Feng Yuran was not in a hurry to eat. After the meal, he chatted with Emperor Zongwen for a while before returning to the manor with his subordinates.
When they reached the gate, Steward Wang and Nanny Chen who was in charge of the back courtyard were already waiting there. When they saw Feng Yuran dismount from his horse before the gate, they hurried over to welcome him.
Feng Yuran got off the horse, raised his hand, and asked everyone to get up. He strode inside and said, “Wang Fu, you go to deal with the affairs in the outer courtyard first. Come to me later. Nanny Chen, come with me!”
Steward Wang nodded and left after a salute.
After they arrived at the hall, Feng Yuran sat down and a servant served him tea. He drank the tea before saying, “Nanny Chen, tell me what happened.”
“Your Highness, when you and Her Lady left, all the concubines in the backyard went to Concubine Xiang’s house. I heard that they went to congratulate her and chatted with her for a long time. Then they came out of her house together. Concubine Xiang saw them off at the door. When they came to the door, someone tripped on the threshold. The group of people fell one after another, including Concubine Xiang. As a result, the child was gone.”
A large group of people went to congratulate Concubine Xiang, and Concubine Xiang appeared very happy. These people left in the middle of the night, but when they came out, someone tripped on the threshold. While struggling, they dragged Concubine Xiang accidentally, causing her to fall to the ground. The scheme was really perfect. With so many people, it was a mess. It was hard to know who did it. Even if Feng Yuran wanted to punish these people, he could not punish so many people.
Feng Yuran narrowed his pretty eyes, and the smile on his lips turned into a sneer. “Don’t tell me about what happened on the surface. Just report what you’ve investigated,” he said in a cold voice.
“Yes.” Nanny Chen didn’t dare to hide the truth. She bowed and answered, “Your Highness, I’ve asked people to investigate this matter. It’s not what we see on the surface. At least eight concubines are suspected. Since she was pregnant, Concubine Xiang has been living in seclusion. In order to cover up the fact that she is pregnant, she even didn’t dare to come to you. She always used illness as an excuse. And she lived in a quiet place and no one visited her in normal times.”
“I also checked the door of Concubine Xiang’s house. It was obviously smeared with oil. Even if no one tripped on the threshold, someone would slip on the ground. Concubine Xiang didn’t want to send them out off the door at that time, but she had to do it because those concubines urged her to do so. She also claimed that there were several hands that reached out to her at that time.”
Feng Yuran nodded and his smile was as cold as frost. He said, “It’s interesting. This is really an eye-opener for me. People in our manor are really capable. They really know a lot.”
His words were full of sneers. Hearing this, Nanny Chen lowered her head and became more deferential. She secretly thought that Feng Yuran was really pissed.
“Where is the maid of Concubine Xiang? If she was there, shouldn’t she support her master?” Feng Yuran asked coldly.
“Your Highness, that little maid had long been squeezed out of the room. Although she had been waiting carefully at the door, in fact, she could not do anything. When the concubines fell together, she wanted to help her master, but even she couldn’t stand steadily herself. How could she cross the crowd and hold Concubine Xiang?”
Nanny Chen had already investigated the matter thoroughly. She analyzed the situation carefully. Feng Yuran did not show his emotions on his face after he heard what Nanny Chen said. Then he nodded and said loudly, “Thank you for your hard work, Nanny Chen. It’s alright. Now that they caused this matter, they should bear the responsibility themselves. Somebody, bring the fallen concubines here.”
He was going to hear the case. Nanny Chen, who had been ready for it, immediately asked someone to call those concubines.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, you have to uphold justice for me and our child.” A sorrowful voice came as those people were brought here.
Concubine Xiang who was leading the way rushed in and knelt before Feng Yuran. Feng Yuran was shocked when he saw the pale and haggard beauty in front of him. It had only been a few days since he had last seen her, but she had lost so much weight.
Concubine Xiang was originally plump because of the pregnancy, but now her face was like an awl.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, we really didn’t mean to do this. We just wanted to have a chat with Concubine Xiang, so that she can take care of when she is promoted in the future. But who knows who fell down first at the door? Your Highness, it was not me who was walking in front at that time. Please uphold justice for me, Your Highness.”
“Your Highness, it’s not me. I was dragged by others and fell. At that time, I was far away from Concubine Xiang, and it was impossible for me to grab her.”
“She didn’t fall because we grabbed her. Please wipe out the injustice for us, Your Highness!” A large group of concubines behind Concubine Xiang defended themselves when they saw her cry. They cried and shouted that they were innocent. There were more than a dozen people on their side, so they immediately suppressed her cry.
“Nonsense, you are all talking nonsense.” Concubine Xiang turned back and tried to scratch the faces of the concubines behind her. She gnashed her teeth and said, “Your Highness, I haven’t known them since I entered the manor. Why did they come to my room together and chat with me? I had been tired and asked them to go back to rest early. They were not willing to leave. When they finally decided to leave, they asked me to see them off. Then, then…”
“You bitches, it’s you! You’re the ones who harmed my child!”
Concubine Xiang cried so hard that her eyes were bloodshot. She grabbed two concubines’ long hair and pulled a fistful of it. When she was about to scratch their faces, the other concubines stepped aside. They were in a mess after they pushed each other.
