Chapter 59: Yet Cold-Blooded and Cruel to the Core

Chapter 59: Beneath the Gentle Exterior Lay Cold-Blooded Cruelty

"Your Imperial Noble Consort, this official has been ordered to return the lost items along with the silver banknotes. Please inspect them."

Ye Wanwan looked at the score of items presented before her. They all belonged to her, yet she didn't even recognize most of them. With so many possessions, she certainly hadn't bothered to touch them one by one, so how could she possibly remember them all?

She was in no rush to have Matron Lin conduct the inspection. Instead, she maintained an aloof posture, leaning lazily on one hand with her brows arched upward, her tone less than cordial: "You troubled Commander Leng to personally deliver a few worthless trinkets to this palace. What, is the Imperial Guard so idle?"

Her hostility was blatant, completely unmasked.

The Leng family and the Ye family were political rivals, and the Empress was at odds with the Imperial Noble Consort. It was only natural that the Imperial Noble Consort showed no warm welcome toward the Empress's older brother.

Having been born into an esteemed scholarly family and well-read in the classics, Leng Yunfang naturally could not stoop to bickering with a woman. He merely replied with strict decorum: "His Majesty entrusted this matter to this official, and this official must fulfill his duty—punishing the culprits and recovering the losses suffered by the noble ladies of the palace. This is nothing less than my bounden duty."

Ye Wanwan sneered. "You didn't notice a single thing when the items were stolen, but you're certainly eager now that it's time to find them."

Her words dripped with sarcasm and mockery, utterly undisguised.

Leng Yunfang's expression shifted slightly, but he ultimately maintained his composure and refined demeanor. After having his subordinates deposit the items, he took his leave.

Ye Wanwan let out a derisive chuckle. True to his prestigious lineage, his poise and self-restraint were indeed beyond ordinary reach. Yet, beneath that present mildness and courtesy, he had shown not a shred of mercy when he previously made a move against her.

Such outwardly gentle and courteous men often harbored cold-blooded cruelty carved deep into their very bones.

Ye Wanwan glanced over the recovered belongings, her gaze eventually falling upon a tassel meant for a sword hilt. The tassel itself was unremarkable, nor was its shape particularly unusual. The only striking feature was its color—a deep, dark blue verging on black. It had been carved from a rare and precious gemstone, making it exceedingly uncommon.

Ye Wanwan could no longer recall when she had acquired it, nor had she ever cared much for it. Yet, the moment she laid eyes on it, her mind instantly conjured up a pair of dark blue eyes.

She raised a hand and picked it up. "Put all of these away."

Well, all except for the silver banknotes.

She had to admit, converting the lost valuables into silver banknotes was a decision that greatly pleased her.

The palace bestowed countless rewards upon its favorites, but regrettably, many of them could not be disposed of or sold. What was given to you today might arbitrarily be taken back tomorrow; royal property was never truly yours to keep. However, hard currency translated into silver belonged to you alone.

If she had her way, she would gladly exchange every single treasure for cold, hard cash.

In an exceptionally fine mood, she decided to pay a visit to the Empress Dowager. Stepping out of the threshold, she flicked her wrist and tossed an object backward. "A reward for you."

Yan Chen caught it instinctively. Opening his palm, he found precisely that dark-blue sword tassel resting there.

Raising his gaze, he caught only the proud, retreating figure of the Imperial Noble Consort, who seemed to be in high spirits. Qing Sha hurried a few paces behind to catch up, cast a fearful glance back at Yan Chen, and then hastened to match the Consort's pace.

The Imperial Noble Consort was brilliantly shrewd; it was simply a pity that her eye for choosing maidservants left something to be desired.

Whether due to receiving the reward or something else, Yan Chen was in an extraordinarily good mood. The corners of his brows lifted slightly, his eyes shimmering with rippling light akin to gentle glowing mist. Regrettably, there was no one around to witness this fleeting expression.

***

By the time Ye Wanwan arrived at the Empress Dowager's quarters, Her Majesty was in the midst of smashing things.

A fine jade cup was swept off the table, shattering against the floor with a sharp crash.

Ye Wanwan paused at the entrance, listening to the Empress Dowager vent her grievances, which revolved entirely around her dissatisfaction with Zhao Yi's handling of the situation.

The Empress Dowager detested Yuan De because Yuan De had been assigned to Zhao Yi by the late Empress. Although Yuan De had long since pledged his loyalty to Zhao Yi, he remained like a thorn stuck in the Empress Dowager's heart, one she had always longed to uproot. Yet, because he was Zhao Yi's trusted confidant and enjoyed his utmost trust, the Empress Dowager was powerless to act.

She refused to believe that Yuan De had no connection to this recent incident. Even with the evidence laid out before him, Zhao Yi had still chosen to downplay the matter, punishing only the low-ranking servants while continuing to shield Yuan De.

"It is utterly incomprehensible! A mere servant, yet he is worth going to such lengths to protect..."

The Empress Dowager felt deep anguish for her son. While she never dared to disobey Zhao Yi in anything—her submissiveness reserved strictly for him as a person—she could never bring herself to tolerate the people surrounding him.

She practically despised everyone in Zhao Yi's inner circle. The Empress from the Leng family was a persistent thorn in her side; she had always wanted to replace her with Ye Wanwan. To ensure Ye Wanwan could become Zhao Yi's legitimate primary wife, she had previously permitted him to take only secondary consorts, perpetually reserving the principal wife's seat for Ye Wanwan to grow into. In the end, however, the Leng family had seized the opportunity to usurp it.

She despised Yuan De, viewing him as a lapdog of the Leng family who manipulated Zhao Yi and drove a wedge between mother and son. In her eyes, Zhao Yi had merely been blinded, which was why she was so hell-bent on having Yuan De removed.

Naturally, she looked down upon the various factions in the imperial court as well—whether it was the Leng faction or the Feng faction. Anyone who did not align with the Ye family was an eyesore to her.

To put it bluntly, she desperately wished to control Zhao Yi and reduce him to an obedient, subservient son. Unfortunately, she lacked the capability and the political acumen to pull it off. Every attempt to outsmart others ultimately backfired on her, earning only Zhao Yi's annoyance while leaving her seething with anger.

In the past, Ye Wanwan had failed to understand, but now that she saw through it all, she felt exhausted just watching her. She truly had no idea what the Empress Dowager was even trying to achieve.