Here to Give You an Imperial Decree
Being called mother, Yao shi felt the build up of grief and sorrow from these many years that had exhausted her.
Yao shi used a hand to cover her mouth, but she still could not hold back the sounds of her sobbing. Wang Chuan and Huang Quan stood at her side, as they looked at Feng Yu Heng with tears in their eyes. They mouthed: “Thank you.” Thank you second young miss for asking for our forgiveness and sparing our lives.
Xiang Rong quickly walked forward and knelt next to Feng Yu Heng. Kowtowing to Yao shi, she said: “Xiang Rong greets mother.”
Yao shi was no longer able to endure and began crying.
For a while, the people in the Feng manor sighed with emotion. Even Feng Jin Yuan recalled a time when the Yao family was prospering. How well had Yao shi done in governing the Feng manor.
Seeing everyone sob, Fen Dai blink and immediately reacted. She was about to copy Xiang Rong and go kowtow to recognize the new mother; however, she heard Feng Chen Yu say: “Once you call her mother, there will be no chance for you and your mother after that.”
With these words, Fen Dai stopped in place.
Feng Jin Yuan was rejoicing slightly. This second daughter of his did not carry that cat home. It would more or less allow him to be less scared. He had personally seen that cat bite off the finger off the hand of the Bu family’s young miss. Raising that sort of creature at home would always leave people worried. Watching everyone cry for a while, he could not help but feel a little bored. He decided he may as well break up this unhappy atmosphere: “It was originally a good thing. What is the meaning of crying like this? The day is late, go rest for now!”
Feng Yu Heng, however, did not agree: “A-Heng just returned to the manor. Naturally, I must go greet grandmother.”
When granny Zhao, who had been standing in the crowd, heard this, her earlier sobs became louder “Second young miss! Elder madam truly has not missed you for nothing! Go visit the elder madam. She spends her days insisting that second young miss did not die at all. Her eyes have nearly gone blind from the crying.”
These words were a bit of an exaggeration, but it was not false. The matriarch had indeed spent her days in sorrow over Feng Yu Heng’s death. She was also vexed because she could not get out of bed. The more she thought about it, the more angry she became. Her gums were swollen and her throat prevented her from speaking. Now, she could only look up at the ceiling and making snorting sounds.
When she heard the news that Feng Yu Heng did not die and was instead taken into the palace, even receiving the title of county princess, the matriarch ecstatic and even wanted to climb out of bed. In the end, however, her body was not up to the task. She tried a few times but could not move. She could only send granny Zhao to the front yard to take a look.
Feng Yu Heng had heard Ban Zou mention it before and knew that the matriarch had indeed worried fully about her. Although it did not cause her to feel moved, it was better than returning to a manor where nobody cared.
“Let’s go!” Feng Yu Heng led Yao shi and headed in the direction of Shu Ya courtyard, “This will also give me a chance to take a look at grandmother’s back injury. Me not being at the manor has truly caused grandmother to suffer some great grievances.”
The others did not follow her over, as they remained in the yard. Only Feng Yu Heng, Yao shi and granny Zhao left with Huang Quan and Wang Chuan. Feng Jin Yuan watched the small figure at the front and suddenly felt a vivid feeling from the bottom of his heart.
Phoenix hairpin, Hou Yi bow, county princess, fiefdom… Among his daughters, which one exactly had the aspect of the phoenix?
Feng Yu Heng’s group arrived at Shu Ya courtyard and a servant girl immediately welcomed them in a panic. Upon seeing that Feng Yu Heng had truly returned, she immediately put on a smiling face: “This servant bows to second young miss!” The servant girl knew how to deal with people. Seeing Feng Yu Heng, she did not say many words before kowtowing three times. Only then did she say: “Elder madam truly has not held on to hope for nothing, as the second young miss returned with the hope!”
Granny Zhao wiped away some more tears and heard Feng Yu Heng ask the servant: “How is grandmother?”
The servant led them inside while replying: “At the start, it was only crying. After hearing that second young miss was still alive, she anxiously wanted to get out of bed. Two other servants are holding her down.”
Feng Yu Heng did not ask any further questions and increased her pace. With just a few steps, she entered the room and heard the matriarch shouting: “Go find the stretcher! Quickly go find the stretcher! My granddaughter came back, so how can I lie down here. I should go to the gate to welcome her! My poor granddaughter! My poor A-Heng!”
“Grandmother!” A warmth rose in her heart. Trotting over, the two servant girls at the matriarch’s side quickly gave way: “A-Heng has returned.”
She reached out and held the matriarch’s hand and also felt a bit of real affection.
The matriarch was stunned then stared with wide eyes at Feng Yu Heng. For a long time, she could not make a single sound. Granny Zhao was a little worried and prodded her, quietly saying: “Elder madam, second young miss returned.”
“My A-Heng!” In a sudden shout, the matriarch loudly began crying. Adding on her hoarse voice, her cries were quite heartbreaking.
Yao shi could not handle these types of scenes and wiped away a tear behind Feng Yu Heng. At the same time, she lamented the cold and unfeeling Feng manor. “A-Heng.” She spoke while wiping away tears: “Your grandmother has indeed suffered a great deal of hardship. Even this back injury was a result of her wanting to vent her anger for you by kicking Han shi. As a result, she sprained her back.”
Feng Yu Heng had heard about what had happened that day and nodded, “Grandmother, you must not get anxious. A-Heng can treat this back. A-Heng has come back and definitely will not let grandmother suffer such hardships.”
Grandparent and grandchild chatted for a while, and the matriarch’s mood finally stabilized. Looking again at Yao shi, she suddenly recalled the news she had heard earlier and quickly asked: “The Emperor truly decreed to have you return to your position as head wife?”
