The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 678 - 640: Slap in the Face (Part 1)

During the lunch break, Mr. Mu came to visit Wan Qiu.

"Do you feel any better, Miss?"

Mr. Mu stood at the door, glanced at the palm print on Wan Qiu’s cheek, and handed her a small porcelain bottle with pastel colors, "I got this ointment from the Imperial Pharmacy. It’s quite effective. Apply some after cleansing your face, and it should disappear in a day or two."

"Thank you for remembering me, Mr. Mu." Wan Qiu accepted the porcelain bottle and expressed her gratitude.

In fact, when she first returned, Nian Chun and the others had already gathered all the ointments from their rooms for her. She no longer felt any pain and estimated it would heal within a day.

"Are you not planning to let His Highness know?" Mr. Mu asked softly.

His Highness despises chaos and intrigue among the servants. If he found out that Gu Yu acted like a master as soon as she arrived and bossed around Wan Qiu and the others, he would surely not spare Gu Yu lightly.

Wan Qiu shook her head, "Please, Mr. Mu, keep it a secret for me. Aunt Gu Yu is the Empress’s person. If His Highness gets angry with her because of me, the Empress will surely scold me for bewitching him. Besides, this would harm the relationship between His Highness and the Empress."

"But..." Mr. Mu wanted to say, not confessing to His Highness now would only make the consequences more severe if he heard about it from others in the future.

As the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back.

After all, Wan Qiu was also considering the bigger picture.

"It’s an injustice to you, Miss." Mr. Mu could only comfort her this way.

"I’m just a servant. If Aunt is unhappy and uses me to vent her anger, it’s only natural. It’s okay, she will eventually calm down. At most, I’ll pretend to be sick and avoid seeing His Highness during this period."

——

By pretending to be ill, Zhao Xi didn’t let her serve him closely.

However, Gu Yu, having visited Chengming Hall several times without seeing Zhao Xi, felt aggrieved and, after organizing the affairs across the Eastern Palace, found an opportunity to return to Kunning Palace.

Today is the first day of the new year, and the Empress’s family came to the palace to wish her well. Miss Qi Xuan, a prospective concubine, was also present.

When Gu Yu entered, she saw Qi Xuan dressed in a long rose-colored robe, her small face radiant and glowing, complemented by a full set of butterfly-flower jewelry, instantly overshadowing Gu Yu.

Miss Qi, this third young lady, Gu Yu had seen before. At that time, she was a person close to the Empress and had no connection to the Crown Prince. She was very fond of Miss Qi. Now, seeing her, Gu Yu only found her to be an eyesore.

"Oh, Miss Qi is here?" Gu Yu walked over with a smile, bowed to Empress Qi, and then turned to give a bow to Qi Xuan.

Qi Xuan glanced at her, her eyes flickering.

Just now, upon inquiry, the Empress said that Gu Yu had been assigned to the Eastern Palace.

When she used to visit Kunning Palace, she had witnessed Gu Yu’s restlessness. Now, being sent to the Eastern Palace, she feared Gu Yu would not stay in her place.

Yet, thinking of the Crown Prince’s cold and indifferent appearance, Qi Xuan felt reassured that Gu Yu couldn’t possibly succeed in seducing him, and she felt slightly more at ease.

The two of them were scrutinizing each other when Jingzhe brought over hot tea, "Miss Qi, please have some tea."

"Thank you, Aunt." Qi Xuan smiled gently.

With only the women present in the hall, Empress Qi had nothing to hold back and directly asked Gu Yu, "How was your first day at the Eastern Palace?"

Gu Yu smiled and replied, "It was good."

Even if it wasn’t, she would never admit it in front of Qi Xuan.

She knew full well that this lady was her future rival, and with her status as part of the Empress’s family, His Highness would inevitably treat her with leniency. If she gained power, where would that leave Gu Yu?

Thinking this, Gu Yu lifted her chin slightly, with an air of being no less than anyone.

In previous dynasties, had not imperial concubines won over emperors a good sixteen or seventeen years their junior? She was only eleven years older; if she put in more effort, she could surely catch His Highness’s attention.

"After two banquets yesterday, Xixi must be exhausted. Have you asked the Imperial Kitchen to prepare some nourishing soup for him?"

Though she knew her son was unlikely to drink it, Empress Qi still asked.

Gu Yu’s eyes flickered as she replied with a smile, "This morning, I personally went to the kitchen to make a soup."

"Oh?" Empress Qi looked at her with interest, "What kind of soup?"

Xixi’s diet was extremely regimented. Unless she, as his mother, had someone send over additional nourishment, he wouldn’t glance at anything else, no matter how delicious.

Hence, the Empress was curious, could it be that the younger ones failed to catch Xixi’s eye and he preferred someone more mature?