“Separate them,” Feng Yuran ordered coldly.
A few strong older maidservants had already come and pulled Concubine Xiang aside. Concubine Xiang had just lost her baby and was still weak, so she couldn’t resist them. She immediately sat on the ground and gasped, looking at Feng Yuran with tears in her eyes and pleading.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, please uphold justice for me!”
“Your Highness, I’m innocent. I really didn’t expect this would happen.”
“Your Highness, Your Highness…”
“Shut up. Whoever dares to speak nonsense again, I will have someone to pull out her teeth.” Feng Yuran, who sat on the high seat, banged the table forcefully. There was a flash of viciousness in her eyes. He appeared really ruthless.
The concubines did not dare to say anything else when they noticed how angry he was. They all looked at Feng Yuran in tears, looking pitiful and aggrieved.
“Nanny Chen, tell us about what happened!” Feng Yuran looked at the women in front of him with disgust. The smile in his eyes grew even colder. Most of the women present were sent from other manors, including people from the Empress Dowager’s side, the Empress’ side, the other consorts’ side, and even his elder brothers’ side. They all had ulterior motives. They thought that since they had a backer, he would not do anything to them.
Nanny Chen had been standing by the side solemnly. She took a few steps forward when she heard Feng Yuran’s order. She curtsied respectfully to Feng Yuran and said, “Your Highness, after that incident, I got some people to surround Concubine Xiang’s place and the concubines. I found something after that.”
As she was speaking, Nanny Chen smiled and went on, “The one who encouraged everyone to go to Concubine Xiang’s place was Concubine Wang and Concubine Shen. It was Concubine Chen and Concubine Ling, who stayed there to buy some time. It was Concubine Mei’s maid who secretly sprinkled oil on the ground around the door. Concubine Luo’s maid sprinkled oil on the door-post. The two Concubine Li fell down in the front, and the one who pulled Concubine Xiang’s dress was…”
According to her words, many concubines present were involved in this incident.
“Your Highness, I didn’t do that. I’m from the Empress Dowager’s palace. How could I do such an evil thing?”
“Your Highness, the Empress has warned me not to do this kind of vicious thing.”
“Your Highness, King Chu is your elder brother. He’s always gentle and elegant. If I’m really that kind of person, why would His Highness give me to you?”
There were various types of beauties in the hall. The beauties all cried and looked pitiful. And they pointed out who their previous masters were. Their masters were either Feng Yuran’s elders or his elder brothers. Feng Yuran could not punish them for any of their sake.
Feng Yuran held the teacup in his hand and a charming smile appeared on his lips. However, in the eyes of his concubines, he looked grim and frightening. A few of them shivered for a moment before they realized that something was wrong. They hid behind others and did not dare to say anything else. King Xuan looked more like a bloodthirsty leopard today.
He stood up and walked to two concubines who were crying the most. He suddenly smiled coldly, stretched out his leg, and kicked them out. “When I haven’t asked you to speak, whoever dares to speak will be punished like this,” he said.
Everyone looked over and saw that the two concubines had been kicked into a pillar and spilled out a mouthful of blood. Their breath had become weak.
At this sight of the blood, everyone felt a chill in their heart. Even Concubine Xiang, who had been crying, was so scared that her face turned pale.
“Your Highness, how do you deal with these people? Please tell us.” Nanny Chen turned around and asked Feng Yuran respectfully.
Feng Yuran’s eyes were cold and there was a charming and evil smile on his lips, which made his extremely handsome face look as bloodthirsty as that of an asura. People felt scared and frightened when they were stared by him. Under his gaze, none of the concubines kneeling on the ground dared to speak. The bloody scene just now had made them so afraid that they could not even breathe heavily.
Time seemed to have stopped. After a long while, Feng Yuran suddenly put on a normal smile which was as beautiful as a flower. However, there was not a trace of a smile in his eyes. “Nanny Chen, what’s the penalty for murdering the child of the royal family?”
“Killing the whole family!” Nanny Chen answered.
Her words startled all the concubines. They all could not remain steady; their body shook; their faces were as pale as a white paper and they were all depressed. Some of them did not dare to speak and kept kowtowing and begging for forgiveness. It was said that the matter would not blow up. Since there were so many people and other powers involved, how could King Xuan deal with them like that?
“Somebody, drag all of them out and beat them to death.” Feng Yuran’s cold gaze swept over every concubine’s face. There was not a trace of warmth in his eyes. The people he had set his eyes on were all trembling in fear.
“Your Highness, no…” The concubines were scared out of their wits, and a few of them had lost their rationality and rushed over, crying, “Your Highness, I’m from the Empress Dowager’s palace. I’m a gift from the Empress Dowager!”
“Are you trying to threaten me with the Empress Dowager?” Feng Yuran coldly looked at the concubine who rushed towards him, as if he were looking at a dead object. He lifted his leg and kicked the concubine closest to him away.
Immediately, several tall and strong guards who guarded outside rushed in and dragged those concubines out.
“Put a gag in their mouth, so that they won’t annoy His Highness,” Nanny Chen said loudly.
Immediately, someone took something and stuffed the concubines’ mouths. After a while, the sound of beating flesh came from the courtyard, but no other sound came.
