“Rise.” Wu Guiren raised her hand.

Jing’er stepped back two paces and pressed close to Yan Yunning’s side, murmuring quietly, “Second Miss Yan, this is Wu Guiren — she has become quite favoured recently.”

In a remarkably short span of time, she had risen directly from the rank of Attending Lady all the way to Honored Lady. Her methods were something to behold.

“And who is this?” Wu Guiren glanced toward Yan Yunning, who was standing perfectly still.

What a sweet, docile little look — was she a consort newly bestowed with rank by His Majesty?

And one of higher rank than herself??

“In response to Guiren, the second Miss Yan is a close friend of the fifth Princess.” Jing’er dipped into a curtsy.

Wu Guiren let out a cold snort. “A close friend of the fifth Princess, yet so utterly without manners??”

She still had nowhere to vent her fury over Ye Jian being taken away by the fifth Princess with a single word. If not for her good fortune in “happening” to cross paths with His Majesty and receiving his favour, she would still be a lowly Attending Lady.

Even now that His Majesty favoured her, she dared not offend the fifth Princess. The fifth Princess was different from other princesses — she had an elder Crown Prince brother.

But a close friend of the fifth Princess was another matter entirely. If someone showed her no respect, punishing them was entirely reasonable.

“Guiren, the second Miss Yan is from Qilan and is unfamiliar with the customs of the Xuan Royal Palace. This servant begs Guiren to overlook it this once.” Jing’er tugged lightly at Yan Yunning’s sleeve.

Yan Yunning had just been about to bow when Wu Guiren raised a finger and pointed at her. “Kneel.”

A Qilan person daring to be this disrespectful??

Yan Yunning: “……”

She had been about to give a bow — the woman was, after all, an Honored Lady bestowed rank by His Majesty the Xuan King — but being told to kneel was something else entirely. That bow could forget itself!

“Wu Guiren, please calm your anger. The fifth Princess will be here shortly.” Jing’er was reminding her that the Princess was about to arrive — and that punishing the Princess’ close friend required the Princess’ consent.

A dismissive smile curled Wu Guiren’s crimson lips. The second Miss Yan from Qilan was the one without manners — why should she not be allowed to punish her? She had grounds, and even with the Princess present, she would still demand an explanation. Otherwise, she would go and lodge a complaint with His Majesty.

“Still not kneeling?” Wu Guiren’s deep red lips curved. “Attendants, beat her until she kneels.”

“Wu Guiren, the second Miss Yan is a close friend of Her Royal Highness the Princess. If you strike her, Her Royal Highness will not let this rest.” Jing’er chose her words with great care.

The handmaids who had moved to step forward hesitated. If the Princess pursued the matter, Wu Guiren would be fine — but what would become of them?

If the fifth Princess went to the Xuan Queen with a complaint, Wu Guiren had His Majesty the Xuan King to shield her — but they had no one to shield them.

They had only just been reassigned to Wu Guiren when she was newly bestowed the title of Honored Lady, and they held no great loyalty to her. To offend the fifth Princess was to indirectly offend the Xuan Queen.

If the Xuan Queen were displeased, and the Crown Prince came to hear of it, their own lives would not be easy.

Once Jing’er had spoken, Wu Guiren found herself in a position where she had to follow through even if she no longer wished to. If she simply let the matter drop, would that not look as though she was afraid of the fifth Princess? Would she not lose all face in front of her handmaids?

“What are you still standing there for? Did you not hear?!” Wu Guiren’s voice turned sharp.

Yan Yunning’s brow furrowed slightly. She replied with complete composure, “Wu Guiren, I acknowledge that I was unfamiliar with the proper etiquette — a bow would have set things right. Why must you be so relentless about this?”

Was she throwing her weight around on the strength of His Majesty the Xuan King’s favour?

Then could she not do the same, throwing her weight around on the strength of Xuan Yanyu?

“Who gave you permission to address me in that questioning tone?” Wu Guiren’s gaze grew slightly cold.

It was one thing for the higher-ranked consorts in the palace — women who looked down on her because of her father’s low position — to slight her. But for a girl from Qilan to stand before her with that kind of attitude??

Yan Yunning twirled the end of a lock of hair around her fingertip and tilted her head. “Xuan Yanyu did. Everything about me has been spoiled into existence by your Crown Prince. If you are dissatisfied, go and take it up with Xuan Yanyu.”

