When Consort Gui passed on her greetings, Empress and Consort Xian also had no reason to sit here, so they stood up together.
Yuan Qingling supported Retired Emperor by the lake and walked a few steps. Feeling a little tired, he sat down on a wooden chair by the lake. Yuan Qingling tied his outer robe for him neatly. The weather today was neither cold nor hot, but certainly not hot either.
"Come on, do you have to be so meticulous?" Retired Emperor said impatiently.
"I must. You've walked quite a distance out here. If you get hot, you can't blow cold winds," Yuan Qingling said.
"At such a young age, you're already so nagging," Retired Emperor lifted his neck to let Yuan Qingling's hands work. As he raised his head, he saw Empress and the others coming over.
Retired Emperor's eyebrows drooped down. "How boring."
Yuan Qingling looked back and immediately stood upright with her hands by her sides, thinking to herself: How boring.
One Empress, one Consort Gui, and one Consort Xian - three of them came over, naturally followed by many palace maids. This large group of people came over mightily, making it feel instantly crowded in the Imperial Garden.
Yuan Qingling went forward properly to greet them, "Greetings to Empress, greetings to Consort Gui, greetings to Consort Xian."
She made a mistake in the greetings. According to protocol, she should have addressed Empress as Mother Empress, Consort Gui as Di Consort Mother, and Consort Xian as Mother Consort.
However, with Retired Emperor present, no one bothered to correct her. They came forward together, curtsied, "Your servant greets Retired Emperor."
Retired Emperor was in a gentle mood today. He smiled slightly, "You're all here."
Empress stepped forward respectfully and replied, "In response to Retired Emperor, the weather is good today, so my sisters have all come out. I hope Retired Emperor is well?"
"I'm good. If I wasn't, could I be out walking?" Retired Emperor said spiritedly.
"As long as Retired Emperor is well, it is a blessing for Northern Tang. Isn't that right, Princess of Chu?" Consort Xian said with a smile.
Yuan Qingling was distracted - uniform? What uniform?
She responded, "Yes, wearing uniforms."
Consort Xian's expression immediately darkened halfway. "Is the Princess tired?"
Yuan Qingling shook her head. "Not tired, thank you for your concern, Consort Xian."
Consort Xian was about to be angered to death by her.
Consort Gui looked over Yuan Qingling. Lately, this Princess of Chu has been in favor. Although she didn't interact with the other consorts in the palace, there were never any secrets in the palace. News would spread all over within a few days.
This Princess of Chu was the first consort to enter the palace to care for an ill person. Her reputation wasn't good in the past, but seeing her now standing quietly and demurely next to Retired Emperor, and neither arrogant nor submissive to Empress and Consort Xian, she seemed to be a transparent person.
It appears that rumors cannot be fully trusted.
Empress was also looking at Yuan Qingling. After the Nan Zhu incident, she held hostility towards Yuan Qingling, but never really paid attention to her. But seeing Yuan Qingling accompany Retired Emperor out for a stroll today, and even support Retired Emperor, she had to start paying more attention now.
Consort Xian had the most complex feelings.
She still disliked Yuan Qingling, and even hoped that King Chu would be ruthless enough to discard her. She wanted to get on good terms with the Chu family, and it seemed that things were already halfway successful, but was put on hold by Yuan Qingling's disagreement.
The chain of events led to her deeply hating Yuan Qingling.
But seeing her gain favor with Retired Emperor now, and Retired Emperor having the final say in choosing the Crown Prince...
Consort Xian decided to observe first, and temporarily put aside her intentions against Yuan Qingling.
Retired Emperor calmly said, "I'm tired, let's head back."
Yuan Qingling responded and reached out to support him, "Let's go then."
"Sending off Retired Emperor respectfully!" The three of them curtsied to see him off.
It was after sending Retired Emperor back to the palace that Tangyang came to report it was time to return to the manor.
The carriage ride back to the manor was silent. Yuan Qingling didn't make a sound or look at Yuwen Hao. She just thought back to the scene in the Imperial Garden.
She could sense the subtle changes in Consort Xian's mood. For now, Consort Xian and her maiden family wouldn't have any ideas or actions against her, due to the favor shown by the Emperor and Retired Emperor towards her.
But that didn't mean her situation had improved. The Chu family or Chu Mingcui would certainly become more wary of her because of this.
In addition, with Yuwen Hao taking on the role of Prefect of Jingzhao, it was like throwing a pebble into the calm lake, immediately stirring up the waters.
It was commonly known that Emperor Ming Yuan was cold towards King Chu, so he would absolutely not entrust him with important responsibilities.
Therefore, some would guess that this was on Retired Emperor's wishes.
And the person getting along most happily with Retired Emperor recently was her, the Princess of Chu. Speaking a few words for King Chu in front of Retired Emperor would make King Chu go from a thorn in the Emperor's eye to being in favor.
What if King Chu had ambitions for the Crown Prince's position?
Yuan Qingling shuddered as she recalled the one time Yuwen Hao was assassinated.
"Scratch my back for me!" Yuwen Hao's slightly irritable voice came from beside her.
He vigorously rubbed his back against the cushion, his swollen face indiscernible. He couldn't even open his eyes.
Yuan Qingling said, "Your hands can reach."
Yuwen Hao shakily stretched out his hands, pitifully trying hard to open his eyes to look at her. Although it was just a slit, Yuan Qingling's laughing face was still captured in his vision.
His hands were as swollen as pig's trotters. Wherever was uncovered, he had been stung by wasps.
He really looked miserable from the injuries.
Although Yuan Qingling felt this guy was a bully, his current appearance was quite pitiful.
She scratched him through his clothes. "Here?"
She didn't have long nails and couldn't get to the itch through his clothes. The light strokes up and down even made him feel more itchy.
"No, put your hand directly inside, through the collar!" Yuwen Hao said, writhing.
Yuan Qingling half knelt up and pulled open his collar to put her hand inside.
"Here?"
"A bit lower."
"The left chicken wing?"
"You're the chicken wing. Below the shoulder blade." He tried hard to glare angrily, but to little effect.
"Where is it?"
"You're so stupid," he said angrily. "It's the left chicken wing."
Yuan Qingling laughed. She actually knew where it was, because his back kept accommodating the movement of her fingers when she put her hand inside.
"What an arrogant rooster." Yuan Qingling laughed and said.
"Shut up!" Yuwen Hao effortlessly closed his eyes, feeling comforted deep in his heart by her scratching. He would forgive her shamelessness for now.
Although he wouldn't forgive her, he had no way to deal with her either.
"Harder, lower down." Yuwen Hao murmured.
Yuan Qingling leaned her body forward, stretching her hand down with her chest nearly entirely pressed against his face.
Yuwen Hao's face was originally hot, painful, and sore. Suddenly colliding with softness, he instantly felt the soreness and pain recede quite a bit.
This woman was too insidious. Even at this time, she didn't forget to seduce him.
But feeling her scratching pleasurably, he would let it slide for now.
But was there cotton stuffed in her chest? Why was it so soft and comfortable?
It was so comfortable that he couldn't help turning his face, burying it deeply inside.
