Chapter 10

Kang Yu Yi couldn’t make up her mind, so she looked up at the Emperor, who was much taller than her, and blinked her eyes, hoping he would say something.

The Emperor couldn’t remember what the Grand Princess’s daughter looked like he only recalled that she was the granddaughter of Pei Ming, the head of the cabinet.

Although she was his cousin, he had been engrossed in martial arts and studying the art of war, literature, and history since childhood, leaving him no time to engage with these royal relatives.

When he occasionally encountered them at banquets he had to attend, he didn’t pay much attention to them.

Pei YuQian’s visit to Luhua Palace was to greet the Consort. He shouldn’t have involved himself as he was usually impatient with such matters.

But now, with his consort only sixteen years old, she was staring at him blankly waiting for him to offer advice.

The Emperor’s eyes flickered with amusement as he watched her blink and make faces.

“The Consort and I have not yet had breakfast let her leave for now,” the Emperor said, waving his hand. His expression was indifferent making it hard to tell his feelings.

At that moment, a sudden flash of thunder and lightning occurred outside and it immediately began to pour heavily creating a ‘whoosh’ sound.

The weather at the end of May is always unpredictable; just moments ago, there was morning light, but suddenly dark clouds covered the sky, and large raindrops began to pelt the ground.

Pei Yuqian stood inside the eaves of the front hall and was not caught in the rain, but she felt embarrassed when she heard that the Emperor refused to see her.

Kang Yu Yi saw that the rain was so heavy that even with an umbrella, one would still get wet. She couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy.

At the previous lotus appreciation banquet, the Grand Princess had made things difficult for her but Miss Pei didn’t seem to have any particular grievances against her.

“Your Majesty, why don’t we summon Miss Pei after all?” Kang Yu Yi asked cautiously.

The Emperor raised his eyebrows slightly, remaining noncommittal.

He remembered that the report mentioned the Grand Princess had not been courteous to the Consort at the Lotus Appreciation Banquet two days ago, so he didn’t expect that she would be willing to receive the Grand Princess’s daughter.

Hearing Kang Yu Yi’s suggestion, the attendants hurriedly went to summon Pei Yuqian to the inner hall.

When she entered the front hall, the Emperor and the Consort were already seated at the dining table, enjoying a sumptuous breakfast.

“This daughter of the Pei family, Yuqian offers greetings to His Majesty and to the Consort,” Pei Yuqian said, bowing and saluting with dignified and proper movements.

The Emperor ignored her and continued to drink green bean soup from a dragon-patterned golden bowl with a spoon, unfazed.

Kang Yu Yi quickly said, “Don’t be formal, please get up.”

The day before at the Lotus Feast, Kang Yu Yi had been dazed and hadn’t had a chance to closely observe the Grand Princess’s daughter.

Now, upon closer inspection she was indeed quite striking.

Pei Yuqian and Kang Yu Yi had distinctly different appearances, each with their own charm and merits.

Kang Yu Yi had a classic oval face, a pretty appearance, bright and charming, with smooth skin and a curvaceous figure—ample bosom and hips. She was a natural beauty, with every smile and frown exuding allure, like a resplendent and captivating peony.

And Pei Yuqian has a melon-seed face, her features like a painting, a slender figure reminiscent of a weak willow in the wind. Her demeanor is gentle and her temperament is ethereal, like a water lotus of clear ice and jade.

The two share the same nickname, Yu’er, but their appearances and temperaments are vastly different.

Today, Pei Yuqian is wearing a waist-length plain snow silk dress. Her dark hair is twisted and pinned up into a cloud-like bun, adorned with a few simple hairpins, giving her a fairy-like appearance.

As Kang Yu Yi observed her, Pei Yuqian quickly glanced at Consort Kang sitting beside the Emperor.

The Great East Pearl, which only emperors and empresses are permitted to use was strung into a necklace and worn around Consort Kang’s snow-white neck.

Dongzhu is an exceedingly rare treasure, and large Dongzhu pearls are even rarer.

To see such a string of large, round, golden Dongzhu pearls casually draped around her neck was quite surprising to Pei Yuqian.

