Chapter 38: More or Less... Shameless

Chapter 38: A Bit Shameless

Jiang Feixue had been summoned to attend to the Emperor for two consecutive nights, and her prominence was unmatched. While she did not come to flaunt it before Ye Wanwan, she practically had her tail in the air whenever she was in the presence of Noble Lady Wei. She made no effort to conceal the marks on her neck and arms, as if terrified that others might not know she had been favored.

Was this what they called innocent and naive? Ye Wanwan certainly couldn't bring herself to act like that; it was, to say the least, a bit shameless.

It wouldn't have mattered if Jiang Feixue had only flaunted her status once, but she insisted on coming to Ye Wanwan to rant: "Hmph, let's see how she acts high and mighty now. Daring to flirt and preen in front of Cousin Emperor—the shameless wench."

Ye Wanwan: "..." How did she manage to curse people so fluently without even turning red or losing her breath?

With Jiang Feixue attending to the Emperor for consecutive nights, the Empress Dowager was naturally the most pleased. By noon, she had sent over numerous rewards and even dispatched Nanny Yang to Jiang Feixue’s quarters to instruct her on the precautions for conceiving. If Jiang Feixue could conceive in one stroke, that would truly be a grand celebration.

With the Empress Dowager’s backing, her cousin the Noble Consort, and, most importantly, the favor of her cousin the Emperor, Jiang Feixue could truly walk sideways through the palace. Seeing that Ye Wanwan did not go to pay her respects to the Empress, she didn't bother going either. Finding Ye Wanwan’s place boring, she wandered everywhere. Was there any corner of this palace she couldn't go?

As it turned out, she had barely stepped out when she got into a conflict with someone and pushed them directly into the water.

Noble Lady Liu, the third of the newly promoted concubines to have attended to the Emperor, was a distant relative of the Leng family. Her status was not high, but she came from a family of scholars—a household of pure integrity, much like Empress Leng. Jiang Feixue had always been arrogant and overbearing, and she despised such pretentious people. The two had not gotten along during the selection, and now that they were both serving the Emperor, the rivalry had only intensified. Once they met, they clashed again.

Since it had escalated to physical violence, Leng Yunqing naturally could not stand idly by. She ordered both parties to be brought before her, and Jiang Feixue was punished by being made to kneel at the entrance of Kun'an Palace. Leng Yunqing was the Empress and was carrying the imperial heir; no matter how favored Jiang Feixue was, she was merely a Noble Lady, and there was no way she could override the Empress.

Upon hearing that Jiang Feixue had been punished, the Empress Dowager was naturally anxious. However, since Jiang Feixue was in the wrong, the Empress Dowager could not act unreasonably. Therefore, she did not step in personally but sent Ye Wanwan to retrieve her from the Empress.

Having to go to the Empress to retrieve someone was clearly a loss of face, but Ye Wanwan was in a surprisingly good mood. This time, Jiang Feixue’s conflict had nothing to do with her; Zhao Yi couldn't possibly claim that she had incited Jiang Feixue to fight over favor unless he thought Jiang Feixue was mentally deficient.

Ye Wanwan was in no rush. She leisurely tidied herself up before heading out, encountering Noble Lady Wei, who happened to be returning just then.

"Noble Consort." Noble Lady Wei looked quite nervous.

Ye Wanwan nodded slightly and continued on her way.

The maid beside Noble Lady Wei looked at Ye Wanwan’s retreating figure and whispered, "I actually think the Noble Consort is quite nice, and she’s beautiful, too. She’s completely different from Noble Lady Jiang."

Noble Lady Wei twisted her handkerchief: "No matter how nice she is, she’s still family with Jiang Feixue."

The maid pouted: "I really don't understand—what is it about such a detestable person that makes the Emperor look at her differently?"

The distance from Guanju Palace to Kun'an Palace was not great, as the status of the Empress and the Noble Consort was not far apart. Ye Wanwan did not walk fast, yet it did not take long for her to reach Kun'an Palace. From a distance, she saw Jiang Feixue kneeling at the entrance, her spine straight and her chin held high in pride. Even without getting closer, one could tell she was full of arrogance and resentment, refusing to submit to Empress Leng.

Ye Wanwan pondered; it seemed this was just who Jiang Feixue was. Yet, in the past, whenever she did something wrong, she would hide behind Ye Wanwan, letting Ye Wanwan bear all the consequences.

It was worth noting that in her previous life, Jiang Feixue had not been summoned so quickly. Because Ye Wanwan had been at odds with the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager hadn't dared to let Jiang Feixue participate in the selection; even if she had the intention, she suppressed it, only calling her into the palace for short stays. It was only after more than a year, when Jiang Feixue was favored by Zhao Yi, that she became a consort with proper justification. In that life, Jiang Feixue had been cautious toward Ye Wanwan, trying every possible way to please her.

This time, Ye Wanwan had not intervened, and she was even happy to see things unfold. Moreover, since Ye Wanwan had slapped Zhao Yi’s pride, his favoring of Jiang Feixue was not without the intention of slapping Ye Wanwan in the face, and thus, things had developed into the current situation.

Surrounded by people’s flattery, Jiang Feixue had become intoxicated by it all, completely unable to discern her own standing.

And so, what exactly did Zhao Yi like about Jiang Feixue? Did he like that she had no brains?