Transmigration: The Fate of the Villainess

205 She must have known before anyone could Part III

“His Majesty has sent this medicine to Empress, saying that it can help nourish the body.”

Bai Yu smelled the fragrant bowl of tonic. “Why doesn’t His Majesty himself come here?”

“The nation’s affairs are quite demanding. However, His Majesty has ordered me to pass on the message that Empress must take good care of your body.”

Bai Yu smiled. She drank the sweet medicine to the last drop before handing the bowl to the emperor’s eunuch. He would then bring it to show to Ouyang Feilong as proof that she had drank it all.

‘Take care of yourself, little fool.’ Flowery words did not suit Ouyang Feilong at all. It should be these irritating words that better reflect his true self. It was such a shame that they had so little opportunity to meet despite being in the same palace.

After Ouyang Feilong’s eunuch had left, Bai Yu headed straight to the royal garden, where her favorite plum blossoms were still in bloom. She strolled along the path in the garden as she recalled her conversation with the consorts a little while ago.

Today, Zhao Ninghua had quite broadened her horizons. Bai Yu had learned one thing: in sitting on the seat of the empress amidst countless consorts, there was no need to waste her words. She only had to wait and let them spew out everything before knocking them out with one punch, like how Zhao Ninghua had demonstrated. And after sending the critical punch, she turned to ask Bai Yu for her decision, closing the curtain so beautifully that Mu Qilin could not utter half a word more.

Bai Yu remembered the time she had walked with Empress Dowager Wei in this garden. While the elderly woman intended to teach Bai Hua a lesson, she still joyfully walked side by side with Bai Yu. If her memory was correct, Empress Dowager Wei was quite fond of these flowers. Unfortunately, back then, the weather was too cold and the path was too hard to walk on, so they could not stay for too long.

What if Bai Yu held the banquet in this garden and turned this flower grove into a performance stage?

.....

“T…Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Bai Yu’s thoughts were interrupted by a voice that was clearly being forced to sound more pleasant. Bai Yu raised her hand, stopping the long line of royal maids behind her in place while she silently continued alone to find the source of that voice.

“You?”

“Your Majesty, I am Mu Qilin.”

A familiar slender form appeared to Bai Yu. It was strange that Mu De Fei, who was never willing to attend the morning greeting, was dressing herself so elegantly today. The reason must be this ‘accident’ where she slipped and fell in front of Bai Yu’s husband.

A consort coincidentally met the emperor in the royal garden. Ouyang Feilong should still remember that he had brought it up to mock her during that time when he met her with Xu Luanle.

“What are you doing here?”

The cold tone had a wondrous effect on Mu Qilin’s heart. Her face reddened. “Your Majesty, the weather is nice today, so I came here to view the flowers.”

“Is that so?”

Bai Yu frowned. Why did Ouyang Feilong seem to be more talkative?

He was never interested in talking to a woman. Yet today he started a conversation with a woman who had pretended to fall in front of him. He even helped her up and spoke more than necessary.

Ouyang Feilong was standing looking at the lotus pond, and from her location, Bai Yu could not see his expression at all. However, Mu Qilin, who was beside him, knew that the emperor seemed to have let his guard down. Something was weighing on his mind because his eyes were gazing at the flowers in the water while he was still speaking to her.

“Does Your Majesty like lotus?”

The man did not answer. It was clear that he did not want to continue the conversation, though he did not drive Mu Qilin away. The emperor’s eunuch watched the scene of an emperor and a consort for a brief moment before slowly retreating to allow a private moment between the two.

As Bai Yu watched the pair being left alone, her heart wavered. When she was with Ouyang Feilong, the servants acted the same way as well. But why did she hate their cleverness now?

Right… She was frustrated by the servants’ being too clever. That must be it.

“Is Your Majesty going to continue to watch?”

A voice, not too low or too loud to disrupt the people, who Bai Yu had been watching, came. She glanced at the owner of the voice which sounded as if it was mocking her. That person was not entirely a stranger, while at the same time only half an acquaintance. It was Bai Xue, her half-sister.

“Your Majesty possesses admirable patience.”

“There’s nothing to be patient about.” Because she was not irritated by those two. What she did not like were only the blameless servants who were doing their duty.

“Your Majesty is being too complacent.” Bai Xue of today was calmer than when she was fooled by Bai Yu. “Sharing a husband with someone is never a good thing…sister.”

Bai Yu did not answer. She was waiting to hear what Bai Xue would say next.

“You have seen First Furen. You have seen me. Are you going to do nothing and let His Majesty be alone with another woman?” The old word of address was used when they were in private.

The new Bai Yu had never seriously spoken to Bai Xue, but now she understood why Yue Mei and the original Bai Yu had pushed Bai Xue to enter the palace and become consort. This woman was quite frightening.

“Then what should I do?”

“I only offer a warning. I can’t suggest anything.”

“Thank you,” Bai Yu said as she intended to leave and ignore both Bai Xue and Ouyang Feilong. However, she saw two children heading toward her.

When they saw Bai Yu, the children, a girl, and a boy, cleverly greeted her. “Blessings to the Empress.”

Bai Yu observed the children, who looked to be around six years of age. Their clothes had better cuts than the commoners’, but not as fine as the palace’s residents’. Who exactly were these children?

“They are the fifteenth princess and sixteenth prince, Your Majesty.” It was Bai Xue who answered her question.

Bai Yu recalled her memory. She was never pregnant, and none of Ouyang Feilong’s consorts was pregnant. Then who were the prince and princess here?

“They were born of a Pin rank consort, from the former emperor Ouyang Hongxian.” Again, Bai Xue answered.

Ouyang Hongxian’s children?

Was he not interested in men? Why did he have so many children?

No. The relationship between Ouyang Hongxian and Yue Nan could not be counted as ‘cut sleeves’ since that was not their true identity. Furthermore, Yue Nan knew Ouyang Hongxian only after he had produced many offspring.

Bai Xue’s maid came to lead the children away in order to not bother her.

“Their mothers’ ranks are too low, so they’re not treated very well. After the reign changed, His Majesty didn’t order them to leave the palace, so they’re still staying here.”

“They live in your palace?”

“I only pity them, so I brought them out to take a walk. Normally, these children don’t have this right.”

Bai Yu gazed at their little backs. Despite being the dragon’s offspring, their mothers were too lowly for them to be treated better. This was the world she was living in.

“If you have time, you can bring them to play with me too.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Bai Xue replied with a smile.

Bai Yu did not care what the objective of this woman’s talking to her was while having those children in tow. She exited the royal garden, forgetting all the frustrations that had plagued her before. When she arrived at her palace, she ordered Xiao Chang to investigate whether there were other princes and princesses in the royal palace or not. At the same time, she told her to bring clothes and things to the two children she had met. Fortunately, Ouyang Feilong was not so black-hearted that he would drive them out after becoming the new master of the palace. Still, the living conditions of these children should be managed by her, should they not?

Then why did she only learn about it now? What else did she not know about the inner palace?

“Xiao Xi.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Send an invitation to Wei Wang. Tell him I want to see him.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

If there was something she did not know, then she must have known it before anyone could.