无翼乌工口里番无色无摭挡

Li Yuanyuan candidly admitted, “I won’t lie, sister, I have considered it. However, our prince isn’t like others, he despises those who try to bribe his associates. If I were to do this, not only would I not win over Eunuch Li, I might harm myself and him.”

Jiang Ning laughed, “Is it really that serious?”

“Sister, you don’t know the prince’s temperament.”

“What kind of temperament?” asked Jiang Ning, and before Li Yuanyuan could answer, she continued, “Cold-blooded and heartless?”

Even though Li Yuanyuan is usually forthright in expressing herself, she didn’t know how to answer this.

Jiang Ning rested her chin on her hand with a lazy smile, “Back in the Prince of Yu’s mansion, there were two others besides you. I wonder what happened to them.”

Li Yuanyuan chuckled, “They made mistakes. It’s right that they were punished. Besides, the prince only sent them to the countryside, nothing more.”

“Is that so? Concubine Li has some power now, why not look it up?”

Jiang Ning said this because she had learned from Jiang Yi that those two women were dead.

How they died was unclear.

In Jiang Ning’s view, Li Hongyuan must have been involved.

If his treatment of the women who served him was this cruel, it revealed his ruthless nature.

Hearing Jiang Ning’s words, Li Yuanyuan’s face turned a little pale. She lowered her head and stopped talking.

After a long silence, she said, “That’s why I can’t disobey the prince’s wishes. Sister, there’s no need to worry. The prince is only punishing Eunuch Li. It won’t cost him his life. He just has to kneel for a few days.”

Jiang Ning smiled and left it at that.

After sitting for a while, Li Yuanyuan stood up and excused herself.

Supporting herself with the hand of a palace maid, she went outside and saw two maids approaching, both of whom she recognised.

One was Chunlai, the other was Xiachu.

These palace maids were brought from the Prime Minister’s Mansion by the Princess Consort herself. They had a close relationship, and Li Yuanyuan always showed extra courtesy to them.

However, today her smile barely held on her face.

Chunlai and Xiachu stopped to pay their respects.

Li Yuanyuan’s eyes couldn’t help but fall on Chunlai’s clothes.

It was a scarlet dress.

Exactly the same colour as the one she wore.

But the difference was, the fabric of Chunlai’s dress was obviously more sumptuous and elaborate.

From afar, one wouldn’t notice, but standing together, the comparison was clear.

Even the palace maid beside Li Yuanyuan changed her expression.

Li Yuanyuan laughed, “They say the Princess Consort is generous. Indeed, it is true. Chunlai, your dress is quite lovely.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Concubine Li. This is a casual gift from Her Highness, it’s nothing special.” Chunlai casually tugged at her skirt.

Li Yuanyuan smiled and, holding the hand of the palace maid, walked away.

As she passed, her smile disappeared.

The palace maid whispered, “Her dress looks more expensive than yours…”

“I’m not blind!” Li Yuanyuan glared at her, “Of course the Crown Prince would give the Princess Consort something better than what he gives me.”

The palace maid wanted to say something, but held back.

“What do you want to say?” Li Yuanyuan looked at her.

“I heard that the clothes of the maids around the Princess Consort aren’t from the palace, they’re all from the Prime Minister’s Mansion.”

“No wonder.” Li Yuanyuan sighed, “They have the backing of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, which has abundant resources. What do I have?”

Back to her room, she threw off the dress.

Even then, the news spread across the East Palace, and Concubine Li became the laughingstock for some time.