Su Yunmo's eyelids twitched. The moment she opened her eyes, she threw a punch.
"Ugh~" Ye Ningyuan immediately let out a muffled groan, clutching her stomach and staggering back two steps. "Momo, can you go easy? Do you want to beat me to death?"
The little dumpling sat up, all sleepiness gone, her head buzzing. "Beating you to death would be eliminating a scourge for the people!"
Was this girl a pervert?
Ye Ningyuan casually sat on the ground, crossing her arms and smacking her lips. "Eliminating a scourge for the people is a bit too grand. I haven't reached the point of ruining the country and bringing disaster to the people yet."
It would be more fitting to eliminate a scourge for herself, as she was naturally born to be her bane.
Su Yunmo glared at her, too lazy to bother with this person.
"Momo~" Liu Lanxue reached out and ruffled the little dumpling's head, coaxing her. "Don't be angry, don't be angry, be good."
"Your Highness, you don't need to worry. Momo isn't angry." Su Yunmo remembered the purpose of her visit today and reached out to hold her wrist.
Yi Zuo entered from outside. "Last night, Your Highness suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, screaming incessantly, and didn't recognize anyone. She was restless all night and only got a little better at dawn today."
Su Yunmo pursed her lips. After taking her pulse for a moment, she said, "It's nothing serious. It's a sign that her memory is beginning to recover."
The experiences Your Highness had endured over the years had been too much of a blow to her. Now, they were manifesting in dreams, which were nightmares for her.
"From today onwards, before she sleeps every night, boil her a bowl of calming soup. The dosage doesn't need to be too strong; just enough to induce light sleep."
Yi Zuo responded with a "Yes."
Ye Ningyuan raised her eyebrows playfully. "Momo, you're truly amazing. If I remember correctly, Consort Liang was poisoned with Soul Devouring Soup, wasn't she?"
That stuff was famously incurable. Yet, she could even cure such a poison. Should she say she lived up to her Southern Border royal bloodline?
Su Yunmo glanced at her. "You know quite a lot."
Ye Ningyuan tilted her head back, her expression one of arrogance. "Of course. My popularity in this palace is exceptionally good. Many people want to curry favor with me, so I can find out anything I ask."
"Then have you ever heard the saying: 'The more you know, the faster you die'?"
Ye Ningyuan smacked her lips, stood up, and brushed the dirt off her pants. "I still have one wish that hasn't been fulfilled. I can't die before then."
She leaned closer, cupping her face with both hands. "Momo, do you want to know what my wish is?"
The little dumpling turned her head away. "I don't want to know."
It wouldn't be anything good anyway.
Ye Ningyuan immediately put on a hurt expression. She turned to look at Liu Lanxue. "Momo doesn't want to know, but does Your Highness want to know?"
Liu Lanxue tilted her head, looking at Ye Ningyuan. After a moment, a soft light flashed in her eyes, and she reached out to stroke Ye Ningyuan's head. "It's alright, dear. All the bad things are in the past."
Ye Ningyuan's smile faltered for a moment, her fingers tightening.
The little dumpling yawned beside the quilt, uninterested in their conversation.
Ye Ningyuan withdrew her gaze and lowered her eyes. After a moment, her face was once again filled with laughter. "It's so boring to stay in the room all the time. Let's go out and play."
She looked at the little dumpling. "Didn't you just say Your Highness was recovering her memory? Going out more should also help her."
The little dumpling leaned against the wall, yawning again.
She didn't want to go out; she felt a bit sleepy.
Liu Lanxue looked at the little dumpling with sparkling eyes.
Su Yunmo glanced at the two of them, the elder and the younger, both with shining eyes, and felt a bit helpless. "Alright, let's go then."
Ye Ningyuan immediately snapped her fingers. "Someone, hurry and help Your Highness change. We're going out to play!"
Yi Zuo entered from outside and helped Liu Lanxue change her clothes and shoes.
Yi You also brought three coats and draped them over the three of them. "It's cold outside, so please, all three masters, don't catch a cold."
"I didn't expect the people trained by His Highness Prince Yu to be so considerate. It's truly rare," Ye Ningyuan praised.
Su Yunmo secretly rolled her eyes.
What did this person think Ye Jingyu was, some cold-faced killer?
Once their clothes and shoes were on, the three of them walked out hand in hand.
Yi Zuo and Yi You were about to follow, but Ye Ningyuan told them to go back. "Don't worry, with me here, no one in the palace will dare to cause trouble."
Yi Zuo and Yi You exchanged glances, thinking that indeed, no one in the palace would likely not recognize this county princess.
The three of them, without any servants, wandered around the imperial palace. Liu Lanxue wanted to go to the place where she had picked flowers last time.
Su Yunmo then took her there.
Next to the plum garden was a lake.
After a snowfall, the lake had frozen over.
Su Yunmo sat in a pavilion, rubbing her hands as she watched Liu Lanxue pick flowers.
A snowball flew over.
'Splat!'
Su Yunmo's mouth twitched. Gritting her teeth, she brushed the snow off her head.
Some of it fell into her collar, making her gasp from the cold.
"Ye, Ning, Yuan!"
Ye Ningyuan was squatting not far away, rolling a snowball, pointing at the little dumpling, and laughing heartily. "How about that? Gotcha! Momo, you can't escape my grasp."
Su Yunmo raised her hand.
A gust of wind rose from the ground, immediately kicking up a large amount of snow and burying Ye Ningyuan.
"Ahhh!" Ye Ningyuan screamed, pushing the snow away and trying to run out, but her foot slipped and she fell to the ground.
Su Yunmo burst into laughter, feeling refreshed as she clapped her hands.
This person was still too green to compete with her.
Not far away, Lin Yuning, accompanied by her maid, watched with cold eyes.
The maid, Ju Xiang, said with some concern, "Although it's the Empress's order, the decree allowing the General's Mansion's young lady to enter the palace freely was issued by the Empress Dowager. What can the Princess Consort do?"
Lin Yuning's gaze fell on Liu Lanxue, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes.
What the Empress wanted was nothing more than for Consort Liang to no longer appear before His Majesty. In fact, there was a more direct method than going through Su Yunmo.
That was for Consort Liang to disappear completely!
"Ju Xiang, find someone to tell Su Yunmo that His Majesty requests her presence. Tell her to put aside everything and go to the study first."
Ju Xiang was surprised. "Princess Consort, doing this is like forging an imperial decree! If it's discovered, it's a capital offense."
Lin Yuning sneered. "Don't worry. Soon, no one will believe Su Yunmo's words, especially His Majesty, who will believe her even less."
Ju Xiang hesitated for a moment, then bowed and left.
Meanwhile, Ye Ningyuan had finally crawled out of the snowdrift. Her peripheral vision caught sight of Lin Yuning hiding in the shadows.
Ye Ningyuan's eyes flickered, and a devilish smile curved her lips.
Let's see what good ideas you can come up with.
A small eunuch soon ran over from a distance and said a few words to Su Yunmo by the pavilion.
Su Yunmo frowned and looked up to call for Consort Liang.
"Momo, what happened?" Ye Ningyuan walked over to the pavilion, brushing the snow off herself.
Su Yunmo stood up. "His Majesty says he wants me to go over. I'll take Your Highness back. Let's return to the palace first."
Ye Ningyuan looked at the little eunuch in surprise, a hint of helplessness in her expression. "But we just came out, and Your Highness is having a good time. How about you go? I'll watch Your Highness here?"
Su Yunmo pursed her lips and looked at her, saying nothing.
Ye Ningyuan shrugged. "What, you don't trust me? If it were anything else, it would be fine, but watching people is child's play."