Chapter 117 - Making things worse

Empress Ji was not surprised about Yun Fenghuang’s action. She let Yun Fenghuang sit in the side hall and went to change her usual clothes in the rear hall. Then she went out, shaking her circular fan, and asked, “What’s the matter again?”

 

“Your Highness, please uphold justice for me!” Yun Fenghuang was aggrieved with a sorrowful face and walked over with squeezing her handkerchief. While supporting the Empress to sit on the phoenix chair, she was saying, “It must be Noble Consort Gui who did the matter of elsholtzia! I have never offended Yan Lan Palace! She is so contemptuous to me, which shows that she doesn’t respect you!”

 

“Don’t behave aggrievedly after you have gained benefits”. The Empress ignored her childish provocation and said calmly, “With Ms. Yi and Ms. Qu’s appearance, is it necessary to complain about such an insignificant thing? If so, I will not give such similar benefits to you next time!”

 

Yun Fenghuang quickly behaved in a spoiled manner, “Your Highness, I’m just joking… If you don’t give the benefits to me, how can I live in the future?”

 

Empress Ji chuckled, “His Majesty has been in your palace recently, hasn’t he?”

 

“Why hasn’t His Majesty gone to Hu Zhu Palace recently? Your Highness, how can’t he miss the person over there, right?” Yun Fenghuang said disapprovingly, “He just made fashion deliberately to the people of the Imperial Harem… Your Highness, think about it. There are so many concubines in the Imperial Harem. Even if His Majesty doesn’t want to draw too much attention to Hu Zhu Palace, why does he just come to my palace? Isn’t it because I am not easy to be pregnant? In the final analysis, the one at Ning Bi Hall is his sweetheart!”

 

Empress Ji looked at Yun Fenghuang who seemed not to have any affection for the Emperor, so she was released. In fact, when Xi Jing secretly told the Empress that Yun Fenghuang seemed to love the Emperor now in the morning, she was not very convinced. She thought she had a good judge of character. According to Yun Fenghuang’s character, since she couldn’t protect her status yet, how could she have the mood to think about romantic affairs?

 

Besides, Empress Ji also knew that Yun Fenghuang’s childhood sweetheart had also followed her to Dijing City after his marriage. Although Empress Ji didn’t know that the two had met more than once in private, she also enjoined someone to inquire about Qi Jiulu. He not only was talented and handsome, but loved Yun Fenghuang so deeply that he couldn’t forget her under the pressure of his whole family.

 

Compared with Emperor Chunjia, he was just a little inferior in identity.

 

But the Emperor’s true love was Yuan Lianniang. Besides, the height was extremely cold. The Emperor was supremely noble now, but his future was unclear… Anyway, Empress Ji didn’t think that Yun Fenghuang could fall in love with the Emperor just because she slept with him for several times after she joined the Imperial Harem not so long.

 

If she could be moved so easily, she wouldn’t betray Duke Yi’s Family so fast.

 

Anyway, she had been a good sister with Yun Qingman for three years, hadn’t she?

 

Therefore, the reason why she was so concerned about the relationship between the Emperor and Yi Xing’en last night was probably that she had other plans or she was competitive.

 

Empress Ji thought about it. She was about to ask Yun Fenghuang why did her relationship with Yun Qingman become bad… Although Yun Fenghuang defended Yun Qingman a lot yesterday, how couldn’t the Empress see that Yun Fenghuang really didn’t care about Yun Qingman’s life?

 

However, Yun Fenghuang said at this moment, “Your Highness, Noble Consort Gui is not as stupid as Jie Yu Yue. She is distinguished and is pregnant now. Although she failed to bring Ms. Yi and Ms. Qu into her palace, her status won’t be impacted. The most important thing for her now is to prevent miscarriage and give birth to a strong imperial child… Otherwise, how can she have never left Yan Lan Palace since Queen Mother and you allowed her not to pay respect?”

 

Empress Ji immediately frowned.

 

Yun Fenghuang continued, “Why did she suddenly come out yesterday and happen to encounter the dispute between Jie Yu Jia and me? Besides, Rong Hua Yun was involved in the end. I think that there must be something wrong!”

 

“What do you suspect?” Empress Ji asked thoughtfully.

