“No.” Mo Xuetong denied it. She did not know where she found the strength to push herself up to glare at Feng Yuran. She pouted and said, “Your Highness, you have to give me a standard operating procedure about the woman in your back courtyard. Otherwise, others might say that I cannot accept other women. If you don’t wish to see them, then think of a way to move them out and not lock up a perfectly fine back courtyard. Others will laugh at you.”
“Alright, then how do you think I should deal with this?” Feng Yuran’s lips curved up as he tugged on her hand lazily, indicating that she did not have to be so serious about it. He was strong and Mo Xuetong’s arms, which were propping her up, gave in. She fell onto him and her sharp chin hit his solid chest. She could not help but groan in a low voice and then hurriedly reach out to cover her mouth.
This man was always so rough. She almost bit her tongue!
“It’s your courtyard. You should be the one to make the decision.” She complained, glaring at him with her lively eyes.
“Is it my back courtyard? Is it not Tong’er’s back courtyard? A man is in charge of what happens outside and a woman manages the household. Why are you asking me about the womanly matters of the back courtyard?” Feng Yuran patted her head in a good mood. He teased her as if she were a child, “Look at you, you are now a consort. You have to deal with the women in the back courtyard for your husband. Everyone says that there are all kinds of women in King Xuan’s back courtyard. King Xuan doesn’t care if they smell good or bad. As long as he likes them, he’ll bring them to his manor.”
“You are now the only mistress of King Xuan’s Manor. You have to behave like it! Just get rid of them.” Feng Yuran winked at her charmingly and continued, “Anyway, I am just a useless man. I used to bring them into the manor one by one and was a licentious person. Of course, I will listen to everything you say now.”
“What do you mean?” Mo Xuetong blinked. Her heart was not beating as quickly now and she was not breathing as heavily. Her mind was clearer as well as she secretly rolled her eyes at him. She knew that she had been a little unreasonable earlier. She knew very well how he felt about her. However, she felt uncomfortable about the women in the back courtyard.
“Nothing, don’t worry. Father gave me a holiday these few days. We can just have fun in the manor and clean it up. With me around, you won’t be known as being easily jealous.” Feng Yuran smiled and reached out to hold her in his arms once more. He flipped over to his side and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.
This was the second time Feng Yuran had hinted that he would have more time in the following days.
This made Mo Xuetong feel a little uneasy. She bit her lips and then pouted slightly as she glanced at him. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be comfortable. Then, she shifted around, wanting to get his attention. However, Feng Yuran seemed to have really fallen asleep. He laid there unmovingly and did not make a sound.
Was he really asleep?
Mo Xuetong glared at him huffily!
However, the man laid there as if he was unconcerned with anything and did not react at all. Mo Xuetong lowered her hands and closed her eyes as well. What was she worried about if he wasn’t? Anyway, it was a matter that involved King Xuan’s Manor. Who else would manage it if he didn’t?
She closed her eyes, feeling frustrated. She could really be tired for she fell asleep in just moments, her breath slowing and evening out.
The long lashes of the man who had kept his eyes closed and pretending to be asleep fluttered open. He opened his eyes, which seemed to be smiling and reached to land a soft kiss on her eyelids. He took a close look at her face. She was sound asleep. Then, he pulled her in his arms and called out lazily to the driver, “Go to the medicinal hall. Her Lady was so shocked that she relapsed.”
“Yes.” Even though the driver did not know why the Lady, who had seemed fine earlier when she boarded the carriage, had suddenly relapsed, he would do whatever King Xuan ordered. He looked helplessly at King Xuan’s Manor which was right in front and then turned the horse around toward the medicinal hall.
Everyone in the palace found out about what happened at Puguang Temple. It was said that King Yan and his consort were still kneeling in front of the imperial study at night. After that, Consort Yan fainted and that was when His Majesty finally allowed King Yan into the study. No one knew what happened afterward. A few palace maids and eunuchs who were on duty outside the study heard the Emperor yelling in the study and there were things being thrown around.
However, no one dared to make a single sound. Even Eunuch Liu, who was the lead eunuch who served the Emperor stood at the eaves. No one dared to do anything.
They could only vaguely hear the Emperor yelling about offering sacrifices to one’s mother. However, no one dared to say anything about it and they all pretended that they did not hear anything. Later, someone asked about it and everyone just shook their heads. They all said that they were standing far away then and His Majesty was very angry. They were all very frightened and did not hear anything.
If anyone dared to reveal what the Emperor said, their heads would roll.
They had been living in the palace for so many years, and they all knew that.
Mo Xueqiong had tried to elope with another man and had brought documents from King Yan’s Manor with her. She had even tried to plot against her elder, legitimate sister, and wanted to make use of her to run away. After she got caught, she hung herself in Puguang Temple!
The manservant who eloped with her had been beaten to death on the spot. A personal maid of Mo Xueqiong had lost too much blood because of her miscarriage and had died on the spot at Puguang Temple as well.
There was another maid who was very loyal and she killed herself in front of Mo Xueqiong’s coffin.
Everything sounded as if they had nothing to do with King Yan’s Manor at all. However, there were many suspicious points within and everyone involved was now dead. Even if they wanted to investigate the matter, they would not be able to do so. There were many who lamented that King Yan’s Manor was very vicious. They had cleaned everything up and it was impossible to investigate the matter further.
