Chapter 110 Another trouble

Since the Emperor wasn’t close with the Empress, he seldom came to Yan Fu Palace seldom. After the summer banquet, he came here fewer times. After Duchess Ye, Empress Ji’s legitimate grandmother, died, even though Empress Ji was noble, she had to mourn for Duchess Ye to show the filial piety… As a result, the Emperor hadn’t come Yan Fu Palace since then.

Listening to the report at this moment, the concubines were all startled, and then stood up together, following the Empress to welcome the Emperor.

“I went to see Noble Consort Gui after finishing the levee, but I heard that she came to pay respect and hasn’t come back yet.” The Emperor was in a hurry this time. After the concubines took a few steps, Emperor Chunjia had already entered the hall and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The Empress took the lead to give him a salute. After the Emperor let them rise, she accompanied him to sit down, saying, “There is a dispute between Jie Yu Jia and Jie Yu Mao on the way. Noble Consort Gui, Noble Consort Shu and Pin Yun were all involved in. I’m listening to their explanations.”

Then she retold this event briefly. In front of many people, of course, she could not be partial to Yun Fenghuang clearly, but her words still contained the meaning of forgiveness.

The Emperor listened calmly, and hummed at the end, “Why is Jie Yu Mao involved in lots of things?”

Before the Empress spoke, he continued, “Where is the injured Cai Nv?”

Cai Nv Ling, who had been promised to be promoted as Feng Yi, stepped forward quickly, knelt down and whispered, “I am here!”

Where she was scratched by Happier stopped bleeding. Since she didn’t dare to continue to cover her wound while saluting, the dried blood on her white cheeks looked terrible.

Many concubines turned their heads subconsciously and dared not look at it. The Emperor frowned slightly when he saw it, “Since you are hurt in the morning, why are you still here?”

Then he glanced at Yun Fenghuang, “Jie Yu Mao has a quick temper. How could you delay her treatment?”

“It’s my fault.” Yun Fenghuang stood up and saluted, glancing at Jie Yu Jia and saying, “I said at the time that we should kill Happier which scratched Cai Nv Ling to cure her. But Jie Yu Jia stopped me, and said that it was Noble Consort Gui’s favorite pet, so…”

“I remember that a maid was also scratched by the cat before and died of rabies, right?” The Emperor beckoned before Yun Fenghuang finished, turned his head to Noble Consort Gui, and inquired in a gentle tone, “Noble Consort Gui is pregnant. Although Happier is obedient, it is still an animal. It hurt a Cai Nv today. What if it hurts…”

“Your Majesty!” Noble Consort Gui knew the Emperor’s meaning and said quickly, “I received Happier for fun because I have always stayed in Yan Lan Palace. After all, it is just a cat. How can it compare with concubines who serve you?”

Then she ordered the maid who was holding Happier to immediately kill it outside, and to take its brain for Cai Nv Ling, so as to avoid the infection with rabies which might make the Cai Nv die.

Cai Nv Ling knelt on the ground and thanked tremblingly with tears shedding like broken beads. No one knew whether she was moved or frightened. Maybe she was afraid that Noble Consort Gui, who was forced to kill her pet by the Emperor, would hate her.

Seeing this, Yun Fenghuang let Xi Le step forward and pull Cai Nv Ling back into the queue. Then she replied, “Your Majesty, I don’t know what is going on. Something bad often happened to my people. It seems that I, as a hostess, am easy to be bullied. Cai Nv Ling is injured. I don’t know whether Qingman offended somebody or she is implicated due to me. Now she is framed by others and becomes the culprit. Do you believe it, Your Majesty?”

Although Noble Consort Shu didn’t like Yun Fenghuang, and she even suspected that Yun Fenghuang was crying just to show her mercy, at the moment, she also said, “Your Majesty, what Pin Xue said just now means that I ordered my sister Pin Yun to add elsholtzia in the facial cream to Cai Nv of Xuan Qing Palace, tempting Happier to attack them… I would like to confront Pin Xue to prove my innocence!”

Hearing this, Emperor Chunjia was also a little stunned and said, “Just a night, how did so many things happen?”

He sighed, “I am just worried about Noble Consort Gui for her disappearance. Empress Ji will decide your things…”

Then he looked at Empress Ji.

Empress Ji smiled and said, “Noble Consort Shu misunderstood. Pin Xue didn’t say that. She just thought Pin Yun was the real murderer. What’s more, as for your status, you don’t need to deal with a humble Cai Nv.”

Obviously, she didn’t want to get Noble Consort Shu involved in.

However, hearing the words, Xue Xiaoge said after hesitation, “Your Highness, Noble Consort Shu also came to Chong Chang Hall yesterday and asked you to arrange Cai Nv Yi and Cai Nv Qu to her palace. But the two insisted on going to Xuan Qing Palace…”

It meant that maybe Noble Consort Shu was so angry that she avenged deliberately just because she didn’t achieve her purpose.

“Cai Nv Yi and Cai Nv Qu are beautiful. Yesterday, a lot of hostesses sent people to say this.” Empress Ji frowned slightly, looked down at Xue Xiaoge, and said lightly, “Do you mean that people in Xuan Qing Palace got involved these things because all hostesses in the Imperial Harem framed them? How do you think of the Imperial Harem and me? Can I let them do these things?”

