The Daily Life of Influencing the Empress [Transmigration into a Book GL] - Chapter 5

“Miss,” holding the faint lantern, Zhiyan lowered her voice, occasionally glancing behind her. “Do you know that person’s identity? She is—”

“She is the Eldest Imperial Daughter,” Xiao Yunlan said.

“Miss,” Zhiyan drew out the end of her sentence, fighting the urge to stamp her foot. “You know that, and you still spend half the night with her—”

Xiao Yunlan looked at her calmly. Zhiyan couldn’t remain calm at all. “Miss, her father is the Yu clan member!”

“I know,” Xiao Yunlan understood what she was referring to. This child, and her father, were considered a stain on the reputation of the Xiao family and her brother.

Zhiyan, seeing that she was fully aware, was momentarily confused about her Miss’s intentions. But regardless of the plan, “Whatever Miss wants to do, Zhiyan will do it.”

She figured it out that quickly? The speed amazed Xiao Yunlan.

“Anyway, the Young Master doesn’t really care much,” Zhiyan whispered after glancing around.

Xiao Yunlan had only met Xiao Yuntan a few times but already had a slight understanding of him. Subtly, Xiao Yunlan had never seen Xiao Yuntan genuinely interested in anything. In his presence, Xiao Yunlan always felt as if she was being seen through, a feeling she intensely disliked.

They say that once you enter the palace, the depths are like the sea, but Xiao Yuntan always gave off a sense of casual detachment. Of course, the Xiao family’s status itself guaranteed him a secure position in the inner palace.

“Besides, so many years have passed,” Zhiyan pouted. “The person has been dead for years, the Young Master won’t hold it in his heart!” It wouldn’t have been possible even when he was alive, and it was certainly not possible now that he was dead.

Xiao Yunlan nodded in full agreement. This was true. Even when Gentleman Xu came by, she didn’t see her brother show any displeasure, let alone toward someone who was already buried.

“Also, she really is quite pitiful,” Zhiyan couldn’t help but add with emotion. After all, she was the Emperor’s daughter, the eldest at that, yet who would have thought she lived such a life? Poorly dressed and starving, even the palace maids here lived better than she did.

“Miss, does she have a name?” Zhiyan asked curiously. She was one of the few who still knew about the Yu clan, yet she had never heard the name of the Yu clan’s daughter. “I heard she isn’t even on the Imperial Genealogy (Jade Disk).”

“Not on the Jade Disk?” Xiao Yunlan understood the moment the question left her lips.

The imperial rule dictated that children born to concubines could only be added to the Jade Disk after reaching the age of five. But by that time, the Yu clan member was dead. Who would remember to add the child of a criminal official to the Imperial Genealogy? In this respect, Wen Qiyue was truly the rightful Eldest Imperial Daughter (first one to be officially recorded).

“My name is Wen Ping,” the girl’s bright eyes, visible in the darkness, spoke her name for the first time to Xiao Yunlan. “Ping, as in ordinary (Píng Fán).”

Xiao Yunlan’s voice was low, but Zhiyan heard it clearly. “Don’t forget that name from now on.”

“Mhm,” Zhiyan quickly nodded.

The next day, Xiao Yunlan went to class as usual. Yesterday’s math problem had truly stumped everyone, and today, they listened with a respectful demeanor.

Occasionally, one or two students felt that math wasn’t that important. They should be learning skills for governing the country and managing state affairs, not calculating all day long with an abacus.

The first person who couldn’t sit still was still the one who had nudged the little girl yesterday. Xiao Yunlan recognized her. Her father was the Emperor’s elder brother, Prince Kang. Prince Kang had many sons, but only one daughter, so this girl was the apple of her parents’ eyes from birth. At twelve years old, she already held a title, Princess Yun’an.

“Imperial Daughter,” seeing everyone around her concentrating on their calculations, Princess Yun’an nudged the girl next to her.

“Sister Yun’an,” Wen Qihua was forced to look up from her desk and timidly said, “I haven’t finished writing yet.”

“Just keep writing,” Princess Yun’an said. Seeing Xiao Yunlan’s gaze fall upon them, and realizing she couldn’t rely on her, she grudgingly pretended to write seriously, though her mind had already wandered out the window.

“That’s enough for today,” Xiao Yunlan said, carrying her book as she left the room. It wasn’t until Xiao Yunlan’s back was out of sight that Princess Yun’an and the others rushed out the back door, darting and jumping around like birds released from a cage.

“Miss,” Zhiyan was already waiting at the entrance. “Shall we go back now?”

“Let’s go see my brother first,” Xiao Yunlan said. She was planning to leave the palace and return to the manor today and would likely return tomorrow.

“It looks like someone is up ahead,” just outside Xiao Yuntan’s palace, they saw a crowd of people gathered in the distance. Someone seemed to be in the center, but it was hard to see clearly.

“Miss,” Zhiyan deliberated. “Should we take another route?”

“No need.” Xiao Yunlan was about to walk straight forward but, after a thought, decided to go around behind the rock garden. Zhiyan quickly followed her.

