"Your Majesty has misunderstood—I would never dare, nor did I mean it that way," Guifei quickly said.

  "This was originally nothing but a trivial matter. A tiny matter. The people from Duke An's manor were careless, and I merely acted accordingly. But now, you insist on making this an issue that cannot be settled?"

  Wumian’s voice remained gentle and soft, but the weight of her words cut deep.

  Especially for Guifei—who was much older than her and had never truly accepted her as Empress.

  Guifei was furious.

  Yet, after repeatedly bowing her head, she could barely hold back her frustration.

  "Your Majesty, you have truly misunderstood. This is not how it is at all. If Your Majesty sees fit to punish me, then I have no compints. But please, do not misjudge my intentions."

  Wumian let out a soft scoff. "If Guifei truly remembers that she is Guifei, this entire matter wouldn’t have escated in the first pce. As the Empress, I have no intention of competing with you. What you should focus on is ensuring that those beneath you respect you. That’s all. This ends here—I do not wish for any further unnecessary conflicts. Now, all of you may leave."

  With that, she rose and walked into the inner chambers.

  Guifei was seething with rage.

  She left without even offering a formal farewell, flinging her sleeves as she stormed out of Fengyi Pace.

  As soon as they exited, Li Fei chuckled. "Her Majesty is so easygoing, and yet some people still take advantage of that. Well, I suppose they got what was coming to them today."

  "Are you talking about me, Li Fei?" Guifei’s brows snapped together.

  "Li Fei, you've never been favored by the Empress. What now? Have you switched allegiances?"

  The implication was clear—why would Li Fei align herself with the Empress instead of staying in the Emperor’s good graces? That wouldn’t make sense.

  Li Fei let out a small scoff. "Guifei, you’re overthinking things. That’s not what I meant. I’ll be on my way."

  Rong Fei frowned. "What’s wrong with Li Fei? Why has she been acting like a rabid dog these past few days?"

  "What else could it be?" Guifei sneered. "Li Liangyi has been summoned to the Emperor’s chambers a few times recently. Li Fei has been favored for years, yet her belly remains empty. The Empress Dowager has never liked her seductive ways. And now, with new women in the pace, she still expects to remain on top?"

  Rong Fei chuckled. "For a moment, I thought she was actually switching to the Empress’s side."

  Guifei let out a cold ugh but did not look back.

  "That," she said icily, "would be true madness."

  "Don’t be upset, Sister." Rong Fei smirked. "It’s just a few words. You’re the one who gained something from this. And what does she have? She gets excited just because His Majesty visits her one more time."

  "I know." Guifei let out a huff.

  But right now, all she could think about was her frustration with Wumian.

  "Setting that aside… The second Prince’s health has been deteriorating tely. Honestly, I doubt he’ll make it to adulthood. Among the newcomers, do you think any of them have potential?" Guifei lowered her voice.

  "It’s too soon to say for sure," Rong Fei mused.

  "But Li Liangyi stands a chance. She’s calm and steady. If the Second Prince truly doesn’t survive… Then Li Zhaoyi’s Third Prince will be the only one left. She’s definitely getting promoted in the next round of titles."

  Meanwhile, back at Fengyi Pace, Wumian was chatting idly with Zhang Momo.

  "Your Majesty, you should start taking this seriously. Lately, I’ve heard that the Second Prince’s health has been getting worse. If you give birth to the Crown Prince, it won’t matter how many other children they have. In the end, women in the pace must bear sons—otherwise, what will happen in the future?"

  Wumian half-listened, letting the words drift in one ear and out the other.

  "Is he really that sick?"

  She vaguely recalled that the Second Prince’s birth had been difficult, leaving him frail ever since.

  Both mother and son had struggled for years to recover.

  "The imperial physicians aren’t saying much, but judging by the situation, it looks bad. The Empress Dowager has been scolding Xian Fei non-stop for giving birth to such a weak child."

  Wumian let out a sigh.

  "His health is poor—no mother wouldn’t worry. There's no need to bme Xian Fei for this. And let’s not talk about it too much, either. If people hear us, they might think we’re hoping something happens to the Second Prince."

  "Understood. I’ll be careful," Zhang Momo quickly said.

  "The Empress Dowager’s birthday is approaching. Your Majesty, shouldn’t you visit her beforehand? Even though you’re no longer managing pace affairs, this is still a matter of propriety."

  "That’s right, Your Majesty," Zhang Momo added.

  "Guifei visits her frequently—if you don’t go, it’ll make her look like the more filial one."

  Wumian sighed.

  I really don’t want to fight her for the title of most filial.

  …But I suppose I have no choice.

  "Then let's go and visit—no need to dey," Wumian said as she stood up.

  After changing into a fresh set of clothes, she left Fengyi Pace with Linshui and Feixu.

  _____

  The weather was pleasant, and as they passed through the Imperial Garden, they encountered a group of young concubines admiring the flowers. They quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.

  Wumian smiled at them. "Go on and enjoy yourselves—it's a beautiful day."

  The young concubines responded obediently, watching as the Empress walked away.

  Yun Baolin suddenly remarked, "Her Majesty is so stunning, and she seems to have such a gentle temperament. How is it that…"

  "Stop talking," Zheng Baolin quickly pulled her back. "We've only just entered the pace—what do we really know?"

  Yun Baolin nodded. "You're right, Sister. Come, let's go over there. I heard there are balsam flowers—we can pick some to dye our nails."

  "That sounds wonderful! Let's go."

  By unfortunate coincidence, when Wumian arrived at the Empress Dowager's Pace, she once again ran into Fu Meiren.

  Fu Meiren's eyes were red, and Wumian inwardly sighed at her bad timing. Fu Meiren lived alone in Jinhua Pavilion, and since the Empress Dowager's Pace was nearby, she wouldn't have needed to pass by Fengyi Pace.

  Unless Wumian deliberately had someone watching, it wasn't surprising to run into her here.

  Her tear-streaked face was unmistakable. It would be far too fake to pretend not to notice, so Wumian had no choice but to ask, "What's wrong? Did Mother scold her? She's always been such a quiet and well-behaved girl, barely speaking a word. Why would you be so harsh with her?"

  The Empress Dowager looked a little awkward. "Nonsense, the girl is just feeling homesick."

  Fu Meiren quickly lowered herself into a formal bow. "Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern. I was simply reminiscing with the Empress Dowager about my childhood, and it made me miss my mother."

  "That's nothing to worry about. If you miss her, have her visit you. There's no need to be sad—crying will only make you look less pretty," Wumian said with a smile.

  "Thank you, Your Majesty. I understand. Please take a comfortable seat—I shall return after washing my face," Fu Meiren said before bowing again to the Empress Dowager. "Your Majesty, I will take my leave now."

  "Go on," the Empress Dowager waved her off.

  After Fu Meiren left, the Empress Dowager remarked, "That girl is quite stubborn. Even you noticed she barely speaks—she's like a tightly sealed jar."

  "There's nothing wrong with being reserved. I think it's a good trait," Wumian replied decisively, swiftly ending the topic—she had no interest in prying into Fu Meiren’s affairs.

  The fact was, Fu Meiren had been in the pace for over three years but had never truly gained favor.

  Though she had risen from Liangyi to Meiren at a retively fast pace, it was mostly because she came from the Fu family. Compared to others from the same selection—Li Fei, Jiang Zhaorong, and Hu Meiren—she barely made an impression at all.