Yun Zhu wept profusely, crying without end.
Consort Dowager Fang closed her eyes weakly. "Don't just cry. Tell me, what was it all for? Yun Zhu, I've always trusted you. You must have your reasons, right?"
Yun Zhu kowtowed three times to Consort Dowager Fang, crying, "It is Yun Zhu's fault, Your Ladyship. Yun Zhu simply couldn't stand the Princess Consort. The Princess Consort has a low birth and no upbringing. She should have been obedient and served her mother-in-law after marrying the Prince. But she is arrogant and overbearing, making things difficult for Your Ladyship at every turn and showing disrespect. Yun Zhu saw all of Your Ladyship's heartache."
"Your Ladyship has always treated me like a daughter. I was indignant and that's why I plotted to frame Yin Zhu. Yin Zhu is the Princess Consort's personal maid, representing the Princess Consort's dignity. With such a grave offense, and caught by Your Ladyship herself, the Princess Consort will have to tread carefully in front of Your Ladyship from now on!"
Yun Zhu cried, her face full of tears, but her voice was clear. "Later, seeing how angry Your Ladyship was, I regretted it. I was afraid I had truly harmed Miss Yin Zhu, so I went to find Jin Tiao."
"All the mistakes are this servant's fault. Your Ladyship, please do not harm your health because of me!"
Yun Zhu prostrated herself on the ground, weeping, her body trembling uncontrollably.
It had to be said, she understood Consort Dowager Fang very well.
Wang Qingyao's humble origins had always been a thorn in Consort Dowager Fang's side. If she had been obedient and docile, it would have been fine. But she was not someone who could be easily manipulated, and she constantly went against Consort Dowager Fang's wishes.
Yun Zhu's every word struck a chord with her.
She sighed and personally helped Yun Zhu up, looking at her with affection. "You did it all for me. Just don't do such things again. Although I dislike the Princess Consort, I dislike scheming and manipulation within the inner chambers even more."
"Yes," Yun Zhu choked out.
Consort Dowager Fang protected Yun Zhu and the next day presented an unrelated maid to Wang Qingyao.
She claimed this maid was jealous of Yin Zhu and had single-handedly orchestrated the incident of Yin Zhu's pregnancy.
Wang Qingyao knew she was being framed, but a scapegoat had to have the professional integrity of a scapegoat. Consort Dowager Fang had put her forward, so she must have promised her many good things, and there was no need to pity her.
Wang Qingyao did not make things too difficult for the maid, merely banished her from the Ding'an Prince's manor.
Later, Consort Dowager Fang bestowed many rewards upon Yin Zhu as compensation for the unjust accusations.
Yin Zhu, with her integrity, refused them.
Wang Qingyao said, "Why refuse? Everyone knows the truth. If she wants to protect Yun Zhu, she must pay the corresponding price."
Only then did Yin Zhu accept them.
However, after this incident, to avoid suspicion, she refused to continue learning martial arts from Jin Tiao, and her passion for martial arts cooled down.
The next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Due to this incident, the festive atmosphere of the holiday was significantly dampened.
In previous years, Yin Zhu would make several types of mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but this year she had no interest whatsoever.
Wang Qingyao distributed holiday bonuses to everyone in Kangping Courtyard, not only large red envelopes but also rare tonics, medicinal herbs, and fabrics. Only then did smiles appear on everyone's faces.
That day, a banquet was held in the palace. It was called a family banquet, not to entertain officials, but for the family to have a reunion dinner.
Royal family reunion dinners were different from ordinary families. The many consorts of the six palaces alone could fill dozens of tables.
Of course, not everyone was qualified to attend.
One had to be at least of the rank of Pin or have borne children.
Considering it, Prince Ding'an was considered among the "officials," but the Emperor's constant declaration of treating him "as his own son" meant he had to attend.
This was a great honor, representing imperial favor.
Consort Dowager Fang always considered herself a widow and did not attend such occasions.
Therefore, at noon, the masters of the Ding'an Prince's manor had lunch together, which served as their reunion dinner.
Xiao Mo's position was awkward, so he voluntarily offered to stay behind to accompany Consort Dowager Fang to admire the moon, not going to the palace with Xiao Yun and the others. This moved Consort Dowager Fang to tears.
When the time came, Xiao Yun took the Old Consort Dowager and Wang Qingyao, the two female family members, to the palace for the banquet.
The banquet was held in Wangyue Pavilion, yes, the pavilion specifically built for admiring the moon and stars. It was built tall and spacious, like a modern aerial restaurant capable of accommodating hundreds of people.
The Emperor sat at the head of the table, with the Empress Dowager and Noble Consort Wei beside him.
Below them were Noble Consort Wei's three princes.
The Ding'an Prince's manor's seats were right behind the three princes, indicating their status.
Further down were the various consorts. Wang Qingyao only recognized Consort Chen, who sat with the Seventh Prince. Beyond that, she didn't recognize anyone.
Some sat even further away, unable to even see the Emperor clearly, and could only speak to him when summoned to the front.
Such palace banquets were nothing more than saying flattering words to please the Emperor, followed by eating and drinking.
Unless something unexpected happened.
In fact, Wang Qingyao was quite worried. Based on the melodramatic palace novels and television dramas she had read, palace banquets were often the most suitable occasions for various schemes to unfold.
Consorts vying for favor...
Princes fighting for the throne...
She was the Princess Consort of Ding'an Prince, these things shouldn't concern her, right?
After taking her seat, Wang Qingyao thought ostrich-like.
In contrast, Xiao Yun was much more relaxed, even explaining dishes to the Old Consort Dowager and Wang Qingyao.
"...This clear soup tofu is no ordinary dish; it's filled with Buddha jumps over the wall..."
"This glazed fish bone is made from sturgeon bones over ten years old, simmered in nine-bone broth, finally forming this crystal-clear, glazed appearance."
...