As Yan Yunning finished speaking, she heard a succession of thuds — the sound of people dropping to their knees. She frowned and looked down at the trembling handmaids kneeling on the ground, genuinely puzzled.

Wu Guiren swallowed. “You…… you’re…… you’re saying what?”

What was this person’s relationship with the Crown Prince?

To dare call the Crown Prince by his given name — was this someone who did not understand etiquette and was shamelessly trying to claim a connection to the Crown Prince by riding on her acquaintance with the fifth Princess? Or was she truly connected to the Crown Prince?

“Did you not ask who gave me permission to address you in that tone? Why, Xuan Yanyu.” Yan Yunning raised her eyes and met Wu Guiren’s somewhat flustered gaze, speaking in an unhurried, measured manner.

“You…… are you not a close friend of the fifth Princess?”

The young woman curved her lips slightly, drawing out her words slowly and languidly. “Knowing the fifth Princess means I cannot know Xuan Yanyu?”

Wu Guiren lowered her gaze. “Second Miss Yan, I have matters to attend to. I shall take my leave first.”

“That won’t do. Were you not just demanding that I kneel? Is that how we are leaving things?”

Had she not invoked Xuan Yanyu’s name, she would already have been beaten into kneeling by now. Since Wu Guiren had first tried to use His Majesty the Xuan King’s favour to punish her, she would use Xuan Yanyu’s name to pay it back in kind.

“Let it go, second Miss Yan.” Wu Guiren forced a placating smile. “Second Miss Yan, please do not hold it against me.”

She said so with her mouth, but inwardly she was grinding her teeth in silent fury. The consorts of the Qilan King would never be reduced to such humiliation. In their Xuan Royal Palace, every single consort — save for the Xuan Queen — had to tread carefully around the Crown Prince, all for fear of saying or doing one wrong thing and having His Majesty the Xuan King strip away their title and cast them into the cold palace.

And not one consort had managed to bear a prince, so they all simply had to endure.

If only she could produce one.

“No.” Now it was Yan Yunning’s turn to be relentless.

Wu Guiren clenched her teeth. With a thud, she dropped to her knees. She inched forward with a pitiful, forlorn expression. “Second Miss Yan, what would it take for you to forgive me?”

“I know I was wrong. I should not have raised my voice at you.”

“Second Miss Yan, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”

Yan Yunning: “?”

From Wu Guiren’s sudden change in manner, she had a fairly good idea of who had arrived. She turned her gaze toward the distance.

Robed in imperial dragon vestments, head crowned with the imperial crown, jade pendants of the finest quality hanging at his waist — the Xuan King, his bearing one of quiet, distinguished grandeur, was making his way toward them at an unhurried pace.

To his right, in a crimson phoenix robe embroidered with peonies, head adorned with the phoenix crown, magnificent and stately, noble and elegant — the Xuan Queen.

To his left, clad in brilliant imperial yellow embroidered with golden dragons, resplendent in imperial bearing, his features radiant and striking — Xuan Yanyu.

Beside Xuan Yanyu walked the Elder Princess Xuanzhao Yang, a vision of graceful, understated beauty in stately purple-pink robes.

Xuanzhao Yang had her arm around the fifth Princess Xuanzhao Ran — clad in a soft pink skirt, brows and eyes curved with a bright, playful charm.

Yan Yunning bit her lip. Xuan Yanyu’s entire family had shown up — and caught her “bullying” someone. What was she supposed to do about this!!!

What should she do??

Should she perhaps faint???

Both the Xuan King and Xuanzhao Yang had their gazes fixed on Yan Yunning.

The young woman was dressed in a soft, understated blue-grey gown, her eyes lively and bright, her features strikingly beautiful. Up close, her long lashes fluttered in a continuous gentle motion, giving her a demure and tender air.

Ivory-fair cheeks flushed with a delicate rose, soft and lovely beyond words. Xuanzhao Yang shook her head and clicked her tongue quietly. One could hardly blame Xuan Xier entirely for making those demands of their Imperial Father — the betrothal gifts, the dowry, all of it.

With looks like this young woman had, and that figure — it was entirely possible to leave Xuan Xier hopelessly entranced.

The Xuan King slowly withdrew his gaze. The more he looked, the more a feeling of vague familiarity stirred within him.

“Your subject-consort pays her respects to His Majesty the Xuan King and Her Majesty the Xuan Queen.”

“This servant pays her respects to His Majesty the Xuan King, Her Majesty the Xuan Queen, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Her Royal Highness the Elder Princess, and Her Royal Highness the fifth Princess.”