Chapter 4: Innocence Comes at a Price

Chapter 4: Innocence Comes at a Price

Before Ye Wanwan had even stepped inside, someone had already rushed to report her punishment of Matron Yang to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager was only forty this year. She was exceptionally well-preserved, showing no signs of age; her beauty remained, and her charm was still very much intact. However, as the Empress Dowager, she had to maintain a sense of solemnity and majesty, so she always wore dark red or navy blue robes, which made her appear all the more dignified.

"Who has upset my Wan'er, making you lose your temper the moment you arrive?"

Her voice was full of doting affection. Yet, it was precisely this person, who supposedly loved her so dearly, who had sent her a decoction to render her barren, leaving her to suffer endlessly. It was she who had stood by while Ye Wanwan was framed and tormented by the Leng family until she wished for death. Even after Ye Wanwan died, the Empress Dowager did not forget to use her death to curry favor with Emperor Yang, shedding not a single tear of genuine grief.

What it meant to have a "Buddha's mouth and a serpent's heart"—Ye Wanwan knew it all too well. Being hurt by those who were always your enemies was one thing, but being stabbed in the back by someone who treated you with such extreme kindness—that was the true pain. It was a pain that did not wound the flesh, but the soul.

What a remarkable Empress Dowager she was.

"No one has upset me. But the Empress Dowager should take Matron Yang back. I cannot afford to keep her."

The Empress Dowager frowned and slowly sat upright. "What is this you are saying, Wan'er? Has Matron Yang done something wrong to displease you?"

Ye Wanwan walked over and sat down. "She is fine. Matron Yang is, after all, trained by you; how could she be anything but fine?"

"However, since ancient times, a loyal subject serves only one master. Matron Yang has followed you for many years and is unfailingly loyal to you. For you to send her to my side is truly a great injustice to her."

The Empress Dowager felt a jolt of surprise. These words were hidden daggers; they sounded smooth on the surface but were sharp in every syllable. It did not sound like something Ye Wanwan could say. While Ye Wanwan was intelligent, she had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth and pampered since childhood, knowing nothing of the hardships of the world. Even the cutthroat schemes of the palace were things she had rarely seen because of the Empress Dowager’s protection. She was clever, but lacked true cunning. Yet, the person sitting before her now looked like Ye Wanwan, but felt like a stranger.

"Wan'er... are you... harboring resentment toward me?"

It was the only reason the Empress Dowager could think of. Otherwise, why would Ye Wanwan’s temperament change so drastically?

Ye Wanwan looked at her coldly. "How would I dare to resent the Empress Dowager? I should, in fact, thank you. Thank you for your teachings, which have made me realize that this palace is as deep as the sea. Once you arrive here, innocence comes at a price."

"Clap!"

The Empress Dowager was incensed and slammed her palm against the table. Realizing her reaction, she sighed helplessly and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Wan'er, I was in the wrong this time, but I had my reasons."

"You know there has always been friction between the Emperor and me. Although he relies on your father, he is also wary of the Ye family's influence. Only by doing this could I make him feel at ease enough to marry you into the palace. If I had not been forced by circumstances, how could I have had the heart to hurt you?"

The Empress Dowager stood up, walked over, and took Ye Wanwan’s hand, patting it earnestly. "I have already found the best prescription. If you drink your medicine obediently, your health will surely recover, and you need not worry about being childless in the future."

As she spoke, she brushed a lock of hair from Ye Wanwan’s forehead with great affection. "It has caused you such suffering, Wan'er. My heart aches for you, too."

Ye Wanwan closed her eyes, not wanting to answer. The medicine the Empress Dowager found was indeed excellent; though it tasted vile, it was highly beneficial to her health. In those countless moments when she was tortured to the brink of death and back, Ye Wanwan had hated how strong her constitution was—why couldn't she just die?

That prescription: half a bowl of medicine, half a bowl of deer blood. In her previous life, tricked by the Empress Dowager, she had obediently drunk every drop. But in this life, she never wanted to taste that bloody concoction again. There were always other ways to restore her health. However, if it were Zhao Yi’s blood, she would drink every drop without a flicker of hesitation.

Opening her eyes, she said, "I want to leave the palace."

The Empress Dowager asked, "What for?"

Ye Wanwan replied, "I feel stifled in this palace. I want to go out to clear my mind and, while I’m at it, burn some incense for my mother."

The Empress Dowager countered, "But I have already persuaded the Emperor. He will visit your quarters within the next two days."

Ye Wanwan let out a cold laugh. "What is the Emperor coming to my quarters for? With this body of mine, is it even possible for me to serve him in bed?"

The Empress Dowager tried to reason with her patiently, "Wan'er, why must you be so stubborn with me? In this harem, only the Emperor's favor is..."

"Enough!" Ye Wanwan stood up, her face cold. "Do not force me, Empress Dowager."

She looked at the Empress Dowager’s face and sighed silently. "I just want to leave the palace and be by myself for a while."

After all, this was the girl she had raised with such affection, and given her current state of health...

"Sigh... go then." The Empress Dowager was helpless and could only indulge her.

From childhood to adulthood, the Empress Dowager had indeed indulged and pampered Ye Wanwan. Yet, when it came to hurting her, she was just as resolute and felt it was perfectly justified.

Honey in the left hand, arsenic in the right.

Having finally obtained the Empress Dowager’s token, Ye Wanwan did not want to stay a moment longer and rose to leave.

Outside the door, seeing Matron Yang kneeling there, Ye Wanwan walked over and bent down to help her up. "Matron Yang has taken care of me for so long. I should not have lost my temper so foolishly and caused you such grievance."

Matron Yang grew smug, thinking, *See? She must have been scolded by the Empress Dowager.*

"Your Ladyship is too kind. This old servant only does what is best for you..."

Before she could finish, Ye Wanwan interrupted, "I have already spoken to the Empress Dowager. From now on, you shall return to the Palace of Eternal Longevity to serve. Your loyalty to her is so great that I truly could not bear to pull you away."

With that, she patted the matron’s shoulder and walked away, leaving Matron Yang standing there, frozen and stiff.

This was not what she had expected. She was indeed a trusted aide of the Empress Dowager, but there were many others at the Empress Dowager's side. Serving as a close attendant to the Empress Dowager versus being the head matron for a Noble Consort were two completely different things. In the Guanju Palace, she could manage the Noble Consort; at the Palace of Eternal Longevity, she was just an ordinary matron. She did not want to be sent back.

"Noble Consort..."

Hongshang was so shocked by the Noble Consort’s behavior today that she did not know how to react; every single action had been completely unexpected.

"Does Your Ladyship really intend to send Matron Yang back?"

Ye Wanwan replied, "Otherwise? A servant does not serve two masters. I will not keep someone with ulterior motives by my side."

Hongshang’s expression stiffened. She looked at Ye Wanwan. The Noble Consort was talking about Matron Yang, but she couldn't help but feel she was being targeted as well. Her own mother was a head matron serving the Empress Dowager—was the Noble Consort trying to warn her?