An Eight-year-old Princess

Yun Shang was surprised. Lady Geng? The name sounded unfamiliar to her. Who was she?

Qin Yi noticed Yun Shang's confusion. She hurriedly explained, "Your Highness didn't know her. Lady Geng was the late Emperor's Lady. She died a long time ago. She was Lady Ming's sister, taken by the late Emperor as a concubine when he was the Crown Prince. But after their marriage, she failed to bear his child. Then the Li Clan presented Lady Ming to the late Emperor. Later, Lady Ming became pregnant. When she was merely 25 years old, Lady Geng suddenly fell ill, and died. Her death devastated the pregnant Lady Ming, who then miscarried due to grief. At the time, many praised their strong bond of sisterhood."

Yun Shang sneered, "Sisterhood? Once the Emperor took them both, they were no longer sisters." Lying on her bed, Yun Shang started to think over the anecdotes. She wondered what had happened between Lady Ming and her sister, but all entanglements had been buried. Regardless, someone had planted Lady Geng's confidants in her palace. Perhaps this person thought Yun Shang knew nothing about Lady Ming and Lady Geng's grudge, and wouldn't find out his or her plot.

After a long while, Yun Shang glanced at Qin Yi, and said, "What do the two madams do?"

Lowering her eyes, Qin Yi answered, "They are settled in the side hall. As they're both aged now, and versed in the etiquettes of the Palace, they're not in charge of laborious work. Instead, they teach the newly recruited maids."

"I see." Yun Shang blinked. That was a good position. It would be easy for the madams to cultivate their networks.

"Your Highness, how do you want to deal with them?" Qin Yi asked. She felt guilty as she had been negligent about the personnel change in Qingxin Palace. It was her fault as she didn't sift through the recruits thoroughly, thus allowing the two maids to sneak in, leading to a disastrous result. She almost wanted to skin the two maids, for they intended to harm her Princess.

matter for a while. Then she flashed a smile, "They must know a lot about the secrets of the Palace, as they've served in the Palace for a long time. They also used to be Lady Geng's confidants. That's why the Li Clan tend to place their trust

eyes. She giggled, "Wonderful. She always complains about the lack of experimental subjects. The two madams must be tougher than common folk. And the servants in the Palace always keep

amused by Qian Yin's

her orders, Yun Shang turned to Qin Yi, "Qin Yi, go and make some inquiries for

understand Yun Shang's intentions, but she didn't ask. She curtsied to Yun Shang

It suddenly came to her that Li Fuyi was Empress Yuan

sneer as she listened to the report. All the women from Li Clan were unscrupulous and designing. And Li Fuyi was the worst of them all. She was smart enough to stay away from the fight, and pretended not to be jealous and competitive. But she had revealed her true intention, as she served a woman who had spent all her life in the Palace. Lady Ming had survived two Emperors, and knew more

slept with father in the past four weeks? And how many times has he slept with

"Your Highness, you are an unmarried Princess. You shouldn't

eyebrows. "I didn't ask for my amusement. I