Feng Yulei used to have a good reputation and was known to be gracious amongst scholars. He was also not as enthusiastic about the throne as Feng Yuxuan was. As such, there were many who liked him. This incident had happened so suddenly and everyone involved was dead before the Emperor could investigate. It seemed that Feng Yulei was definitely involved in it and his reputation as a fair, elegant, and handsome king was damaged.
The Emperor locked Feng Yulei up in King Xuan’s Manor after a harsh scolding. In the past, Feng Yulei was just not allowed to go out and there were just two token palace guards who guarded his door. However, this time, the back doors of the manor were tightly shut. There were 18 guards at the doors who stood in two rows. They guarded the doors of the King’s Manor strictly and looked upon the passersby coldly.
Was King Yan truly being imprisoned?
However, what everyone did not expect the most was that King Xuan seemed to have angered the Emperor this time as well. No one knew if it was because Consort Xuan had been dragged into the whole thing or if it was because the Emperor was dissatisfied with King Xuan. In any case, King Xuan’s Manor was punished as well. There were two guards standing outside their doors. It was said that the directives from the palace said that only people were allowed to enter but those inside were not allowed to leave.
Then, they heard that Consort Xuan had been frightened by what happened that day and had fallen ill. Many physicians visited King Xuan’s Manor these few days. However, because of the edict issued, they did not leave. As such, no one knew how Consort Xuan was. The only news that they heard of was that Consort Xuan was angry and afraid after returning home and she had fallen ill before they even reached the King’s Manor.
It was inside the Empress’s Tianfeng Palace.
The Empress’s expression was dark and gloomy as she sat on the nanmu wood chair in the great hall. Nanny Lin stood beside her and reported what she heard.
“Your Majesty, they all say that King Chu did it. Think about it, why would that girl run away with a servant for no reason? She even brought documents belonging to His Highness with her as well as the account books from the back courtyard. Every girl who elopes will bring money with them instead of that. Furthermore, she was a Second Consort. It is impossible that she would give that up and elope with a servant,” said Nanny Lin softly.
Even though the Empress had not personally gone to see what happened when Feng Yulei had gotten into trouble, she had sent her personal nanny over. The nanny she sent then was Nanny Lin. Nanny Lin heard Consort Yan say that they did not do it and that someone was trying to plot against King Yan so that he would get into trouble.
Nanny Lin told the Empress that when she returned to the palace. The Empress naturally trusted what Consort Yan said and immediately grew suspicious of King Xuan, Feng Yuran. She told Nanny Lin to do everything possible to investigate what happened. Who would have thought that the Emperor would issue an edict to the two King Manors the next day and punish both Feng Yulei and Feng Yuran?
Furthermore, it seemed that King Xuan had been punished for no good reason.
If they wanted to see who would benefit more from this whole saga, King Yan did not, and neither did King Xuan benefit from it. King Ning had not done anything different recently either. If they wanted to see who would benefit the most, it would be King Chu. The Empress immediately grew suspicious of King Chu, Feng Yuxuan!
King Chu was doing very well in court recently. Even though there was King Xuan, whose performance impressed others, but compared to the gentle and elegant King Chu who was well-liked, King Xuan was still a little lacking.
No matter what, both King Xuan and King Yan had an equal share of the Emperor’s affections.
Yet, it was different now. King Xuan had been punished. Meanwhile, King Yan was patrolling the army camps on behalf of the Emperor and had an alibi. King Yan also benefited the most from what happened. How could the Empress not be suspicious of him?
The Empress nodded when she heard what Nanny Lin said. A vicious glint flashed in her eyes as she said, “No wonder Consort Su seemed so pleased when she saw me a few days ago. It’s like she knew what would happen. She even told me that even if King Yan were released, he might annoy His Majesty.”
The Empress’s dark glower hid a sheen of frostiness under the light.
She had been thinking of a way to get the Emperor to release Feng Yulei then. She had been angry when she heard what Consort Su said then and had left with her sleeves trailing behind her. She had thought that Consort Su had said that out of pettiness. However, she did not expect Lei’er to get into trouble just two days later. Now that she thought about that, it was obvious that Consort Su knew something about it.
The Empress hated herself for not paying attention then. If she had paid attention to this earlier, this whole saga would not have happened.
While the Empress ruminated over this, she would never expect that this whole rigmarole had happened because Feng Yulei lost in a competition.
Nanny Lin asked softly. The atmosphere in the great hall was tense and heavy. Nanny Lin could not help but sweat as she asked, “Your Majesty, what are we to do next?”
“Where’s Rui’er?” The Empress asked lightly. It could be because she was near the light, but the wrinkles on her face could not be hidden. She seemed older than she usually did. The darkness and gloominess on her face seemed to be dripping off her.
Nanny Lin replied. “Consort Chu’s face was sunburnt and she’s been watching the imperial physicians make her medicine recently. I heard she even wounded the imperial physician’s head today.”
Ling Rui’er had been staying in the palace for the past two days. She had knelt outside the imperial study that day where there was no shade and her skin had been burnt. She had not only made scratches on her face, but there were also patches of rash on it. She looked really scary. Nowadays, those from the Empress’s palace did not dare to look at Ling Rui’er’s face when they saw her.