 

Yun Fenghuang replied, “I think that for Noble Consort Gui, there are two most important things. The first is her own child; and the other is Jie Yu Yue’s.”

 

The Empress nodded and said, “Go on!”

 

“Okay.” Yun Fenghuang thought about the wording and said, “When I was at home, my mother said that after women are pregnant for a certain time as Nobel Consort Gui and Jie Yu Yue, experienced doctors can have already judged the genders of their children. I doubt that maybe Noble Consort Gui’s child is a girl, and Jie Yu Yue’s is… Although the son of a concubine can’t compare with the legitimate son, the eldest imperial son is different from other sons of concubines, let alone that His Majesty hasn’t had any child now.”

 

Empress Ji agreed with her and said it made sense. Then she immediately asked, “Therefore, you should act quickly as what you said before, right?”

 

“Don’t worry, Your Highness!” Yun Fenghuang gave her a positive look and said in a low voice, “We are about to escape the summer heat…”

 

After seeing the Empress think for a while and agree, Yun Fenghuang let out a sigh of relief, and then pulled the Empress to behave in a spoiled manner again, “Your Highness, I was really fearful when I was in Mian Fu Palace just now… Couldn’t the cats that Queen Mother enjoined to be bred in the Imperial Harem be treated disrespectfully? I was so angry about Jie Yu Jia and the others yesterday that I lost my mind. I should enjoin someone to hit Happier to death in public… I…”

 

“I know that and I have pressed this thing down for you.” Empress Ji looked at her with a faint smile. “You are really courageous! Not mention to Mother, you actually dared to enjoin someone to kill Noble Consort Gui’s pet with your low grade! Luckily, the cat ran fast and didn’t caught by your people on the spot. Otherwise, if Noble Consort Gui comes to my palace to cry, I have to punish you for the unborn imperial child!”

 

Yun Fenghuang said sweetly, “Oh! Your Highness, how can’t I know that you think for me? Although Noble Consort Gui is distinguished because of her child, how can she be more distinguished than you?”

 

She whispered to ask again, “Then I enjoin my people to make a place in Xuan Qing Palace to raise some cats later? I have been a little bit afraid of them since my childhood. Because of the matter of Miao Cai, to be honest, I can’t help trembling as soon as I hear the cries of those cats!”

 

“Look at you, good-for-nothing. It’s just a cat. What are you afraid of?” The Empress said with a sneer, as if she didn’t take it seriously. “Forget it. Since this is the case, I will tell this to Mother later and don’t let cats come into Xuan Qing Palace in the future. Otherwise, a hostess can’t be comfortable in her own palace.”

 

Yun Fenghuang supported the armrests of the phoenix chair and expressed her thanks pleasantly, saying, “Your Highness, I know that you are the kindest one!”

 

“Don’t use these words to flatter me.” The Empress rarely smiled sincerely, and pretended to scorn her, “You think that I don’t know how you usually flatter His Majesty?”

 

Although the Empress had all kinds of schemes, and had never really trusted and valued the young concubine in front of her, she had to say that it was indeed a happy thing when a young and beautiful woman tried hard to flatter her to be happy.

 

The Empress waved her hands in a good mood and asked Yun Fenghuang to leave, “I am going to see Empress Dowager. Just go back to Xuan Qing Palace… You should remember that Noble Consort Gui does not have good intentions. Don’t let the matter of elsholtzia happen again! People can say that you were not careful when such incident happened once. If such thing happens again and again, won’t people doubt that you are not deserved to be a hostess since you even can’t protect the concubines in your palace?”

 

… Yun Fenghuang returned to Huan Hua Hall, took the herbal tea handed over from a maid and took a sip. After thinking for a while, she asked where the Emperor was now?

 

Chen Zhu was criticized yesterday, so he did not dare to neglect her at this moment. He came to answer in person, saying that the Emperor went to Hu Zhu Palace as soon as he finished the levee today.

 

“Then how about Hu Zhu Palace now?” Yun Fenghuang asked. The Emperor really kept his promise. He really went to see Yuan Lianniang after he said so. Yun Fenghuang smiled lightly and added, “Is it lively over there?”