“Are you really an Imperial Daughter?” Wen Qiyue frowned. She was holding a kite, preparing to fly it after school. Halfway there, a gust of wind unfortunately snatched the kite from her hand. Wen Qiyue chased after it with her short legs and spotted the girl in the grass.

No one answered her. Wen Qiyue turned to the person next to her and asked, “Why have I never heard of her?”

The girl’s hair was disheveled, long strands covering half her face. Her entire body was huddled into a ball, and her clothes and shoes were covered in mud.

Wen Qiyue compared the girl to herself. Is this really not one of the refugees mentioned in books? How could she have the same Imperial Mother as me?

“Princess,” an elderly wet nurse recognized the person in front of her. She quietly told Wen Qiyue, “This is the child born to the Yu clan member, who was confined to the Cold Palace. She is actually older than you.”

“Really?” Wen Qiyue was even more curious. She had always thought she was the Eldest Imperial Daughter, and now there was a nameless girl of similar age. How could she not be surprised? “Lift your head and let this Princess see what you look like!”

Wen Ping did not move.

“Hey,” Wen Qiyue was annoyed. Among the Empress’s three children, she was the most favored, and though only five years old, she was the eldest of the recognized children. Now, she couldn’t even get someone to speak to her. She raised her voice significantly. “This Princess ordered you to lift your head!”

Wen Ping still did not move. Her head was bowed, and her expression could not be seen. She was motionless, like a wooden puppet, and even her breathing was too light to be heard.

Princess Yun’an, however, couldn’t stand still. She was out to play, not to watch people. She had no interest in the person before her, but she knew Wen Qiyue was intrigued. If so, they needed to wrap this up quickly.

“Princess,” Princess Yun’an smiled maliciously. “It’s easy if you want to see what she looks like, isn’t it?”

Wen Qiyue paused. Although she was only five, she had seen all sorts of tactics in the palace. If this girl was truly an Imperial Daughter, an inexplicable sense of hostility made Wen Qiyue blurt out, “You people, make her lift her head!”

Since childhood, there was almost nothing she wanted that she hadn’t gotten. She just wanted to see what she looked like. She wouldn’t harm her, so it was the girl’s fault for not cooperating, Wen Qiyue thought resentfully.

Ordinarily, these palace servants wouldn’t dare to act so openly. Even if she was a Princess living in the Cold Palace, she was still a Princess, with the Emperor’s blood flowing in her veins. Since Princess Yue had given the order, a few palace servants moved without restraint.

“Begging your pardon,” one of the maids even said in advance. The moment the words left her mouth, her hand reached out.

“Stop!” Xiao Yunlan shouted, just before they could act.

“Mentor Xiao,” after only a moment of shock, everyone immediately bowed in greeting.

“Fuzi,” Wen Qiyue whispered, flustered, clearly unsure if the Mentor had heard what she had said.

She was relatively afraid of Xiao Yunlan—or, more accurately, afraid of Xiao Yuntan. More precisely, she wasn’t the only one afraid of Xiao Yuntan. Despite the entire palace praising Gentleman Xiao, the praise was largely overshadowed by fear.

The Empress favored Gentleman Xu, but it was Gentleman Xiao who managed most affairs of the Inner Palace, with Gentleman Xu merely assisting.

During class, Xiao Yunlan never spoke loudly and always maintained a gentle demeanor. Now, her voice was slightly raised, and with a touch of anger on her face, even Princess Yun’an didn’t dare to move.

“What is the Princess doing here?” Xiao Yunlan asked.

Wen Qiyue couldn’t answer.

“Replying to Mentor Xiao,” the wet nurse beside her spoke up. “I was planning to take the Princess out to fly her kite. We happened to encounter this person on the way—”

She glanced at Wen Ping. “We were wondering if there was anything she needed help with. Since Mentor Xiao is here,” the wet nurse said, “I will leave this to the Mentor.”

“Mhm.” Xiao Yunlan nodded. The wet nurse did not want to escalate the matter, and neither did Xiao Yunlan, as her identity did not permit it.

Logically, Wen Qiyue should have been relieved that she could leave, but she hadn’t seen what the girl looked like and felt a persistent sense of dissatisfaction.

The wet nurse noticed and quietly pulled her away. The girl’s identity was special to begin with, and it was best to avoid her, as she was someone the Empress disliked.

“Miss,” it wasn’t until their backs were out of sight that Zhiyan jumped out from behind the rock garden.

Xiao Yunlan squatted down, meeting Wen Ping’s evasive gaze.

“What’s wrong with you?” Before Wen Ping could answer the first question, Xiao Yunlan had already noticed that her forehead looked odd. Seeing Xiao Yunlan’s attention, the girl quickly used her hand to cover it.

This covering only convinced Xiao Yunlan that the girl’s head had been hit. Pushing the hand aside, she looked. Sure enough! A small patch of skin was scraped on her forehead, and there was faint redness appearing.

“How did this happen?” Without thinking, Xiao Yunlan picked up her handkerchief, ready to wipe it, but Wen Ping dodged her.

“It, it doesn’t hurt,” the girl forced the words out between her teeth.