Yao shi nodded with no signs of happiness on her face. For her, this news did not something she would feel happy about. She no longer had a trace of feelings left for Feng Jin Yuan. As a concubine, it would be nice if she could spend a lifetime hiding away. But when she thought about her children, she still had to grit her teeth and accept the position of head wife.
The matriarch could see that Yao shi was unhappy but did not know how she should comfort her. Instead, she heavily sighed and said: “Think more about the children. Son and daughter of the first wife definitely sounds better than son and daughter of a concubine.”
Yao shi nodded, “Daughter-in-law understands.” The way she referred to herself also changed. Only then did the matriarch smile to herself.
Unfortunately, this smile did not last long enough, as she heard Feng Yu Heng say to granny Zhao: “Would granny make a trip back to the front yard to call father and everyone else in the manor over to Shu Ya courtyard. Just say that A-Heng still has an imperial decree that has not yet been read.”
“There is still an imperial decree?” Everyone was stunned, and the matriarch quickly asked her: “What decree is left? Is it a good thing or bad thing?”
Feng Yu Heng faintly smiled but did not speak.
Granny Zhao had no other choice and could only do as ordered, quickly leaving.
Yao shi also cast an inquisitive look at her and saw Feng Yu Heng give her a comforting smile.
The three masters in the room no longer spoke. The matriarch lay in bed, with her eyes spinning wildly. In her heart, she was guessing at the contents of the imperial decree Feng Yu Heng mentioned. Since Yao shi had become the head wife, and she herself had become a county princess, what other matters could happen to the Feng family?
No matter how the matriarch pondered, she could not understand; however, since everyone in the manor would be called over, it was definitely something related to the Feng family. A faint worry rose in her heart. When Feng Yu Heng just returned, she was happy, but she also feared that this second granddaughter would bring bad news to the Feng family. In the current situation, the Feng family truly could not handle being meddled with!
Not long later, everyone in the manor followed Feng Jin Yuan and quickly entered Shu Ya courtyard. Feng Jin Yuan’s expression was gloomy, and the look on his face was exceedingly oppressive. Xiang Rong was called over to his side, as he walked and quietly asked: “Father will ask you one more time. Do you truly not know what the imperial decree in your second sister’s hand is about?”
Xiang Rong was on the verge of crying. The entire way over, Feng Jin Yuan had been asking her, but she really had not heard anything about an imperial decree!
Only after seeing that he could not get any answers did Feng Jin Yuan shake his head and sigh. Taking a large stride, he entered the matriarch’s room. The people behind him quickly followed, as An shi comforted Xiang Rong: “It’s fine. Your father is just asking. He will not blame you.”
Xiang Rong nodded. Whether or not he blamed her, she did not really mind. She was aware just how cold this father was, so she did not have any real hopes of being shown any fatherly love.
Finally, everyone entered the room. The matriarch turned to look at Feng Jin Yuan and specifically pointed at Feng Yu Heng to have ahim take a good look to see whether or not this was his daughter. She especially wanted to sort the debt of him insisting that her second granddaughter had died. But the imperial decree Feng Yu Heng mentioned was like a large boulder resting on her chest. She almost felt as though she could not breathe.
“You said there is still an imperial decree?” Feng Jin Yuan did not even call her and directly rushed for the main topic.
Feng Yu Heng smiled and stood up. Without replying, she instead replied with a question: “Father, now that my mother has returned to the position of first wife, are you happy, or are you unhappy?”
Feng Jin Yuan did not think she would ask a question like this, so he was slightly startled. After that, he said: “Naturally, father is happy.” This response was half true and half false. From the perspective of his feelings, Yao shi had no place in his feelings. However, from the perspective of the Feng family’s overall situation, and given how the Emperor had already begun treating the Yao family well, having Yao shi be re-instated as the Feng family’s head wife was a good thing. Thus, he added: “Your mother has not suffered an insignificant amount of hardship. Father will definitely compensate.”
Yao shi’s brow furrowed even tighter and subconsciously retreated half a step behind Feng Yu Heng. Turning her gaze away, she did not even want to look at him.
Feng Yu Heng held firmly onto Yao shi and also asked her: “Without consideration to me and Zi Rui, A-Heng will only ask you, do you want to be the Feng family’s head wife and his official wife?”
Yao shi shook her head, “I don’t want to.”
Feng Jin Yuan felt extremely upset and furiously shouted: “If you don’t want to, then you don’t know what’s good for you!”
Only then did Yao shi look at him with an angry expression: “When my Yao family suffered, you threw us three, mother and children, deep into the mountains. Now that my Yao family has begun a come back, you know to show some goodwill. Feng Jin Yuan, what sort of person are you exactly?”
With these words, she gave voice to the thoughts of all the concubines, including Han shi.
They were all people who had lived with Feng Jin Yuan for many years. Feng Jin Yuan’s behavior was something they had all personally seen. What Yao shi said was not incorrect. This sort of man definitely would not take any risks for a woman, even if she were his official wife.
Faced with Yao shi’s question, Feng Jin Yuan did not know how he should respond. At that time, everything was decided by him. Now that they had begun to settle her debts, he truly was speechless.
But he was unhappy with being rendered speechless by Yao shi, so he said: “Returning to the position of head wife was the Emperor’s intention. If you have some objection, go complain to the Emperor yourself!”
“No need.” Feng Yu Heng spoke up, a faint smile appearing on her face. “This county princess has already returned home. I will naturally need to protect my mother; moreover, the Emperor has already expressed his will.” As she spoke, she reached a hand into her sleeve and pulled out an imperial decree. “The imperial decree has arrived. Prime minister Feng Jin Yuan and everyone present in the manor to receive!”
