Chapter 290: Ye Shangyi Is Punished
Chapter 290: Chapter 290: Ye Shangyi Is Punished
She was a little conflicted.
She looked up at Uncle Pang and saw he really couldn’t carry everything by himself.
So she asked cautiously, "Uncle Pang, isn’t Second Brother back yet? Why didn’t he send an attendant to help you?"
Uncle Pang had a round face, and his smile was as serene as a Maitreya Buddha.
"It’s just a few things. I couldn’t possibly trouble the Second Young Master’s men over this."
"Besides, the Second Young Master is swamped. There’s a pile of cases at the Ministry of Justice waiting for him."
"That’s why he’s still not back this late. I’ll just deliver the items directly to his room to save him the trouble."
Shen Ningning finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay!" She skipped along happily, following beside Uncle Pang.
The little one didn’t want to run into Xie Ming’an.
So, after they brought the items inside, she quickly ran back out.
Uncle Pang found it rather strange.
But on second thought, he figured Shen Ningning was just being proper.
She never entered others’ courtyards without a good reason.
’What a well-mannered, good child,’ he thought.
Uncle Pang chuckled and said, "Commandery Princess, I don’t have much to thank you with."
"But I do know how to make malt candy. If you’d like some, we can go to the kitchen now. I’ll make a batch for you as a token of my gratitude."
Shen Ningning’s round eyes instantly lit up. "Okay, I want some!"
The two of them left, talking and laughing.
Only after they were gone did Xie Ming’an emerge from a dark corner with his attendant.
He pursed his thin lips, his expression cold and proud.
His personal attendant, Ah Zheng, said, "Second Young Master, it looks like the Commandery Princess was helping Uncle Pang bring gift boxes to your room."
Xie Ming’an averted his gaze and walked toward his courtyard.
He didn’t forget to give Ah Zheng a cold command. "Tell Uncle Pang I don’t like other people in my courtyard."
Ah Zheng understood at once. "Yes..."
Inside the room, he saw a neat pile of gift boxes.
Xie Ming’an didn’t even glance at these gifts from social obligations, simply having Ah Zheng move them to his personal storeroom.
The land was frozen solid. As the days passed, the cold disaster sweeping Cangyun Country grew even more severe.
In Youzhou, the coldest region in the north, people were even beginning to die in large numbers.
It had gotten so desperate that the dead were being used as fuel by their own kin to keep warm.
When word of this reached the Capital City, the Emperor grew uneasy and decided to embark on a tour with the Crown Prince.
They would inspect Chongzhou, the province nearest the Capital City, to show the Emperor’s boundless grace and demonstrate that the court would not abandon any of its territories.
No sooner had Mo Lingwei said his goodbyes to Shen Ningning and departed...
...than Ye Shangyi showed up at the Huangzi Class looking for her when she was at the National Academy.
"See if you can spot what’s different about me today." Ye Shangyi proudly lifted her skirt hem and twirled in front of Shen Ningning.
She was half a head taller than Shen Ningning, so the little one could only blink her large, sparkling eyes and crane her neck to look up at her.
She stared for a good while.
Shen Ningning shook her head, puzzled. "Nothing’s different."
"Same as always. Two eyes, one nose, and one mouth."
Ye Shangyi was so exasperated by her logic that she nearly stumbled and fell.
She stomped her foot in frustration. "Look at my ears! My ears!"
Only then did Shen Ningning notice.
Ye Shangyi was also wearing a pair of rabbit-fur earmuffs.
Her small mouth fell open in surprise. It took her a moment to process it. "Are you copying me?"
"I am," Ye Shangyi said, smoothing the hair at her temples with a haughty air. "I saw you wearing them last time and thought they looked lovely, so I had a pair made for myself."
"So? Don’t they look better on me than on you? Why didn’t you show off something so nice sooner? Were you afraid everyone would copy you?"
Shen Ningning was at a loss, her little round face a picture of speechlessness.
She only wore them to hide the injury to her ear.
But Ye Shangyi had turned it into a novel fashion statement.
Shen Ningning offered a perfunctory compliment. "Mhm, you look the best."
Ye Shangyi was delighted to get the answer she wanted.
She huffed. "Since you have such a sweet mouth, I’ll tell you a secret."
