Chapter 125 Falling into water

Yun Fenghuang and the Emperor had been fishing for a long while, and each had their own gains, just different in size and number. Therefore, it couldn’t easily tell who was the winner.

The Emperor smiled and asked, “What if the game ends in a tie?”

“Your Majesty, you are a dignified emperor. You won’t compete with a weak lady, right?” Yun Fenghuang gave the Emperor a quick glance and said coquettishly, “If there is a tie, of course the game is mine.”

The Emperor asked patiently, “Then what do you want for the prize?”

Yun Fenghuang smiled, “It’s still not the end of the game. I’ll think it over after I win the game.”

Fishing was just an excuse. In addition, she couldn’t think about anything she wanted now from the Emperor. After all, as a consort, she didn’t lack food or clothing. As for what she really wanted, she didn’t think the Emperor could give her.

“Well, maybe I’ll just ask anything from the Emperor’s private stockroom, preferably something that Yuan Lianniang would like.”

While Yun Fenghuang was thinking, she suddenly felt that the fishing rod in her hand sinking. She couldn’t help smiling, “Your Majesty, a fish is biting again!”

This one was quite different from those fishes before. Yun Fenghuang was unprepared at first and pulled up the rod casually. But she didn’t succeed on her first several tries. Instead, the fishing rod was stretched into a string and almost broken under the strain. She hurriedly loosed the fishing line, and saw a string of floats being dragged into the lake. She hardly fell to the ground.

Maids hurried over to help and made suggestions, “Please be patient, My Lady. As the fish is big and cunning, it can’t be pulled up directly. You might ‘walk’ it for a while to sap its strength first. Then it would be easy to pull up the fish.”

The Emperor was also surprised. He handed his fishing rod to the eunuchs and came to have a look, giving tips on how to “walk” the fish.

Yun Fenghuang was surprised, “Your Majesty, are you familiar with this?”

“I would occasionally wander around countryside when I was in Fuyang County.” The Emperor said casually, “I fished several times and knew something about the skill.”

Yun Fenghuang thought that he must fish when he accompanied Yuan Lianniang out. The childhood sweethearts walked around tranquil countryside. She understood that well!

Yun Fenghuang was now curious about how Jie Yu Yue would feel if she knew what happened today.

That must be very interesting.

Walking fish needed patience. Yun Fenghuang quickly lost her interest. However, since the Emperor kept watching, she couldn’t hand the rod to her maids. Therefore, she coquettishly asked the Emperor to talk about his fishing experience.

The Emperor replied, “I don’t have much experience. I just went to Fuyang County with several officials to assess damages several years ago when the county was hit by a disaster. We didn’t prepare sufficient food, so the accompanying guards made some fishing hooks and I tried to fish a few times. We didn’t get as much as today then. Oh, I was lucky enough once to catch an old turtle. We stewed it with wild vegetables. That was quite nice.”

Yun Fenghuang smiled and said, “Your Majesty is sympathetic to the people. It’s the blessing of the country.”

“Oh, things about people’s livelihoods. That was… boring.” Yun Fenghuang thought.

“I’m more interested in your love affairs with Yuan Lianniang.”

But she knew that it was impossible for the Emperor to talk about that, especially before so many eyes.

Yun Fenghuang felt a little sore at wrist, so she naturally handed her fishing rod to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, I’m exhausted. Maybe you can do me a favor? We can both own the fish, please?”

The Emperor groaned, took the rod, and smiled, “Didn’t you say that I shouldn’t compete with you? It belongs to you if I catch it. But if the fish fled, I won’t take the responsibility.”

Yun Fenghuang rolled her eyes, covered her mouth and smiled, “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I’m not so stingy.”

Then while the Emperor concentrated on walking the fish, she quietly asked Xi Jing to pick the biggest fishes from the Emperor’s bucket and put them into hers.

Although the Emperor couldn’t see what was happening behind, the guards and servants saw it clearly. They looked at each other and had no idea about whether to tell the Emperor or not.

