Seeing that he was still talking about other things, Empress Dowager suddenly stood up and slapped hard on the table. She glared at Duke Ding and said angrily, “Ling Rui’er, a little girl, has no ability to touch the people in my palace. Does she want to die? She even dares to command the people in the royal palace. Does she think that Feng Yuxuan is the master of the royal palace now? Even if she is the mistress of the royal palace, do you think that she can become the Empress of the Central Palace and secure another empress position for Ding General Manor?”
Her words were extremely direct and she had almost pointed at their noses, accusing Duke Ding Manor of being ill-intentioned. Duke Ding wanted to stand up and explain, but was too scared that his legs softened. He knelt on the ground and pleaded in a low voice, “Your Majesty, please don’t say anything like that. There is no such thought in Ding General Manor.”
This was a serious charge that could lead to the killing of the entire clan!
Duke Ding did not expect the usually calm Empress Dowager to say something like this. In a moment of panic, he started to speak incoherently.
Empress Dowager snorted coldly. She unconsciously lowered her voice and said in a cold voice, “Whether there is such a thought, you know it clearly in your heart. I know that you have always loved your sister, so you always stand on her side. If there is really hope for King Yan, I will not say anything. After all, the child also has the blood of our Ling family. I am willing to see the child with the blood of the Ling family take the position. But now, you see, is it still possible for King Yan in the court when he’s directly grounded?”
There was no such thing as a time limit on Feng Yulei’s being grounded. Judging from how the Emperor had not mentioned it recently, it seemed as if he had completely forgotten about the son of his. Duke Ding turned to his daughter and son-in-law because of this. If Ling Rui’er’s belly lived up to his expectation, there would be an emperor with the blood of the Ling family. How could they not be interested in it?
Duke Ding had his own plans. King Xuan, Feng Yuzhen, really had a distant blood lineage! When Feng Yuzhen succeeded to the throne, they would not even be considered a family where the royal uncle came. The Empress Dowager was also old. If Empress Dowager were gone, the relationship between the Ling family and Feng Yuzhen would be broken. With her age, how could Empress Dowager ensure that Ding General Manor would be able to enjoy wealth for decades to come!
However, in front of Empress Dowager, he couldn’t say these words after all. As such, Duke Ding lowered his head and tried to muddle through it. He replied. “Your Majesty is right. I was too confused in the past. After I return, I will discuss it with the people in my clan. I will definitely not take the wrong path again.”
The Empress Dowager’s expression slightly softened when she saw that he had admitted defeat. She nodded and gestured for him to sit down by the side. The lead palace maid who hid behind the curtains brought tea back and left.
“If the Empress hadn’t thought too much and married Fengyan to King Yan, there wouldn’t have been so many things. In the end, we even lost King Yan. It can be seen that the Empress was not far-sighted and didn’t have a good grasp of the people’s hearts. Even King Yan, who was in her hands, was dissatisfied with her so they made such a scene. You Ding General Manor is the parents’ home of me and the Empress. Only when I and the Empress are well will you be fine. Now King Yan has lost his power. Only if you stand on the same side with me, can you keep the Ding General Manor prosperous for hundreds of years.”
The Empress Dowager seemed to be trying her best to analyze. Her sharp eyes were fixed on Duke Ding. The Buddha Beads in her hands were rotating slightly. There was only her gloomy voice in the hall, accompanied by the sound of the Buddha beads turning. It made one feel repressed and depressed. Duke Ding was sweating profusely in the head.
He nodded his head repeatedly.
Coming out of the Empress Dowager’s palace, Duke Ding was nearly soaked in sweat. Standing at the door of the Cining Palace, he tried to dry the sweat and then frowned. The Empress Dowager’s intention was obvious. She asked Duke Ding to help King Ning ascend the throne with the whole family’s power. However, King Ning wasn’t like the other princes. Those princes were at least right and legitimate in doing so. However, helping this once was really usurping the throne. Duke Ding didn’t know what was wrong with the Empress Dowager.
Once the rebellion failed, there would be an extermination of the entire clan.
Even if it succeeded, King Ning would still have his own uncle’s family and his empress’s family. Ding General Manor was a mother’s family of Empress Dowager. How much benefit could it gain from it! The more he thought about it, the more Duke Ding felt it not worthy. With his current comprehensive strength, even if he didn’t go further, Duke Ding wouldn’t fall from power even if he just stood on the spot.
“No, I have to think about it carefully.”
Frowning, he walked out of the Cining Palace. He thought about it as he walked. Not long after he left, he saw the Empress’ personal maid standing by the side of the road anxiously. When she saw that Duke Ding came out, she came up and curtsied to him happily. “Your Highness, you’re finally out. Her Highness wants to meet you.”
Duke Ding was feeling upset and wanted to find someone to analyze it. Now, when he heard the Empress called, he immediately nodded. It was still in the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace and it was not a place to talk. Therefore, he didn’t say anything and followed the palace maid to the Empress’s palace.
At the door of the Cining Palace, a Empress Dowager’s maid hurried in.
The Empress Dowager was sitting alone on the large rosewood bed exquisitely carved with Buddha carvings. When she heard the palace maid reporting that Duke Ding had already gone to Empress’s Tianfeng Palace, extreme anger filled her eyes. Her hands clenched into fists and she could not help but tremble. Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
The palace maid was shocked and hurriedly stepped forward to comfort her. “Your Majesty, don’t be angry. Maybe His Highness is simply going to visit the Empress. Think about it. The Empress is His Highness’s younger sister. It’s natural if he goes to the palace to see his younger sister.”
