“With Your Highness protecting this servant, what should this servant fear?”
Consort Ning shook her head, “It’s your cleverness. If you hadn’t thought of entering the Department of Palace Affairs to prove your innocence, our Yang family would have been in trouble this time.”
Yang Wan fidgeted with the jade pendant hanging at her waist, lowering her head and saying softly, “It was this servant’s fault, to begin with, this servant is merely trying to save herself.”
Consort Ning took her hands and held them against her chest.
Yang Wan quickly stepped back, “Your Highness… no need, this servant isn’t cold.”
Consort Ning held onto her retreating hands, tilting her head to look into her eyes, “Don’t move. Let sister ask you, did you… like that person when you were at home before?”
Yang Wan was momentarily stunned.
Speaking of Yang Wan and Deng Ying’s matter, Consort Ning’s attitude was much more peaceful than Yang Lun’s, to the point where Yang Wan didn’t want to brush her off.
“Can’t say I liked him, this servant hasn’t liked anyone yet…”
Consort Ning squeezed her hand, “You’re already eighteen.”
Eighteen, how young, Yang Wan mused to herself.
To think that in modern times she had lived almost thirty years, her love life as pure as white snow, not a single word to write about it, an accomplished asexual, full-time research dog. If this were now, wouldn’t she deserve a memorial arch from the government? In modern times, how did she end up being condemned from all sides, feeling so worthless as if she were truly a scourge?
So what exactly happened in between?
How did the text come to be? How was the connotation interpreted?
Thinking this way, it seemed another deconstructionist research direction could be added to the field of women’s reputation damage history.
Her thoughts had wandered, and she hadn’t responded to Consort Ning.
Seeing her silence, Consort Ning took her arm and pulled her to her side, “Never mind. When sister entered the palace, you were just a little girl of a few years. After you grew up, your sister rarely got to see you, and couldn’t hear many of your words. It’s good that you’ve come in now. Zhang Luo was chosen by their father – back then sister was young, couldn’t see anything clearly, and couldn’t say anything either. Now that your sister has some power, you stay with your sister for a year or two, and let sister slowly choose for you. We’ll surely find someone good who suits your heart. But you must promise your sister to guard your reputation well. If you don’t truly like that person, don’t entangle with him anymore.”
Yang Wan lowered her eyes, “What if I do like him?”
Consort Ning was silent for a while before saying softly, “Don’t walk this path in the palace with someone like that, Wan’er. You won’t be happy in the end.”
For some reason, Yang Wan felt the woman saying these words didn’t seem very happy either.
Not wanting to make her feel worse, she looked up and smiled at her, “Don’t worry, this servant understands.”
Then she bent down to take Yi Lang’s hand, following Consort Ning into the palace.
The rainwater hadn’t dried from the ground, making mirror-breaking sounds when stepped on.
Looking at the deep black shadows on the ground, Yang Wan said softly, “Your Highness, sometimes this servant feels that purity and chastity were broken to begin with, no matter what we say it’s meaningless.”
Consort Ning turned to look at her, “How can you think this way? A young lady’s reputation is so important. Life is so long – if one has to live under others’ judgment forever, how unbearable would that be?”
Yang Wan shook her head, “Even the purest person will be judged. People don’t point fingers because we’ve made mistakes, but rather they point fingers at us so they can appear pure themselves.”
Hearing this, Consort Ning was stunned, stopping under a courtyard tree to study Yang Wan’s eyes.
“Since you’ve come to the palace this time, I’ve felt your words and actions are very different from what your brother and others described. These past few years…”
She paused, seeming to hesitate whether to ask.
“Hmm… these past few years at home, were you unhappy… or did mother and brother treat you poorly?”
Yang Wan hurriedly said, “No, Your Highness, they treated me very well.”
A flash of pain crossed Consort Ning’s eyes, “But why do your words seem like they contain snow? At first listen one doesn’t notice, but thinking carefully, they’re so cold – unlike words from a teenage girl.”
“…”
These words seemed to try to expose her but were very warm.
Yang Wan couldn’t explain, but fortunately, at this moment, Consort Ning’s palace maid He Yu came from the hall to ask, “Your Highness, will Miss Wan rest in our palace again today?”
Consort Ning turned and nodded, “Yes. Where is His Majesty now?”
He Yu replied, “He went to see Her Majesty the Empress.”
“Very well, I understand.”
Consort Ning responded, then turned back to pat Yang Wan’s hand, “Stay with sister tonight.”
Yang Wan nodded, “Yes, but tomorrow, this servant should return to Senior Lady Jiang at the South Bureau. Staying too long in Your Highness’s palace isn’t good for you.”
“No need. Since sister has asked Her Majesty the Empress for the favor of letting you stay in my palace for a few days, you should stay at ease. Yi Lang is happy when he sees you – sister is also happy when you can play with him more.”
Yang Wan was about to speak when she saw the little one at her feet tugging at her sleeve again.
“Auntie, auntie, make little people appear again!”
Though Yang Wan had never thought about having children, she had no resistance to soft, sweet children.
Seeing him bouncing around her like a little dumpling, she crouched down to hold his waist and picked him up.
“My little prince, you’re making this servant dizzy with all your shaking!”
Consort Ning quickly reached out to help support Yi Lang’s arm, asking her,
“Can Wan’er hold him? I heard your neck was injured quite badly, and this child has grown quite heavy lately.”
Yang Wan adjusted Yi Lang’s collar, “It’s fine now, Your Highness. Come, let’s go in, this servant will make little people appear for you to see.”
That night, the ground’s dampness was still particularly strong.