Maybe the Emperor felt the strange sight and then noticed it. He turned his head, “Dear?”

Yun Fenghuang looked as if nothing had happened. “Your Majesty? Are you also tired? Shall we give the fishing rod to the servants and go inside to rest for a while?”

The Emperor looked at her suspiciously, “No…”

When the Emperor was distracted, the originally slack fishing line suddenly sank!

The Emperor, unprepared, didn’t even turn back, and was immediately pulled forward. He had been standing at the edge of the deck, and now he completely lost his footing!

Although a group of people exclaimed “Your Majesty” and hurriedly stretched out their hands, trying to pull him, the Emperor plunged into the lake!

“Don’t you hurry down to save His Majesty?!” Yun Fenghuang subconsciously rejoiced at the scene, “So glad it wasn’t me who fell!”

She stomped her feet at once and shouted angrily, “What are you waiting for! You good-for-nothing!”

Since the Emperor wanted to take a lake trip, there were naturally good swimmers among the accompanying people. They quickly jumped into water and rescued the Emperor in a hurry.

“Your Majesty, are you all right?” Even though the Emperor swallowed some water, he was still conscious. But his face was pale. Others didn’t know whether he was frightened or angry. Yun Fenghuang hurriedly hugged him, “Your Majesty, you will be fine!”

The Emperor coughed for a while, and ordered servants in a weak voice to send him upstairs to take a shower and change clothes.

Yun Fenghuang and the trusted attendants also followed upstairs. After a while, the Emperor wore long wet hair and changed into a black housecoat. He calmly comforted Yun Fenghuang for a while first, telling her not be worried since he was all right. Then he didn’t give Yun Fenghuang a chance to express her concern, saying, “Dear, I have something to tell them. Could you go to another room?”

Yun Fenghuang wanted to turn him down because she wanted to hear it too. But while saying that, the Emperor got up and accompanied her to a beautifully furnished room, letting someone watch at the door to prevent her from sneaking out to eavesdrop.

Then Yun Fenghuang heard the creaking sound from the stairs several times. It seemed that the Emperor had summoned more than two groups of people. When Yun Fenghuang was summoned, the painted pleasure boat had already stopped at the pier where it set off.

That was unsurprising. Everyone had lost their interest in the lake trip completely since the Emperor had fallen into the water.

“Your Majesty, please allow me to dress you up.” Although the Emperor didn’t dry his long hairs when he got out of the bath and there were many ice utensils in the room, his hairs were now almost dry because of the hot weather. Therefore, Yun Fenghuang sent servants to fetch the pure golden crown and put it on the Emperor. Then she tidied up his clothes and help him wear jade accessories. She wore her curtain-hat and got off the boat with him.

They went back uneventfully. Yun Fenghuang didn’t dare to smooth away the curtain to look around this time because she had been caught by the Emperor when she was staring at Qi Jiulu before.

But when they got off the carriage at the county government office, Yun Fenghuang didn’t see the reading partners, Ji Minggan and Yuan Ke who had been following the carriage. However, Gongxiang Xiao, Yun Qike, and Deng Chengzhai were still there, as well as their attendants.

Watching the Emperor and his consort getting out of the carriage, they all came to salute.

The Emperor was not in good mood. He replied a few casual words and then turned his head, asking Yun Fenghuang to go back and rest first, “I still have something to deal with. I’ll go back to your room later.”

After pondering, he continued, “Ask Pin Ji and Feng Yi Yi to your room. I will accompany you to dinner tonight.”

Yun Fenghuang smiled and answered, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Then she glanced at Deng Chengzhai and the others, trying not to stare at Qi Jiulu, and then left briskly.

Yun Fenghuang returned to her room. Before she ordered maids to serve her cleaning up, someone came to report that Ji Muzi asked to see her.

“What’s the matter?” Yun Fenghuang smiled and let her in. When Ji Muzi came in, the maids were serving Yun Fenghuang to wash her face. Yun Fenghuang heard the footsteps, and threw the towel into the basin, with water droplets slipping off her cheeks.