Xue Xiaoge bit her lip unwillingly, and lowered her head to salute, “It is my fault. Please forgive me.”

“Go back to Su Rong Palace!” Empress Ji was sullen, “You should be grounded for seven days.”

Xue Xiaoge lowered her head, “I will obey.”

Then she went back to the queue and kept silent.

Her behavior made Yun Fenghuang and other consorts surprised, because they didn’t understand why she attacked Noble Consort Shu… It was not strange that Xue Xiaoge attacked Noble Consort Shu. Her cousin, Ji Muzi, had a bad relationship with Noble Consort Shu. At that time, the latter contributed a lot to Ji Muzi’s demotion.

At this moment, Xue Xiaoge would be happy if she involved Noble Consort Shu in Yun Qingman’s affair.

But the matter was…

Since Ji Muzi was demoted as Pin, she had always stayed at Su Rong Palace. The situation of Xue Xiaoge changed from having a backer to a weak force. Although Empress Ji wouldn’t ignore Xue Xiaoge for the sake of Ji Muzi, she wouldn’t pay much attention to her.

In this case, the Empress didn’t allow to make trouble, but she still stepped forward and argued… Then after the Empress showed a little displeasure, she went back immediately… Her operation was a bit strange.

“You are good at talking.” Empress Ji squeezed her forehead. She felt helpless in front of these concubines and said after being silent for a while, “But Pin Yun said nothing… Pin Yun, I’ll give you a chance to explain!”

Yun Qingman did not say anything from beginning to now.

At this moment, she was called. Then she stepped forward, saluted, and cried before saying, “I really don’t know what happened!”

She said that she had been obedient since she moved to Xuan Qing Palace from Tong Xia Palace, and she never went out of the side hall, except paying respect.

Yesterday, she was called to the main hall to play cards with two Jie Yu. She happened to meet new Cai Nv who were about to pay respect. After going back to the side hall, she was reminded by her maid to give welcome gifts to new concubines in this palace.

Although the new concubines were all Cai Nv, of course, the gifts they received could not be all the same. The gifts for Yi Xing’en and Qu Hongzhuan and some other excellent Cai Nv were obviously better than the rest.

The hostess Yun Fenghuang also did like this, not to mention Yun Qingman.

Just now, the imperial doctor said that the facial cream she gave to Yi Xing’en and the excellent Cai Nv contained elsholtzia… She was also very confused!

“I used the facial cream when I just joined the Imperial Harem. I opened them at random when I wanted to use. This time, I picked some casually for Cai Nv Yi and others.” Yun Qingman choked, “I felt comfortable when I used them… Queen Mother ordered people to raise cats to catch snakes and mice long time ago. If there is something wrong in the facial cream, I should be in danger. But I am safe, right?”

“…” Empress Ji didn’t speak immediately after listening, but turned to ask the Emperor, “What do you think, Your Majesty?”

Emperor Chunjia said lightly, “Did you investigate people around Pin Yun?”

“Your Majesty, Your Highness.” Before the Empress answered, Pin Xue suddenly said again, “Pin Yun said that she used the facial cream when she joined the Imperial Harem… Where did the facial cream originally come from?”

Hearing this, Yun Qingman was stunned obviously, and then showed a bewildered look, “I… I… this… uh…”

“I gave her the facial cream.” Seeing this, Noble Consort Shu who sat not far away frowned, and said coldly, “What you said seems to impute blame to me?”

Pin Xue ignored the Empress’s eyes of warning, stepped forward, and lowered her head, saying lightly, “How dare I! I just asked.”

Empress Ji glanced at her coldly, turned her head to her maids, and let them take trusted attendants of Pin Yun away to investigate.

Then everyone could guess the following thing. Soon, a maid confessed that she added elsholtzia which she picked in the wasteland on the way to Hu Zhu Palace in the facial cream awarded by Yun Qingman. She knew its effect when she was a road-sweeping maid, and used it this time.

As for why she did this, she said that she was at the same age as Yi Xing’en and others, but lived a different life. Therefore, she was so impulsive that she did this, “I didn’t expect to encounter Jie Yu Jia who was about to send Happier back to Noble Consort Gui. I just thought that there are many cats in the Imperial Harem. Cai Nv Yi and others use the facial cream which contains elsholtzia every day. If they meet an impulsive cat, they will be in danger!”

“Your fate is destined. It is your great honor to serve Pin Yun.” Empress Ji listened to these words with no expression, and said lightly, “Besides, Pin Yun was born in Duke Yi’s Mansion and treats maids kindly. Even as a maid, you have a better life than some low-grade concubines. But you still envied and framed innocent concubines, and instigated consorts… You are so greedy! You should be punished according to the rules! Take her away!”

Looking at Yun Qingman who was silent and crying, she said, “Pin Yun of Xuan Qing Palace couldn’t train her maids well and should be demoted as Rong Hua!”

Concubines looked at each other, hesitated a few times, and no one came out to say anything. They tacitly approved this ending.

