

Yanwan replied, enunciating each word clearly: "This servant does not wish to."

Rongyin seemed surprised, yet also unsurprised.

She sighed and said, "I know that becoming a concubine by the Emperor's side is something every Manchu woman dreams of. But have you ever considered that your arduous pursuit might ultimately lead to disappointment? And then, there will be no turning back."

Yanwan solemnly replied, "This servant has no regrets. Even if I stray onto the wrong path and am shattered to pieces, this servant will have no regrets and no fear."

The gentle voice posed the next question: "Can you give me a reason why this is absolutely necessary?"

Yanwan straightened up and said firmly, "I am a servant born into a bondservant family. My father was convicted and died young, leaving behind only my widowed mother and younger brother. I struggled in the palace, only seeking to make a living. But because I was favored by the Emperor, I encountered trouble several times and was bullied. I refuse to accept this! I want to live a good life and not be bullied. This is the only way!"

The eldest prince is only thirteen years old. His reliance on her is mostly childish dependence, and it's unlikely to be romantic love. A year or two is too long; too many things can change. Besides, with the second prince as the legitimate son, the eldest prince might not become emperor in the future. And with the emperor already in sight, she doesn't want to wait for a tiny opportunity in the eldest prince's residence. As for marrying into a noble family, with her family background, she'd just be at the mercy of her husband's family, constantly trying to please him. Since the essence is the same, why not enter the harem and please the emperor? At least to the outside world, she'd be a mistress!

When she was forced to become a human candlestick in Qixiang Palace, Consort Jia, Zhenshu, and Lixin were so arrogant and terrifying. But when they arrived at Changchun Palace, they became so helpless and timid. The Empress looked gentle, kind, and weak, but she could easily crush a mountain that was pressing down on her and making her unable to move.

This is the power of the empress dowager.

She saw it once and was captivated, yearning for it. From that moment on, she understood that only status and power could protect her from being bullied.

She looked up at the Empress and saw a thousand emotions in the Empress's eyes, but in the end, only a sigh remained.

"Mingyu, have Yingluo come back and discuss this. Wei Yanwan, since you served the young mistress before, and Princess Hejing happens to be short of a maid, I will speak with the Imperial Household Department and temporarily transfer you to serve Princess Hejing. After the Emperor returns from the Yuanmingyuan, it will depend on your own fortune. However, if you do have good fortune, you must remember not to cross the line or act against your conscience."

Wei Yanwan was both surprised and delighted, and kowtowed repeatedly: "This servant thanks Your Majesty the Empress! Your Majesty's great kindness and virtue will never be forgotten!"

Rongyin let Baizhi come in and take Wei Yanwan out. Mingyu presented a plate of yellow millet cakes. Rongyin picked up a piece and ate it slowly, then let Mingyu take some to eat as well.

Suddenly, a "beep" sounded in my mind, followed by the director's voice.

"I have something to tell you. Wei Yanwan is Yingluo's alternate-dimensional counterpart."

Mingyu: Why are you only saying this now!

The director replied, "Besides confirming her identity, we have some other things to confirm, which is why we were delayed. We deduce that Wei Yanwan is not only Wei Yingluo's alternate-dimensional counterpart, but also a 'miracle' of this world."

Rongyin and Mingyu: A miracle?

The director said, “Yes, miracles. Philosophers in the main world say that miracles are a reversal of the laws of nature, a transcendence of natural forces. In the smaller world, there is a small probability of beings that do not follow the laws of nature; we call them ‘miracles.’”

Miracles are often rejected by the will of the entire world for violating the 'nature' of their own small world. But in this world, a 'miracle' that clashes with 'nature' polluted by inexplicable forces might be the key to breaking the deadlock.