Yun Fenghuang was born beautiful. Because of her age, her skin was white and smooth. Water droplets were slipping off her cheeks and her hairs were slightly wet, which reminded people subconsciously the folded lotus leaf in the pool with morning dew. That was indescribably fresh and pretty.

Ji Muzi paused a little bit, because she remembered that Yuan Lianniang called the two groups of newcomers as sirens. Although she and Yuan Lianniang had always been at odds, she totally agreed with Yuan Lianniang at this moment.

This Jie Yu Mao really possessed the capital of being a siren.

Ji Muzi calmed down and said, “His Majesty asked someone to put Tingzhao under house arrest. Do you know why?”

“What happened?” Yun Fenghuang was startled. She really had no clue. She thought that Ji Minggan and Yuan Ke had been sent away in advance. She pondered for a short while and asked, “How do you know that?”

Ji Muzi didn’t answer it but stared at Yun Fenghuang’s face for a moment. Then she frowned and said, “It seems that you really don’t know it. Then just forget it.”

Ji Muzi turned around and was about to leave, having no intention of answering Yun Fenghuang’s question.

“His Majesty fell into water on the lake today.” Yun Fenghuang laughed, walked to the head of the table, and sat down. She continued, “He fell into water with a fishing rod in his hand, and I was supposed to hold that rod. Before fishing, I rejected the request of your little brother and Countess Xingning’s nephew for participation. Are these two things related?”

Ji Muzi stopped, stood for a while, and then suddenly turned around with her face gloomy, “You planned it!”

“What plan?” Yun Fenghuang put her elbow onto the table with her cheek on the palm, and looked at Ji Muzi with a smile, “I have already said that people who do not follow the rules will be doomed to misery. They deserve it!”

Ji Muzi took a deep breath and suddenly turned back. She walked to Yun Fenghuang, leaned forward slightly, got close to Yun Fenghuang’s face, and whispered, “Do you think that you’re higher than me and Tingzhao just because you won the trust from Her Highness? Remember, we are all from Ji’s Family. And you?!”

“After joining in the Imperial Harem, we all belong to His Majesty. Then why have you talked about Ji’s Family all the time. Did you forget the lesson on the painted pleasure boat?” Yun Fenghuang said lightly, “Well, His Majesty said he will come to dine with us tonight. Do you want me to repeat what you have just said to him? Then we should know what really matters in the Imperial Harem. Position or family background?”

Seeing Ji Muzi leaving, Xi Jing and Xi Le were a little worried. They wanted to say something, but Yun Fenghuang stopped them. She waved her hand, “You all heard what His Majesty said. Now Pin Ji already knows it but Feng Yi Yi might not. Just go and inform her!”

Although Yun Fenghuang had summoned the two concubines to her room, the Emperor didn’t show up at night. Yan Yin came over to convey the Emperor’s apology, saying that they received critical evidence of Zheng Fengqing’s case, so the Emperor had to discuss with related people and have a quick meal. “His Majesty said that he is sorry. After arriving at the temporary imperial palace, he will accompany you to enjoy the beauty of the nature.”

“His Majesty took it too seriously. Political affairs are more important. We are idle anyway.” Yun Fenghuang said with a smile, “Please tell His Majesty that he must take care of himself no matter how important the case is.”

After Yun Fenghuang sent Yan Yin away, Ji Muzi immediately stood up and left. Although Ji Muzi didn’t want to see Yun Fenghuang, she still came here because she worried that Yun Fenghuang, the woman without morality, would complain about her before the Emperor.

On the contrary, Yi Xing’en respectfully served Yun Fenghuang with dinner. Seeing that Yun Fenghuang had nothing else to order, she left.

Yun Fenghuang said, “Send someone to ask if His Majesty wants a woman to accompany him tonight. If yes, let Feng Yi Yi do that.”

The Emperor accepted. He went directly to the room of Yi Xing’en after finishing the discussion in the government office.

Meanwhile, Yun Fenghuang shook her circular fan in the yard, waiting for Qi Jiulu to come.