 

She said to the Empress before that when she was in Hu Zhu Palace, she arranged her people around Yuan Lianniang and the people could even decide Yuan Lianniang’s death. It was of course a lie to the Empress. But Chen Zhu really arranged some informers in Hu Zhu Palace to report the details in Ning Bi Hall.

 

When Chen Zhu saw her interest at this moment, he smiled and said, “It’s really lively. I really don’t understand what that Jie Yu is thinking about. His Majesty hasn’t gone there for so many days. Someone else can’t pull a long face in front of so many servants even if she is not overjoyed, right? That’s the Emperor! But that Jie Yu actually asked her maids to close the door of the hall, not allowing His Majesty to enter… I am really confused. Not mention to other hostesses in the Imperial Harem, His Majesty really tries his best to treat her well!”

 

Yun Fenghuang was really happy to hear this and said, “Isn’t this what we are used to seeing? Or else, how can this Jie Yu still have such a temper after she has joined the Imperial Harem for almost ten years?”

 

Then Chen Zhu talked about Jie Yu Yue’s farces during these days. The central idea was that Yuan Lianniang made trouble again and again. Yun Fenghuang couldn’t help sighing with emotion, “She is not like a pregnant woman!”

 

“She hasn’t given birth the imperial child yet.” Chen Zhu knew that his master was not in harmony with Yuan Lianniang. Of course, he selected the good words to say, “My Lady, I think no one knows what will happen in the future, right? But this hostess doesn’t seem to have blessings after all.”

 

Yun Fenghuang said, “How about Queen Mother of Mercy? Hasn’t she cared about Yuan Lianniang these days?”

 

The Emperor had always been very gentle, and he was helpless about his sweetheart, Yuan Lianniang. But could Queen Mother Yuan and Yuan’s Family have been ignored Yuan Lianniang for such a long time?

 

Although the people of Yuan’s Family had been inconvenient to intervene because they lived out of the Imperial Harem, hadn’t Queen Mother Yuan cared about her anymore?

 

Chen Zhu slapped himself immediately, “My Lady, I make a mistake! Queen Mother of Mercy was sick a few days ago. I should forget to report to you!”

 

“Sick?” Yun Fenghuang thought for a while, and said, “What illness? Is it serious?”

 

Seeing that Yun Fenghuang didn’t mean to punish him, Chen Zhu said in a sigh of relief, “I just heard that she was uncomfortable, but no one knew what illness it was. But she is probably not able to go to the temporary imperial palace…”

 

Queen Mother Yuan was sick at this time. It’s not a simple thing then.

 

Yun Fenghuang thought that Noble Consort Gui was right. There were so many people wanting Yuan Lianniang to live uncomfortably. She might really have no chance to kill her.

 

After thinking for a while, she asked, “Since Queen Mother Yuan is sick, haven’t Earl Xingning’s Mansion handed over an application to pay respect?”

 

“Earl Xingning’s Mansion has handed over several applications, but they have been all stopped by Queen Mother of Honor.” Chen Zhu whispered, “She said that Empress Dowager felt not well. Queen Mother of Mercy was filial and said that she was okay, not allowing Earl Xingning’s Mansion to enter the Imperial Harem to disturb Empress Dowager.”

 

Yun Fenghuang sneered. Qing Ci Palace was so far away from Chun Yong Palace. The people of Earl Xingning’s Mansion came into the Imperial Harem to see Queen Mother Yuan instead of Empress Dowager. Moreover, the news that Empress Dowager was ill had spread since the summer banquet. Everyone knew it and it was not secret now… The reason why Queen Mother Ji had done this was just that she didn’t want Yuan’s Family to intervene.

 

“Jie Yu Yue has been indeed aggrieved these days.” Yun Fenghuang said, “She can’t see her families, her legitimate aunt has no efforts to take care of her, and His Majesty hasn’t gone to see her. Such a poor girl. She must be aggrieved and sad! No wonder she vented her anger to His Majesty. But she is His Majesty’s sweetheart. What can His Majesty do? He can only bear it!”

 

After she said that, she laughed. When she was about to end the topic, someone came in and told her, “My Lady, a newly-promoted Cai Nv in Yu Zhen Palace is dead!”