Nowadays, he is willing to accept the books given by Grace Baker and cherishes them so much, which shows that he truly likes this younger sister. And this imperial sister is neither spoiled nor cunning, so Lady Edith feels very reassured about their interactions, and also hopes to use Grace Baker to encourage her son to improve himself.

So she instructed, “William is playful and not as clever as Little Grace. Since he is willing to listen to you, try to persuade him to study more often. Not to mention anything else, just the Analects you gave him—he should memorize it as soon as possible to be worthy of your sincerity.”

Grace Baker nodded and replied obediently, “Little Grace will remember.”

Lady Edith was very satisfied, and before leaving, she gave her quite a few gifts—just the pastries alone filled several boxes. She had Pearl lead the palace maids and eunuchs to personally deliver them back to Mingyue Palace, leaving Violet Morgan so shocked she didn’t know what to do.

Pearl smiled and said, “Her Ladyship has a message: she hopes Lady Violet will visit Changming Hall more often when she’s free. Her Ladyship loves the Fifth Princess and treats her like her own daughter. If there’s ever anything lacking in the palace, you can just tell Her Ladyship.”

Violet Morgan was simply overwhelmed by the favor.

After the palace attendants left, everyone looked at the courtyard full of rewards in astonishment. In the end, it was Hazel who happily said, “The little princess truly is blessed and loved by all.”

The recent commotion at Changming Hall had been noticed by all the other palaces. Everyone was baffled, not understanding why Lady Edith suddenly wanted to win over a Lady who had been out of favor for so many years. Not to mention, Mingyue Palace itself was considered such an unlucky place.

Later, after hearing the servants talk, they learned that it was because the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Princess were close. The Fourth Prince had always been willful, constantly causing trouble in the palace, so everyone was used to it. But recently, there had been few reports of his misbehavior, and some eunuchs even saw him reciting the Analects while fishing at the lakeside pavilion.

At first, it seemed odd, but once the two things were connected, the reason became clear.

No wonder Lady Edith was so attentive—being able to make the Fourth Prince settle down and behave was not something just anyone could do.

Everyone became curious about the Fifth Princess. Previously, she hadn’t attracted much attention, but now people started to notice her, and she was often seen in places like the Imperial Garden and Yujing Court.

Aside from being a bit more obedient, a bit cuter, and a bit more lively, she didn’t seem much different from other children.

So why did the Fourth Prince only listen to her?

This ultimately became one of the unsolved mysteries of the harem.

Chapter 9 【09】

With Lady Edith as her “backer,” Grace Baker’s quality of life in the palace suddenly improved by leaps and bounds—at the very least, she was much better off in terms of food, clothing, and daily necessities.

Violet Morgan received quite a bit of newly supplied fabric this year and made two winter coats for the children. She was skilled with needlework and even put effort into sewing a garment for Lady Edith, with an elegant and delicate design that made Lady Edith look several years younger.

Delighted, Lady Edith rewarded Mingyue Palace with even more gifts, and the once cold and deserted side hall gradually became lively.

Violet Morgan actually had no intention of currying favor, nor did she ever think of regaining the emperor’s favor through Lady Edith. She was already content just to provide a more secure life for the two children.

But in the eyes of others, the interactions between the two palaces were not so simple.

Everyone thought Lady Violet had sided with Lady Edith, and now she was part of Lady Edith’s faction. Naturally, their interests and grievances were now tied together. Those on good terms with Lady Edith would kindly call her “sister” out of respect for Lady Edith, while those at odds with Lady Edith would not treat her well.

Although Lady Violet had been out of favor for years, she was still one of the most beautiful among the consorts in the palace. Lady Edith herself was aging and losing her looks, so perhaps she intended to push Lady Violet in front of His Majesty. After all, she had borne two children for the emperor, and the Fifth Princess was so clever and well-behaved—regaining favor was not impossible.

With a strong future rival about to emerge, could the other consorts just sit back and do nothing?

In the palace, once you associate with someone, it’s impossible to remain uninvolved. Violet Morgan’s dream of being invisible was now shattered.

Grace Baker had anticipated this situation, but with Violet Morgan’s temperament, if she wasn’t pushed, she would always stay in her comfort zone. According to her plan, she still needed to win over the emperor in the future, so pulling Violet Morgan out of her comfort zone now to help her adapt was a good thing.

However, Violet Morgan was cautious and never made a misstep, so others couldn’t find an opportunity to target her for the time being. As a result, their attention shifted to her two children.

Charles Baker rarely went out, and Violet Morgan didn’t feel comfortable letting him leave, so others seldom saw him. But Grace Baker loved to run around outside, so if someone was paying attention, they could often run into her. In fact, the reason Lady Violet was able to connect with Lady Edith ultimately came down to this Fifth Princess. If they couldn’t deal with the adult, couldn’t they deal with the child?

But children’s matters should be handled by children. Even if things got out of hand, it could easily be brushed off as “just a quarrel between kids.”

If anyone in the palace hated Lady Edith the most, it was definitely Lady Helen.

Their feud dated back to the time in the Eastern Palace, with years of open and secret struggles. Later, Lady Helen gave birth to the eldest princess, Alice Baker. As the emperor’s first daughter, she was much loved, and her favor and prestige overshadowed Lady Edith for several years, until Lady Edith gave birth to the Fourth Prince, William Baker, and finally evened the score.