According to palace regulations, even the Empress of the Middle Kingdom is allowed to wear only one large pearl among every twenty-seven beads on the court beads, with only four large pearls out of a total of one hundred and eight.

Consort Kang was casually wearing dozens of large Dongzhu pearls around her neck.

However, Kang Yu Yi did not recognize the necklace as being made of Dongzhu pearls, thinking it was just ordinary pearls, which would not stand out in a dressing box filled with so many exotic treasures.

To cover the marks on her neck from the Emperor’s grasp the previous night, Kang Yu Yi had specially chosen this necklace.

Although the mark had faded significantly after applying ointment and a night’s rest, a faint reddish trace remained.

This Dongzhu necklace was shorter compared to the other necklaces, and it was perfectly positioned to conceal the mark.

The rain outside gradually lessened but continued to patter, falling on the unique glazed blue tiles of Luhua Palace and dripping off the eaves in front of the palace.

The Emperor, after finishing his breakfast leisurely and quickly, saw that the rain had subsided, then got up and left with a wide stride.

He did not glance at Pei Yuqian or say anything further to Kang Yu Yi.

Having seen how many times the Emperor made exceptions for Consort Kang, Pei Yuqian thought that His Majesty must favor her greatly for her extraordinary beauty, but now it seemed that was not entirely the case.

The Emperor has always been aloof and detached, and his behavior towards Consort Kang was no different.

Pei Yuqian couldn’t help but recall her mother, the Grand Princess, and her usual grand rhetoric. The long-vacant position of Empress of the Middle Kingdom indeed seemed like a position she could compete for.

In fact, there have been several queens from commoner or palace maid backgrounds in the history of this dynasty.

If Kang Yu Yi truly holds such a place in the Emperor’s heart and has given birth to the crown prince, no one would dare to object if the Emperor made an exception to appoint her as Empress.

However, since His Majesty did not make an exception for Kang Yu Yi and did not appoint her as Empress, it shows that Kang Yu Yi’s status in His Majesty’s heart is not as significant as one might expect.

After Kang Yu Yi finished her breakfast, a young maid brought a dish of red lychees.

These Gui-flavored lychees were rare tributes that had only arrived this morning from the south. They were transported quickly and kept in a freezer.

However, due to the long journey to the capital, many of them were damaged, and only a small basket remained intact.

Kang Yu Yi did not know what kind of fruit it was, but she instinctively picked one up, skillfully peeled it, and took a bite. The flesh was translucent, sweet and refreshing, with a fragrant taste.

“Your Highness, these Gui-flavored lychees arrived in the capital only this morning. His Majesty knows you have always enjoyed them, so he ordered that most of them be sent to our Luhua Palace,” said Zisu, deliberately using a triumphant tone to provoke Pei Yuqian.

Pei Yuqian remained composed and did not show any reaction.

Pei Yuqian smiled gently and said, “Your Highness, I came today to discuss the Empress Dowager’s Sacred Life Festival Banquet tomorrow.”

She paused slightly, “Although Your Highness’s parents are not of high rank, the Empress Dowager, considering your contribution to the birth of the Emperor’s eldest son, has specially allowed your parents to attend the banquet.”

After Kang Yu Yi was made a consort in the first year of Yuanxi, her parents were also freed from slavery.

However, her father, Kang Dahu, only received a nominal post as a fifth-rank Assistant Minister of Public Works, with no other titles.

Generally, palace banquets only invite those with titles of king, duke, marquis, or higher, and ministers of third rank or higher with their families.

Kang Yu Yi did not notice the underlying sarcasm in Zisu’s words. Hearing that she would see her parents tomorrow, she felt a surge of excitement.

Meanwhile, in the Zhaoming Palace’s Qinzheng Hall study, the Emperor summoned several imperial doctors from the Imperial Hospital to consult with them.

The head of the Imperial Hospital pondered for a moment and said, “I have read in many medical texts that a severe head injury can lead to amnesia.”

The Emperor recalled the night before Kang Yu Yi’s change in temperament, when they were in bed together, she had indeed bumped her head against the bed’s headboard.

But he had examined her at that time, and there was no noticeable bump or swelling on her head.

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