Chapter 11: It's All That Fool Yuan Peipei's Fault!

The words "This Palace" clearly made Yuan Jinjin realize the chasm in status between herself and Yuan Peipei.

However, her misfortune was only just beginning.

Because the Emperor had issued a decree, although Chancellor Yuan and the others had returned home, Yuan Jinjin was ordered to stay behind.

She resided in a side hall of the Palace of Radiant Clothes.

Nanny Yu Huan also remained in the Palace of Radiant Clothes, never leaving, specifically to correct Yuan Jinjin’s mistakes in palace etiquette and regulations.

“Miss Yuan, you should wait for Consort Rou to lift her tea cup before you move.”

“Miss Yuan, these jewelry pieces belong to Consort Rou; they were gifts from the Emperor. You must not touch them.”

“Miss Yuan, when you see Consort Rou, you should bow first.”

Yuan Jinjin’s anger gnawed at her teeth, but she dared not retort.

It was said that Nanny Yu Huan had served the late Emperor and her words carried great weight within the palace.

That night, Du Gu Jin arrived, and Yuan Jinjin was strictly forbidden from leaving the side hall.

Yuan Peipei was somewhat worried. “My brother is injured. Could he be angry with me?”

Du Gu Jin lifted her onto his lap. “Peipei, are you afraid he will be angry, or are you afraid I will?”

“You.” Yuan Peipei answered without hesitation.

Du Gu Jin kissed her lips. “Why are you afraid I’ll be angry? Because you fear me?”

Yuan Peipei was straightforward, saying whatever came to mind. She shook her head. “I don’t want you to be angry.”

Her hand rested gently on Du Gu Jin’s brow, smoothing the furrow there. “I want you to be happy.”

Du Gu Jin was delighted. He pinched her cheek and carried her into the inner chamber.

Yuan Peipei nervously wrapped her arms around his neck. “My sister is still in the side hall.”

Du Gu Jin set her down and began loosening her belt. “Hmm, then Peipei, you must be quieter.”

[This fanfiction is unfolding exactly as I hoped!]

[I wish for Peipei and the main antagonist here to have a good ending.]

[The heroine is still sulking in the side hall. Seeing it from another angle, she seems a bit skewed in her values, her characterization somewhat unstable?]

Indeed, Yuan Jinjin was very angry.

Thinking of Yuan Peipei’s grand and magnificent main hall, while she herself had to live in this small side hall, her heart burned with resentment.

In the middle of the night, palace maids came and went, delivering hot water to the main hall.

Even a fool like Yuan Jinjin knew why.

Unexpectedly, that fool Yuan Peipei was quite adept at seducing men; entering the palace ended up benefiting her!

That night, Yuan Jinjin tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Her unwillingness fermented into the seed of jealousy, slowly sprouting deep within her heart.

At breakfast, she thought she could eat with Yuan Peipei, but when she reached the main hall’s entrance, she saw Yuan Peipei sitting in the arms of that lofty man.

It was the Emperor himself feeding her!

And it was obvious this was not the first time.

Didn’t she have hands of her own?

To be held by the Emperor himself as he fed her—she was truly a bewitching consort!

Suddenly, Du Gu Jin looked up, his cold, harsh gaze falling upon the main hall’s entrance, meeting Yuan Jinjin’s eyes.

Yuan Jinjin froze, a chill running down her spine. She quickly turned and returned to the side hall.

Looking at the simple dishes on her table and then at the sumptuous feast on Yuan Peipei’s, Yuan Jinjin found she could not eat.

The more she looked at her meager meal, the angrier she became. She decided to leave the Palace of Radiant Clothes to take a walk nearby.

But soon she was captivated by the magnificence here, the blend of splendor and solemnity.

If it had been her who entered the palace, would the Emperor have held her in his arms to feed her as well?

Besides, she was more educated, wiser, and more helpful to the Emperor. As the chancellor’s daughter, the position of Empress would be hers and no one else’s.

Walking, Yuan Jinjin suddenly stopped.

Heavens, what was she thinking?

She was actually thinking about that tyrant…

Caught unawares, Yuan Jinjin bumped into someone and fell. The other person was steady enough to be helped by palace maids.

“Your Highness, please be careful!”

Consort Shu frowned, glaring at Yuan Jinjin who was still on the ground. “What lowly maid is this? Have you no eyes when you walk? Which palace do you belong to?”

Yuan Jinjin stood, bowed, and said, “Greetings, Your Highness. I am the chancellor’s daughter and have entered the palace to accompany Consort Rou.”

The words “Consort Rou” were like a spark in the harem; anyone who heard them would be furious.

The Emperor came and went from the Palace of Radiant Clothes daily, treating others as mere ornaments—who would not be jealous?

“Oh, so you are the chancellor’s daughter. From your bearing, you don’t look like a palace maid. Since you came to accompany your sister, why are you here alone?”

Yuan Jinjin, taught strictly by Nanny Yu Huan to never forget palace rules, bowed before answering, “Consort Rou is with the Emperor, so…”

Jealousy flickered in Consort Shu’s eyes.

She appraised Yuan Jinjin and then softened, smiling as she stepped forward to take her hand.

“Oh my, your hand is injured. This must not be neglected. Why don’t you come to my palace first for treatment and rest?”

Without waiting for a refusal, Consort Shu turned and walked away.

Unable to refuse, Yuan Jinjin followed.

At Consort Shu’s palace, palace maids treated Yuan Jinjin’s injury and brought fresh tea and warm pastries—far better treatment than in the Palace of Radiant Clothes.

“From what I see, Miss Yuan’s temperament surpasses your sister’s. If you had entered the palace first, I believe you would have been more favored than she is now,” Consort Shu said, her tone dripping with sourness.

Yuan Jinjin was not without words. “My younger sister has always been straightforward and prone to tears. Our family dotes on her, and she willingly entered the palace, to which our father consented.”

Willingly entered the palace?

Consort Rou was clearly not as foolish as she appeared.

Consort Shu continued, “I heard your brother was punished yesterday in the Palace of Radiant Clothes? So was Consort Rou. Her own brother didn’t support her and took thirty strokes. Even if she passes the imperial exams in the future, this stain will never fade. It will ruin her entire career, all because of yesterday.”

Yuan Jinjin clenched her fists tightly.

It was all that fool Yuan Peipei’s fault!

“You, as her elder sister, should remind her more often. Don’t be too high-profile, or you will suffer losses. There is no eternal favor in this palace. When the Emperor loses interest, her days will be very difficult.”

With that, Consort Shu yawned. “I am a bit tired. Miss Yuan, feel free to make yourself comfortable.”

She then instructed the maids, “Throw away that box of old rouge. Luckily, we discovered it early; otherwise, my face would be ruined. How could I face anyone then? Might as well be dead.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Yuan Jinjin followed the maids out and watched as they tossed a box of rouge into a corner before leaving.

Yet her feet felt as if nailed to the spot, unable to move.

Returning to the Palace of Radiant Clothes, the Emperor had already left, and coincidentally, Nanny Yu Huan was gone as well.

Yuan Peipei smiled happily, “Sister, where did you just go? I couldn’t find you anywhere. Oh, by the way, this morning the Emperor drew my eyebrows. Do you think they look nice?”