Gu Yu replied, "Cordyceps lamb soup."

Just as she finished speaking, those inside the hall froze on the spot.

Especially Qi Xuan, who stared at her with wide eyes, "Did His Highness actually drink the soup Aunt made?"

Gu Yu didn’t notice the oddity among them at all, merely thinking they were envying the Crown Prince for drinking the soup she personally made, so she nodded.

Jingzhe gave her a signal, intending for her to stop talking. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Gu Yu not only failed to understand, but instead boasted to Qi Xuan about how good His Highness’s appetite was, and even said that some of the people were given shares to eat.

The signal didn’t work, so Jingzhe coughed twice in an attempt to conceal the matter.

Gu Yu still didn’t realize.

Empress Qi’s face slightly darkened.

Qi Xuan smiled, "Perhaps Aunt reported the wrong soup name? His Highness never touches things with strong smells, like lamb and turtle dishes; he doesn’t even glance at them. Since he drank it with such relish, it must have been different soup, right Aunt?"

Listening to Qi Xuan, Gu Yu felt her mind going blank.

Only then did she notice the gaze from Empress Qi above, making her feel on pins and needles.

She was too busy seeking favor to remember that His Highness didn’t eat those things.

No wonder Mr. Mu’s expression was so peculiar when she asked him to get fresh lamb from the Imperial Kitchen.

Gu Yu also thought about the Crown Prince’s reaction when she brought the soup into the hall, at that moment she wished time could reverse so she could slap herself hard.

The realization of her grave mistake made Gu Yu’s head buzz with sound, and she knelt down with a thud, "Empress... your servant..."

Empress Qi looked at her coldly, "You’ve just arrived at the Eastern Palace on the first day, how could you make such a soup for him?"

Empress Qi understood all too well the effects of Cordyceps lamb soup.

Yesterday she planned to summon Xixi for a talk, but considering he was tired from attending two banquets, she opted not to and thought she would let him rest for two more days. But Gu Yu, upon arriving at the Eastern Palace, was already in such haste?

Only two years remain until the Crown Princess Consort and concubine marry!

"I merely wanted His Highness to be nourished, with no other intentions."

Empress Qi grew angry in her heart, "Though the Crown Prince seldom dines at Kunning Palace, whenever he comes, I always have them prepare something with a light taste. You should’ve guessed that he can’t eat things with heavy flavors."

Gu Yu felt as if she had been slapped several times, it was painful and embarrassing, causing her to repeatedly kowtow on the cold floor, "Empress, forgive me, it was all an oversight by your servant. I will never make the same mistake from now on."

Jingzhe looked at her sympathetically.

When Gu Yu voluntarily offered to be the Empress’s informant at the Eastern Palace, she thought it was problematic, and indeed, on her very first day there, she revealed her true nature.

At the same time, Jingzhe also felt embarrassed for her.

After all, she had served many years beside the Empress, yet she lacked any stability or grace, always acting hastily without considering consequences, as if she were no different than a woman from a brothel, insatiable.

Seeing this, Qi Xuan smiled and said, "Since the Empress also mentioned that Aunt Gu Yu just went to the Eastern Palace, perhaps she’s there to manage the rear household affairs for His Highness. It’s thus normal that Aunt doesn’t serve well in close proximity; Empress need not scold her anymore."

Though this sounded pleasant, it essentially pointed out that Gu Yu was unfit to be close to the Crown Prince, at most able to help him manage servants.

Gu Yu bit her lip, tears welled up in her eyes, hating Qi Xuan.

Just a concubine, and one not yet married, how dare she point fingers at her?

This matter, how could Empress Qi possibly not pursue it, she fixated her gaze on Gu Yu, "Did the Crown Prince really drink the soup?"

Gu Yu furrowed her brow, now caught between a rock and a hard place, saying yes or no were both wrong.

If she said the Crown Prince drank it, having eaten lamb would surely upset his stomach; if she said he didn’t drink it, wouldn’t she have been deceiving the Empress just now?

Regardless of whether he drank it or not, her words would not yield any good outcome.

Seeing the situation, Jingzhe helped by saying, "Maybe sister reported the wrong soup name."

"Is that so?" Empress Qi’s look carried doubt.

"Indeed, your servant remembered wrong." Gu Yu followed the lead, "It was really Cordyceps black chicken soup, I spoke too quickly and named it wrong. I humbly ask Empress for forgiveness."

Empress Qi squinted her eyes, both Gu Yu and Jingzhe had been with her for more than ten years, and though Gu Yu tended to be impulsive, she was always loyal to her. If she were to deal with her over this incident, it would make her seem ungrateful and narrow-minded as an Empress.