Ye Ningyuan glanced at the little dumpling, a smile curving her lips. "Oh my, what's wrong with Prince Yu? He looks rather angry all of a sudden?"
Ye Jingyu's expression darkened. "If you don't want to be thrown out of the carriage, then shut your mouth."
Ye Ningyuan tilted her head, shrugging her shoulders. "Alright, everything is as you command."
Ye Jingyu shifted his gaze back to the little dumpling in his arms.
The little dumpling had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Ye Jingyu gently rubbed the top of her head with his large hand, his eyes shadowed.
Ye Ningyuan propped her chin with her hands, watching him quietly, the smile in her eyes deepening.
The carriage stopped at the palace gates.
The little dumpling was still sleeping soundly in the man's embrace, not yet awake.
Ye Ningyuan extended her hand to Ye Jingyu, raising an eyebrow. "Need a hand? Taking her to Consort Liang, right? I can do it for you."
Ye Jingyu cast a sideways glance at her, remaining silent, and alighted from the carriage with the little dumpling.
Ye Ningyuan watched his retreating figure stride away, shaking her head helplessly. "See, it's precisely because you're so overbearing that you allow me to take advantage of opportunities."
Momo was never meant to belong to just one person.
The little dumpling was carried to the cold palace.
Ye Jingyu placed her on the bed beside Consort Liang, who was also fast asleep, tucked her in, and then left to attend to his own matters.
Ye Ningyuan ambled leisurely through the palace towards the cold palace. "What about that beggar who was hiding in the Feng family's old residence that day?"
A dark guard followed her at a distance. "Prince Yu's men have discovered him. He was apprehended by the Ministry of Justice this morning."
Ye Ningyuan sighed. "As expected of someone trained by Ye Jingyu, their movements are indeed swift."
It seemed she needed to find something for Momo to do.
She twirled her fingers, her eyes flashing. "I heard His Majesty visited Consort Liang in the cold palace on the Winter Solstice? The Empress should still be in the dark about this, right?"
The dark guard replied, "Yes, this subordinate understands."
He bowed and retreated.
Ye Ningyuan then walked towards the cold palace with her hands behind her back, humming a tune.
Meanwhile, in Fengqi Palace.
Luo Yun'e looked at Lin Yuning, who was kneeling below and weeping incessantly, with growing impatience.
"A man can't possibly have only one wife and concubine. Since you are the Crown Princess, you should be magnanimous and courteous. It's merely a secondary consort, and you're making such a fuss over it?"
Initially, she had thought Lin Yuning was capable and from a noble family, believing her marriage to Cheng'er would be an asset. Now, she found her utterly useless.
She couldn't even handle such a small matter without losing composure; she was so pathetic.
Lin Yuning clutched a handkerchief, continuously wiping her tears.
"It's not that your daughter-in-law is being unreasonable, but that Southern Xinjiang Princess is simply too much. Even before entering the manor, she's clinging to His Highness all day. If she enters the manor later..."
Lin Yuning choked back a sob and continued, "Mother Empress, you don't know, but His Highness has even considered divorcing your daughter-in-law because of the Southern Xinjiang Princess."
"Even if I have a thousand and one faults, one must still consider the child in my womb. This is His Highness's first legitimate son!"
"If it truly comes to that, this child might not be kept..."
"Nonsense!" Luo Yun'e snapped. "How can you speak such words so carelessly?"
A flicker of cunning crossed Lin Yuning's eyes.
The Empress was indeed still concerned about her grandson.
"Alright, what you've said is not without reason. I will remind Cheng'er. Rest assured, as long as I am here, no one will dare to usurp your position as Crown Princess," Luo Yun'e promised in a deep voice.
Hearing her say this, Lin Yuning finally felt a little relieved.
"The ground is cold, don't kneel. Get up quickly," Luo Yun'e waved her hand.
Ju Xiang stepped forward and helped Lin Yuning to a seat.
Lin Yuning was overjoyed.
As long as Mother Empress spoke, His Highness would not easily abandon her.
Then, no matter what tricks that wretched Mei Yan played, His Highness would have to consider her if he wanted to do anything to her.
Qin Momo entered from outside and whispered something into Luo Yun'e's ear.
Luo Yun'e's expression immediately turned grim.
She raised her hand and hurled the teacup on the table to the ground. "Liu Lanxue!"
That bitch, that absolute bitch!
She had been wondering why His Majesty, who was fine moments ago, suddenly became so pensive and injured. It turned out Liu Lanxue had disturbed his mind!
If she had known that bitch was so troublesome, that even after being thrown into the cold palace and driven mad, she still found ways to seduce His Majesty, she shouldn't have spared her life back then!
The teacup shattered, and tea splashed onto Lin Yuning's dress, startling her. "Mother Empress, what's wrong?"
Why was she suddenly so enraged?
Liu Lanxue? That name sounded so familiar.
Right! It was Prince Yu's mother, who had been deposed and sent to the cold palace.
Qin Momo whispered a few words of persuasion.
Luo Yun'e took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and turned to look at Lin Yuning.
"You have some animosity towards that child from the General's manor, Su Yunmo, don't you? How much do you know about her?"
"If Mother Empress asks about others, I may not be certain, but if it's about Su Yunmo, I daresay no one in this entire world knows her better than I do," Lin Yuning said, her hand clenched tightly within her sleeve.
Luo Yun'e caught a fleeting glint of sharpness in her eyes. "I will naturally be your backing concerning Cheng'er, but there are some things I need you to do."
Within this palace, she couldn't openly make a move against Liu Lanxue because too many people were watching.
If nothing else, Su Yunmo was the biggest obstacle. Now that she had His Majesty's favor, she could do as she pleased within the palace.
If she were to protect Liu Lanxue, it would be difficult for Luo Yun'e to achieve anything.
Lin Yuning's eyes flickered as she stood up and bowed. "Mother Empress cherishes your daughter-in-law so dearly, your daughter-in-law will surely serve you."
Hmph, just now she was lecturing me about being magnanimous as a Crown Princess, yet she herself is also a jealous woman.
Liu Lanxue had already been relegated to the cold palace, and she was still so worried. Her jealousy was far greater than mine.
Luo Yun'e gritted her teeth and said word by word, "Find a way to drive Su Yunmo out of the palace, so she can never enter again!"
In the next few days, His Majesty would be taking all the princes to the imperial mausoleum. As long as Su Yunmo was not by Liu Lanxue's side, that woman alone would be at her mercy!
Lin Yuning said "Yes" in a deep voice, a thoughtful expression appearing in her eyes.
Getting Su Yunmo to leave the imperial palace? She would have to think of a good plan for that.
Meanwhile, Ye Ningyuan ambled into the cold palace.
By this time, Liu Lanxue had already woken up.
She was lying on the bed, gently stroking Su Yunmo's hair.
The little dumpling, drowsy from sleep, was nudged awake by her, murmuring sleepily.
Liu Lanxue quickly withdrew her hand, her eyes wide as she looked at the child cautiously.
The little dumpling opened her eyes and saw her flustered expression, yawning. "Mother Empress~"
They had already reached the cold palace? Why didn't Ye Jingyu wake her up?
"Go back to sleep, go back to sleep," Liu Lanxue reached out and covered her eyes.
Su Yunmo pouted, obediently closing her eyes. The sleepiness that had just vanished surged back.
Suddenly, she felt a kiss on her left cheek, and a familiar, annoying voice sounded in her ear.
"Momo sleeps so cutely. Looking so innocent, I really want to put you in a sack and take you home."