Empress Dowager cursed angrily. “If he really wants to see his sister, why does he have to go at this moment? Idiot, he’s really an idiot. I said so much to him just now, but he didn’t even listen to one single word of mine. How do I not know what the Empress thinks? But, look, I didn’t even know it when they set people in my palace. I don’t know how many things they have hidden from me. The Empress used me to make a name for Ding General Manor, and at the same time, she secretly tried to plot against me. What a good plan!”
She was scolding the Empress and Duke Ding. The palace maid did not dare to reply. She just massaged the Empress Dowager’s chest carefully and tried to use pleasant words to persuade Empress Dowager.
She patted the large bed beside her. Then, she thought of how the Empress failed to influence the Emperor and how the Ling family had plotted. As the Empress Dowager of a country, even people around her had betrayed her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Soon, the anger was ignited and she almost could not control it.
“Well, well, since she doesn’t care about me and wants to fight with me, I’ll let her know that it’s very difficult to hold the throne of the Empress without a son. Without my help, she, the Empress, is nothing.”
The Empress Dowager scolded with a ferocious expression. She gritted her teeth. She felt that not only had the Ding General Manor failed to live up to her expectations, but even the Empress who had served her well in the past had dared to plot against her. Now, even some junior from the Ding General Manor tried to play tricks under her nose. This was all because she had pampered them too much.
She could no longer get rid of the anger and hatred in her heart. She only felt it sweet in her mouth and fishy in her throat. With a “pfft”, She spat out a mouthful of blood and everything went black before her eyes. Her body softened.
The palace maid’s screams rang in her ears and they sounded farther and farther away. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty…”
When there was a great commotion in the Cining Palace, King Chu’s manor was full of joy and happiness. There was no sign of Ling Rui’er doing something wrong. King Chu, Feng Yuxuan, had a table of delicacies in the room to comfort Ling Rui’er because she was frightened in the Cining Palace and was still in a state of shock.
Feng Yuxuan poured Ling Rui’er a cup of wine and handed it to Ling Rui’er. He smiled gently and said, “Ling’er, don’t be nervous. Everything is over. Even though you’d been nice enough to give the clothes to Consort Xuan, she had the right to give it to anyone. And the most vicious is the pair of sisters. It’s the two who fought with each other, and it has nothing to do with you or Consort Xuan.”
Ling Rui’er said with tears in her eyes, “But, will Her Majesty think that I did it intentionally?” She took the wine Feng Yuxuan handed her timidly. However, she already felt overjoyed in her heart. She did not expect Feng Yuxuan to care about her so much. How could she not feel kind of relieved even though her plot had failed?
Mo Xuetong was lucky this time. Next time, she would not be so lucky.
“She won’t.” Feng Yuxuan smiled confidently. “It has nothing to do with you. Rui’er, don’t be afraid. And you’re the official Consort Chu. You’re the one I love. I’d share the responsibility with you even if Her Majesty were to punish you.”
Feng Yuxuan reached out and pulled Ling Rui’er into his arms while he gently said that. No one noticed the fleeting disgust in his eyes. He really couldn’t manage to like the people from the Ling family. One was like this, and another was also like this. How dare they plot against Mo Xuetong? If Ling Rui’er now became useless, then his hands would not be circling around her waist. Instead, they would be directly clasping her neck.
Seeing that Feng Yuxuan was as gentle as he used to treat her, Ling Rui’er felt so sweet inside that her heart was about to ooze honey. However, in order to get more care, she put on a shocked expression on her face. “Is it really okay?”
“It’s really fine. Don’t worry, I’m here, I won’t let you be wronged.” Feng Yuxuan acted as if he didn’t see the big smile in Ling Rui’er’s eyes. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead and said gently, “It doesn’t matter even if something happens. You’re the daughter from the Ding General Manor and my main consort, and you’ll be the… even the Empress Dowager can’t do anything to you!”
Ling Rui’er felt relieved when she heard that. She only felt that every pore in her body was breathing happily. She had been frightened by Mo Xuetong, but now her courage inflated like a balloon. That was right. Even if she knew that it was Ling Rui’er who had done it, would the Empress Dowager punish her? Even if not for the sake of her being Consort Chu, she was still the daughter of the Ling Manor. The Empress Dowager’s act on her was equivalent to touching the Ding General Manor. What benefit was there to her?
Ling Rui’er could not help but lie in Feng Yuxuan’s embrace and said cutely, “Your Highness, you’re so kind!” With Feng Yuxuan backing her up, what could they do even if she made trouble? The Empress Dowager and the Empress both were old. Feng Yuxuan had said earlier that if he ascended the throne in the future, she would be the empress. She wouldn’t need to fear anyone.
Feng Yuxuan was in a good mood. He laughed and picked her up. Then, he turned around and entered the inner room. Ling Rui’er was both shy and happy. She leaned against Feng Yuxuan like a ball of cotton. She could not see the darkness and disgust in the depths of Feng Yuxuan’s gentle eyes.
It was a night for some time beneath the sheets behind the red silk curtains!
Feng Yuran brought Mo Xuetong back to the manor and had lunch with Mo Xuetong. Then, Emperor Zongwen summoned him into the palace.
Feng Yuran had spent more time in the palace recently. It was said that the envoys from the Southern Barbarian Lands would come to the capital in a few days. Feng Yuran’s King Xuan’s Manor was the place to receive the sickly crown prince and the princess from the Southern Barbarian Lands. As such, Feng Yuran became the messenger who would receive the envoys from the Southern Barbarian Lands in the Qin Kingdom. He needed to discuss the details with the officials.
In the next few days, Feng Yuran was so busy that he could not keep his feet on the ground.
Every time Mo Xuetong woke up, she couldn’t see him.
