Now it was all right. Duke Ding explained the situation to the Emperor, which indicated Ding General Manor took the side of the Emperor and would also completely cut off their support of the Empress Dowager. Anyway, Ding General Manor would never stand on the Empress Dowager’s side anymore, and thus, of course, would never rebel with King Ning.
Duke Ding mentioned this intentionally in order to gain the Emperor’s approval. Just as King Chu had expected, the Emperor cleared Rui’er of her crime and regained her place as the first consort. It was also considered a way of returning the favor and making Ding General Manor look good. At the same time, it also hinted that Duke Ding could not act rashly.
This was what Duke Ding hoped for the most right now. After all, it was not the right time to fall out with the Empress Dowager. In others’ eyes, she came from Ding General Manor anyway. If he offended the Empress Dowager, who knew how she would deal with him? After all, he was a subject, as well as a junior. He was in a weak position in every respect.
It seemed that the Emperor did not intend to do anything to the Empress Dowager and King Ning for the time being. He should make a plan before he acted. Duke Ding was hoping that the Empress Dowager would stay quietly in the palace. Compared to the Emperor’s methods, the Empress Dowager’s was somewhat too common. If King Ning really rebelled, the Empress Dowager would be a rebel. As the Empress Dowager’s parents’ family, Ding General Manor would not be able to escape.
Thinking of this, Duke Ding felt that it was so good to follow King Chu’s advice to show his loyalty to the Emperor and report to him!
At least he was now on the Emperor’s side. Moreover, there was the Empress and Consort Chu. In the future, the Empress Dowager’s matter would not have much to do with him.
After wiping the sweat off his head, Duke Ding excitedly went out of the palace. What happened last night did not stir too much trouble in his heart. No matter which prince did it, he would not really deal with the Four Great Manors for the time being. Only several unimportant servants and concubines died in the manor, which was not worthy of his attention.
As soon as Duke Ding turned the corner of a palace, he saw a maid standing on a path. When she saw him coming, she came over and said respectfully, “Greetings, Duke Ding.”
“What’s the matter?” Duke Ding asked as his face darkened.
“Hearing that there were assassins in Ding General Manor last night, Her Majesty was very worried and wanted to ask you about the situation in the manor. Please come with me, Your Grace,” the maid said politely with a smile.
The incident happened last night, and this morning, the Empress Dowager who lived in seclusion in the palace and claimed to be indifferent to the world knew everything. However, a few days after what happened to Ling Rui’er, Duke Ding went to the Cining Palace to plead, the Empress Dowager pretended that she knew nothing about it and asked him to tell her everything.
Duke Ding pretended to be in a hurry and said to the maid, “Please report to Her Majesty that most of the people in the manor are safe, and only a few servants were killed. Nothing serious. However, many people are frightened. I’ll go back to calm them down first. I’ll come to the palace and tell Her Majesty in detail later.”
He really didn’t have time to come to the Empress Dowager’s palace at this time. He had to go back and tell something to Ling Rui’er. The Second Consort Mo was not in King Chu’s Manor either, and Ding General Manor had to make a gesture in order to shut people up. Besides, he had just thought that his Second Uncle had quite a lot of power in the manor. He might as well take this opportunity to get rid of some of his people so that he could forcefully control his Second Uncle and the Empress Dowager in the future…
Ling Rui’er had once again become Consort Chu. She expressed that she had repented thoroughly of her misdeeds. She had even come to Assistant Minister’s Manor with many people to apologize to the injured Second Consort Mo who was lying on the bed. Besides, she even asked servants to beat the maid who knocked Second Consort Mo and caused her miscarriage to death right in front of Mo Yarui.
Ling Rui’er apologized to Mo Yarui sincerely. She even disregarded her own status and cried on the spot, attempting to kneel down in front of Mo Yarui. How could Mo Yarui allow Ling Rui’er to do it? She forced herself to get up to lift Ling Rui’er. She said that she, as a second consort, didn’t deserve the first consort’s apology.
At this point, Ling Rui’er sincerely asked for forgiveness and repeatedly said that she would treat Mo Yarui well and look after her. Mo Yarui, who was weak by nature, also expressed that she wanted to go back to King Chu’s Manor. As a daughter who got married, she couldn’t stay at her parents’ home all day long. Assistant Minister Mo had no choice but to allow his daughter to go back with Ling Rui’er and secretly told Mei Yu, Mo Yarui’s maid who went to King Chu’s Manor with her, to look out for her.
Unlike Mo Yarui, Assistant Minister Mo felt that Ling Rui’er would not be so kind, and was always worried about his daughter. Thus, he sent some people to work at the back door of King Chu’s Manor, afraid that his only daughter would be soft-hearted and be tricked. Otherwise, she would not know how she died. He could only smile bitterly in his heart when his daughter had fantasies about King Chu.
When his daughter lost the baby, King Chu had not yet entered the military camp. How could he know nothing about what happened in his manor? King Chu had not even asked about the accident that had happened to the child in his daughter’s belly. It could be seen that he had no feelings for his daughter. Assistant Minister Mo only hoped that his daughter would not get into trouble. He was willing to take his daughter home.
However, Mo Yarui still believed that Feng Yuxuan loved her and thus she followed Ling Rui’er back to King Chu’s Manor.
