TICIEC Chapter 15.2

The Emperor had once even protected Ning Wanyin when she refused to pay her respects.

So why would he ignore what happened today?

Unless he no longer liked Ning Wanyin!

“If you count carefully, the Emperor hasn’t been to the Lingxue Pavilion for quite some time.” Song Qingzhi said to herself.

It seemed the Emperor’s favor for Ning Wanyin was merely a temporary novelty.

After the novelty wore off, she would be just another concubine. In the Emperor’s eyes, she was nothing special.

After figuring this out, Song Qingzhi felt very happy.

…

When the sun set in the west, Ning Wanyin returned to Lingxue Pavilion with the support of Lian Rui. Everyone in the pavilion was in a state of panic.

“What’s wrong?” Ning Wanyin asked with a frown.

Dan Li was at a loss. She thought that Ning Wanyin was the only one favored by the Emperor, so she looked down on others and was fearless.

Without the Emperor’s support, given Ning Wanyin’s past offenses against the Empress Dowager, there was no guarantee she would survive. Wouldn’t she be implicated?

“I went to the Qianxin Palace to invite His Majesty, but His Majesty ignored me…” Dan Li’s panicked tone was tinged with resentment.

“Master, you were so arrogant back then that you offended the Empress Dowager. How can you expect a good life from now on…”

Lian Rui interrupted sharply, “How dare you disrespect the Master and say such offensive words!”

“Didn’t I tell you all not to go?” Ning Wanyin’s eyes darkened as she looked at Dan Li.

The stern gaze frightened Dan Li. She took a step back and said with her neck stiff, “I was also worried about the safety of the Master. Who knew you would fall out of favor so quickly…”

“How dare you curse the Master? You—” Lian Rui was furious.

Ning Wanyin’s gaze remained calm, having resolved to replace Dan Li. She couldn’t afford someone who made decisions on their own.

But the Imperial Household Department was not run by her, so she couldn’t just change people whenever she wanted.

She will deal with this tomorrow.

“Lian Rui, help me in first. I’m a little hungry. Ask Xiao Guizi to fetch dinner from the imperial kitchen.”

Ning Wanyin, hungry all day, didn’t have the energy to chatter.

Xiao Guizi was trying to find a job as soon as possible. Since he hadn’t found one yet and still had to work at Lingxue Pavilion, he couldn’t disobey his master’s orders, so he reluctantly went to the imperial kitchen.

Lian Rui helped Ning Wanyin change her clothes. Seeing the bruises on her knees, tears of heartache streamed down her face.

“Master, your knees are bruised and swollen…”

Her master had never suffered such an injustice before.

Although the Ning family fell into decline, Ning Wanyin was still the daughter who was raised with great care by her mother, and her mother had never been willing to punish her.

“Your Majesty is so cruel and heartless. You haven’t done anything wrong…”

Lian Rui raised the back of her hand to wipe away the tears that overflowed from her eyes, feeling sorry for Ning Wanyin.

Ning Wanyin reached out and stroked her head to comfort her, “Don’t cry, I’m fine. The Empress Dowager holds a high position and has every right to punish me. His Majesty has no right to interfere.”

“But His Majesty clearly protected you before…” Lian Rui was puzzled.

“His Majesty has protected me.”

Ning Wanyin changed her clothes.

Xiao Guizi came back with a lunch box.

Unlike the eight dishes in the past, today there were only four dishes and one soup, and there was an unpleasant smell of sour food.

“It’s all spoiled, how can the Master eat it!”

Lian Rui looked at the dish in front of her in shock and looked at Xiao Guizi.

“Did you take the wrong one? Change it quickly.”

“I discovered it was rotten a long time ago, and asked the steward to change it for the Master. But the steward said that this was for the Master… And said that there was no other food in the imperial kitchen, so he wouldn’t let me change it.” Xiao Guizi replied weakly.

“But we gave silver. The imperial kitchen could even give us desserts before!” Lian Rui was puzzled.

Xiao Guizi shook his head and sighed, “That was because no one had deliberately made things difficult for the Master, so the imperial kitchen naturally wouldn’t offend silver. But now, silver is nothing.”

As an old harem veteran, he wasn’t surprised by this situation.

Everyone in the harem knew that Ning Wanyin had fallen from favor!

There were many people who disliked Ning Wanyin. If any concubine could pass on a word to the imperial kitchen…

Ning Wanyin would never have a good life.

Being hungry makes people feel bad.

Ning Wanyin, who hadn’t eaten all day, was in a very bad mood when she saw the table full of rotten food.

She had originally planned to meet His Majesty tomorrow.

But nothing could stop her from eating!

Go now!

 

*****

Translator’s Comment:

Hoho, it’s not easy for my Sister Ning to lose favor~

 

 

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