Shen Ningning was curious. "What secret?"
"I don’t think Consort Rong likes you," Ye Shangyi said bluntly, dropping the statement like a bombshell.
Shen Ningning was stunned.
It wasn’t that she was surprised by Consort Rong’s dislike for her.
It was that Ye Shangyi could say something like that so casually, with no regard for their surroundings!
Ye Shangyi’s two maids were standing right there. Even though their heads were bowed, their ears weren’t just for show!
Besides, there were other students coming and going all around them.
Shen Ningning’s soft voice was filled with astonishment. "Are you crazy?!"
Ye Shangyi frowned, puzzled. "What’s wrong? I’m trying to be nice and warn you, and you curse at me?"
Shen Ningning grabbed her by the sleeve and pulled her aside.
"How could you say something like that in public? You’re a female official serving the Ninth Prince now. If word of this gets back to Consort Rong, you’ll be done for!"
Ye Shangyi snorted, unconcerned.
"Who would dare repeat what I said? My grandfather would be the first to make them pay."
"Besides, I was just voicing a suspicion. Surely Consort Rong isn’t so petty that she’d hold it against me."
Shen Ningning pursed her pink lips, her little face adorably round.
"Anyway, I’m just looking out for you. Don’t say it again. As for Consort Rong’s attitude toward me, I’m well aware of it."
Now Ye Shangyi was displeased.
She flung her sleeve in anger. "Shen Ningning, you don’t know what’s good for you."
"You’re the only one who’s so timid. My grandfather is the Imperial Tutor, and I have his favor. I refuse to be like you, worrying about this and that."
"I was clearly trying to help you, but you’re ungrateful! Fine. I won’t say another word about it ever again."
Ye Shangyi turned and stormed off.
Shen Ningning called after her twice, but she didn’t look back.
「A few days later.」
Shen Ningning had just stepped out of a shop.
A panting maidservant ran up and stopped her.
"Princess Funing, I’ve finally found you! I am a servant of Miss Qi."
"The Qi Family? You mean Xiao Wei?"
The maid nodded hurriedly.
In a frantic tone, she said, "My lady asked me to bring you a message."
"Lady Ye somehow offended Consort Rong and is being punished in the palace as we speak."
"I heard she’s been kneeling for an hour already. My lady is worried something might happen, so she begs you to enter the palace and try to intervene."
After all, with both the Emperor and the Crown Prince away from the palace...
...the authority over the Six Palaces rested in Consort Rong’s hands.
Grand Tutor Ye couldn’t interfere in the affairs of the inner palace.
Shen Ningning was the most suitable person to go to the palace and help.
The little one hadn’t expected Consort Rong to actually punish Ye Shangyi. She suspected that Consort Rong must have found out about the warning Ye Shangyi had given her that day.
"I’ll go to the palace right now." Shen Ningning hastily gave instructions to the staff at the shop before taking a carriage to the palace.
Her identity was well known, so the guards didn’t make things difficult for her and let her pass into the palace.
Shen Ningning had just reached the entrance of Consort Rong’s palace...
...when she saw Ye Shangyi’s frail figure kneeling at the foot of the steps.
Hearing the commotion, Ye Shangyi turned and was surprised to see Shen Ningning.
"What are you doing here?" She immediately frowned. "Go away. You can’t fix this. Go tell my grandfather to come."
Shen Ningning caught her breath.
She walked over to Ye Shangyi’s side and said, "Consort Rong is a member of the inner palace."
"I heard on the way here that she’s punishing you over a matter concerning the Ninth Prince. Even if Grand Tutor Ye comes, he won’t be able to help you."
Ye Shangyi gritted her teeth. Her knees were already aching and numb.
She rubbed them discreetly. "Then you should go. Don’t get on Consort Rong’s bad side because of me."
But Shen Ningning said, "I’m already here. I came to help you."
The little one stepped forward and asked a palace maid to announce her presence to Consort Rong.
Ye Shangyi watched her back, a complicated feeling welling up inside her.
She never expected that the one to come to her aid when she was in trouble would be Shen Ningning.
The palace maid went inside to announce her and came back out a moment later.
"Princess Funing, my apologies. Her Ladyship is not feeling well and is unable to see you. Please go back."