But Yun Fenghuang thought, “It seemed that Empress Ji said to the maid who confessed her fault. But maybe she said to Emperor Chunjia?”

However, whether the Empress had such thoughts, Emperor Chunjia finally accompanied Noble Consort Gui away as if nothing happened.

But after he accompanied Noble Consort Gui in Yan Lan Palace until the evening, he went to Xuan Qing Palace again.

“Your Majesty, you come to see me now after you accompanied Noble Consort Gui. It’s not appropriate.” Seeing this, Yun Fenghuang asked him, “Not considering other sisters, I think Jie Yu Yue is also pregnant. If she knows it, she will be sad.”

Emperor Chunjia glanced at her and said, “I will see her tomorrow… Let Yi Xing’en serve me tonight.”

As Yun Fenghuang let people send a message to Yi Xing’en, she asked with a smile, “What are you doing here, Your Majesty? You can come to see Cai Nv Yi early and let her talk with you.”

Didn’t you require a lot when you let me serve you?

You asked me to chat and play Go with you… Why did you still come to Huan Hua Hall since you decided to sleep with Cai Nv Yi today?

If this thing spread, people would think that as a hostess, Yun Fenghuang was greedy. Since the Emperor came to Xuan Qing Palace, she had to meet him for a while.

The Emperor chuckled and said, “You have a spacious place. I want to have dinner here, can’t I?”

“Your Majesty, I like you the most. I will be sad if you come seldom. How could I be unhappy if you often come here?” Yun Fenghuang smiled immediately, stepped forward and gave him a shoulder massage attentively for a while. Then she suggested the dishes and pastries suitable for this season… Emperor Chunjia enjoyed her serve with a faint look, and suddenly reached out and squeezed her cheek, saying, “At this time, you are like a girl of your age.”

She was only 15. Although her thought was deep and she behaved ruthlessly, she still liked eating.

But…

Emperor Chunjia was suddenly stunned. Even though Yun Fenghuang liked eating, she could control herself. She should know that as an outstanding consort who just joined the Imperial Harem without any foundation, she would be hurt by someone through food. In the final analysis, she could eat recklessly just because it was different for her to be pregnant. Therefore, she didn’t have to care about a lot.

Although this result was actually done by Yun Fenghuang herself, the Emperor felt somewhat complicated. For a time, he had no mood to tease her, pushed her away, and said calmly, “I am a little tired, and want to sleep in your inner room… You wait here. Call me when the dinner is ready.”

Before Yun Fenghuang said something, he stood up and walked inside.

Seeing this, although Yun Fenghuang was confused, she was happy. For fear that others would bother the Emperor, she simply went to the parlor and let people guard outside. Then she asked, “Why did that Jian Tao come here?”

“I arranged her at the side hall to watch Pin Yun.” Chen Zhu replied, “But because Pin Yun brought maids from Tong Xia Palace, she could only do odd jobs. I intend to find a chance to deal with some maids of Pin Yun and let her serve Pin Yun… As a result, she ran over suddenly in a panic and said she had something to tell you in person. I tried to ask her but she didn’t say. I don’t know whether it was true or false. Therefore, I reported it and ask for your instruction.”

Yun Fenghuang thought about it. She specially asked Noble Consort Shu to arrange Yun Qingman to Xuan Qing Palace. Of course, she would continue to watch her after arranging her at the side hall. Even if there were no credible people in her palace, she still picked many people and let them watch Yun Qingman carefully.

Jian Tao was also one of them. She wasn’t arranged by Yun Fenghuang but Chen Zhu who tried to show himself in front of Yun Fenghuang.

According to Chen Zhu, although Jian Tao was very young, she was not an impulsive person…

As she was free now, Yun Fenghuang thought about it and said, “If that is the case, let her come in.”

Later, Jian Tao was taken in. She saluted and expressed respectfully that she should report such a big deal to Yun Fenghuang alone.

Yun Fenghuang was impatient to follow her, “They are my trusted attendants, and could hear it!”

“…” Jian Tao hesitated.

Seeing Yun Fenghuang was about to send her out if she didn’t say, she took a deep breath, and whispered bravely, “Seeds of bird rape, rhizome of rehmannia, carthamus tinctorius, fructus cnidii…”

“Shut up!” Yun Fenghuang and Nian Xuan both changed their expressions, and stopped her in unison, while Xi Le and others were wondering why Jian Tao reported the name of traditional Chinese medicines!

“You all go out!” Yun Fenghuang immediately commanded, and slowed her tone when she saw that Nian Xuan was hesitant, “You also go out first. Leave me alone to listen to her.”

After all people went out, she pinched her palm hard, and then asked in a deep voice, “This prescription… where did you get it?”

“Naturally, I heard it from the north.” Jian Tao said respectfully and softly, “What a pity. When giving this prescription to you, Ms. Jiang must consider your future after you get married. But you used it on yourself. If Ms. Jiang knows this, she must be very sad!”

The medicines Jian Tao just reported were included in the prescription that made Yun Fenghuang difficult to be pregnant!

In addition, at this moment, she said that she heard it from the north…

Yun Fenghuang became calm gradually, and then asked calmly, “What do you want by saying these words?”