Put aside how Mo Yarui was, there was someone who was completely unaffected by the current situation. He Yufen was in a good mood over the past few days because she was about to finally fulfill her wish—marrying into King Xuan’s Manor. Although she was still somewhat unhappy that she could not become a second consort, the unhappiness was just a small amount of dark clouds compared to her desire to enter King Xuan’s Manor.
She had been a sacrifice when she had come to the capital. In order to stay in the capital, she could only marry Yu Mingyong who was a good-for-nothing. He Yuxiu looked smarter than her, so her father and Second Uncle had both chose He Yuxiu to marry into King Xuan’s Manor.
But she couldn’t accept it. Yu Mingyong was a playboy. How could He Yufen accept it? She had always thought she was beautiful. How could she let her beauty do no good? Luckily, something happened to He Yuxiu in the palace, so she had to marry Yu Mingyong. When she thought of Consort Zhao’s protection for her last time, she knew that she was on her side, which made her more daring.
With Consort Zhao backing her up, how could the little girl, Mo Xuetong be compared with her?
He Yuxiu’s inexplicable disappearance didn’t make her feel any burden. On the contrary, she felt that it was better. Without the tart He Yuxiu, the He family would only favor her more. She didn’t want to be against He Yuxiu either. It was best for He Yuxiu to die. Without her, there was no one to compete with her for the favor.
Tomorrow was the day she would marry into King Xuan’s Manor. He Yufen took inventory of her belongings early in the morning. The He family had really treated her well and had placed 36 boxes for her. Such a dowry was enough for her to live a comfortable life in King Xuan’s Manor. Of course, He Yufen knew that at least half of the boxes were empty, but even so, her status was raised.
Just as she was happily watching, the people sent by Consort Zhao had come from outside, especially asking her to enter the palace.
Hearing Consort Zhao’s order, He Yufen happily followed the little eunuch who came to invite her to the gate of the palace and came to the Mingyue Palace.
A palace maid had been waiting there for a long time. When she saw He Yufen approaching, she greeted her respectfully and led her into the palace.
Consort Zhao’s Mingyue Palace had always been deserted, but the decoration inside was extremely gorgeous. He Yufen had been to the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace. After observing the things here, she immediately felt that even the Cining Palace couldn’t compare with this one. And she was more confident that she would become Consort Xuan.
With Consort Zhao’s favor to her, it would be easy for her to get Mo Xuetong out of the position.
Of course, He Yufen, who had been in a small city in Jiangnan, didn’t understand that the Empress Dowager intentionally kept a low profile because she wanted the Emperor to feel that she was peaceful and was very satisfied with her present life.
“Greetings, Your Highness.” Upon entering, He Yufen saw Consort Zhao and bowed gracefully.
“Yufen, take a seat.” Consort Zhao smiled warmly as she pointed at the chair on the side. He Yufen thanked her for her kindness and sat down in a little bow.
Consort Zhao smiled slightly, picked up the green lotus teacup by her hand, and took a sip before she asked, “You’re going to King Xuan’s Manor tomorrow. Do you know what to do, Yufen?”
He Yufen was slightly stunned. She did not understand what Consort Zhao’s meaning. The things after she entered King Xuan’s Manor had already decided, and her father and uncle had no longer reminded her. The first thing she did after she came to King Xuan’s Manor was to defeat Mo Xuetong. Then, she would seize Feng Yuran’s heart and control him.
She hesitated for a moment and asked, “Do you think there’s something wrong, Your Highness?”
“There is indeed something wrong. The first thing you should do after you marry into the manor is to capture Old Eight’s heart. I heard that after the matter about tea leaves last time, he has gained his original habit. There is a new concubine in the inner courtyard and she is not of low status. Those concubines might also be released. Mo Xuetong is no longer the most powerful person in King Xuan’s Manor. So it’s useless just to get rid of Mo Xuetong,” Consort Zhao slowly said.
This was the conclusion she had reached after analyzing the matters in King Xuan’s Manor.
Something must have happened between Feng Yuran and Mo Xuetong. Although nothing had been found out, those things had indeed happened in the back courtyard. A few days after Feng Yuran had been restricted by the Emperor, the back courtyard became lively again. It was said that the concubines who had been grounded in the past also had the opportunity to come out. Mo Xuetong had met them once.
It was at that time that Concubine Qin had caught Feng Yuran’s attention and been promoted.
It was said that Feng Yuran did it without discussing it with Mo Xuetong. It seemed that he was not so good to her as he used to be.
This was also the reason that Consort Zhao had specially asked He Yufen to come to the palace.
He Yufen was naturally smart now that she was able to stand out among the girls adopted by the He family. She immediately understood the meaning of Consort Zhao and nodded in agreement at once.
Consort Zhao cast a sidelong glance at her and gave her an admiring look. Then, she instructed her, “Yufen, you must be mentally prepared. When you marry into his manor tomorrow, Old Eight might not come to you. With his arrogant personality, how could he possibly care about a mere concubine?”
It was the first day a concubine married into his manor and many people knew about it, including the Emperor. Why would he not come and take a look at her? He Yufen was a little dazed. She had thought that Feng Yuran might not like her very much right now, but she had never thought that Feng Yuran would not come to see her. She was flustered and asked, “Your Highness, what should I do then?”…
