Chapter 42 - Self-reflection of Gui Ren Yun

Nian Xuan was a servants’ child born in Xie’s Family, and was arranged as a fellow of Yun Fenghuang. At that time, there were several servants’ children. Nian Xuan was too stupid and ignorant to realize she was framed by others. Therefore, she was not prominent among them.

As they grew up, Yun Fenghuang and Ms. Jiang observed their changes and chose four among them in succession as trusted attendants. Nian Xuan was one of them unexpectedly.

After Xie Fenghuan’s affair, there was only one trusted attendant left—Nian Xuan. And when Yun Fenghuang set off from the north to Dijing City, she took Nian Xuan with her.

It could be seen that Ms. Jiang and Yun Fenghuang trusted Nian Xuan very much… However, Ms. Jiang told Nian Xuan the above, while enjoined her daughter the following privately, “All members of Nian Xuan’s family work for me, and I decide their fates. They dare not make trouble. As for Nian Xuan, she has been naïve and simple since childhood. Although she can barely help you, we can know what she is thinking with a glance. If she has bad intentions one day, you can deal with her easily.”

In fact, even if Ms. Jiang didn’t say so, it was difficult for Yun Fenghuang to trust anyone around her wholeheartedly.

After all, Xie Fenghuan’s infamy was closely related to one of her trusted attendants she took with when she got married.

Xie Fenghuan did not marry afar, but under the eyes of Xie’s Family. However, even so, there were still servants who dared to frame their masters like this, not to mention that Yun Fenghuang was here in Dijing, and now even in the Imperial Harem.

“… It has only been a few days since I joined the Imperial Harem. Even though Yuan’s Family sent people to the north since the day of my joining, they couldn’t bring back any news.” Yun Fenghuang groaned, “How can they know the relationship between me and Qi Jiulu?”

Thinking of this, she felt that Nian Xuan was quite suspicious…

And even if she didn’t doubt Nian Xuan’s loyalty, the girl was always stupid. Maybe she didn’t even realize when she was coaxed into telling the truth…

Yun Fenghuang thought for a long time. Since Nian Xuan had come back, she finally decided to see changes before took actions.

Anyway, now there were Xi Jing and Xi Le sent by the Empress. Nian Xuan only needed to take care of herself. After she recovered, without Yun Fenghuang’s support, she could not do anything since the two new maids were either smart or aggressive… So, Yun Fenghuang could just keep her here.

After she made up her mind on this, she had time to recall what Auntie Zhu said just now. Qi Jiulu and Chao Jingyou got married.

In fact, this news was not supposed to make her forget herself.

After all, since she left the north three years ago, she knew that she and Qi Jiulu were destined to be apart no matter how deep their affection was.

They would not even meet in this life.

No matter how much she didn’t want to accept the fact, and how pitiful and grieved she felt… It had been three years, even the deepest wound had already been self-cured enough for her to keep calm when she heard the name.

Not to mention that Yun Fenghuang was sensitive, but not fragile.

She just didn’t expect that Qi Jiulu married Chao Jingyou.

Chao’s Family was a rising star in the north in recent years, of course, compared with the old families such as Qi’s Family and Xie’s Family. The truth was, Chao Jingyou was a member of the fourth generation since Chao’s Family emerged.

Therefore, Chao Jingyou, like Yun Fenghuang, was a young lady who grew up with a splendid life.

Chao Jingyou was two years younger than Yun Fenghuang. Both of them had good backgrounds, high positions and talents. They seemed to be very suitable to be intimate friends. However, in fact, the two had never been in harmony since childhood and just always pretended to be friendly.

The reason was very simple. At that time, Qi’s Family wanted to pick a wife for Qi Jiulu. His mother, Ms. Chen, the wife in charge of Qi’s Family, actually preferred Chao Jingyou. Because Chao Jingyou’s mother was famous for her gentleness and virtue; while Yun Fenghuang’s mother was a little bit different. Although Ms. Jiang’s reputation was not bad, as a legitimate mother, she treated the daughter of a concubine as her daughter. Everyone should consider that she was virtuous and kind.

However, she was aggressive. Among all the wives of Xie’s Family, she was the only one who seized the power instead of her eldest sister-in-law… Of course, she was brilliant, so even the eldest sister-in-law who was replaced by the former could not talk something bad about her. Even if she was unwilling to be replaced, she could not stop this trend that Ms. Jiang became the hostess of Xie’s Family and seized the actual power.

Maybe men did not care about these things, but Ms. Chen, who was also the wife in charge, had noticed that.

Inevitably, she was afraid that with a mother like Ms. Jiang, Yun Fenghuang might also be hard to get along with. She’d better choose Chao Jingyou to keep the family in harmony.

However, the mother of Chao Jingyou had only one son and three daughters, while Ms. Jiang had four sons and one daughter. Therefore, the head of Qi’s Family, who was expecting the prosperity of his offspring, especially boys, decisively rejected Ms. Chen’s proposal. As long as his prospective daughter-in-law could have many more children after marriage, he did not mind that she had the same temperament as her mother.

As a non-eldest daughter-in-law, Mr. Jiang could run a respectable family, and brought up the concubine’s daughter in a virtuous manner. Such a capable woman was worth to be selected even if she had a quick temper and was aggressive!

At most, as an elder, Ms. Chen should tolerate her a little bit.

After all, since the future daughter-in-law was not sophisticated, Ms. Chen, as her mother-in-law, had to tolerate her no matter what.

After all, the hostess of the previous generation of Qi’s Family also treated Ms. Chen very well.

At least, in the eyes of the head of Qi’s Family, his mother treated his wife very well, just like a mother treated her daughter.

So, it was reasonable that Ms. Chen should love her daughter-in-law.

Mr. Chen was speechless.

She particularly hoped that her husband would be a woman in his next life, trying to get along with a so-called good mother-in-law like the old lady of Qi’s Family: her mother-in-law only treated her well because of her conscientious serve and obedience!

Now that she finally had a son, it was her turn to enjoy the treatment as a mother-in-law, why should she continue to tolerate her daughter-in-law?!

However, the choice of the next hostess of a tribe was a big deal. Even as the wife of the head of Qi’s Family, Ms. Chen was not qualified to make the final call.

The seniors of Qi’s Family unanimously approved the choice of the head, so Ms. Chen had to accept the decision even if she didn’t want to!

Bearing her husband’s words in her heart, Ms. Chen tried to keep in harmony with Yun Fenghuang. But she really didn’t like her future daughter-in-law. Especially when the two girls grew up, they were both the same as their mothers. Only Chao Jingyou was even gentler and more considerate than her mother, while Yun Fenghuang was more aggressive than hers… Yun Fenghuang only got her gentle and virtuous reputation thanks to her mother, but actually was very picky, aggressive, rude and obstinate. If she married her son, it would make her live shorter even if she just thought about it!

Ms. Chen was dissatisfied, so she preferred Chao Jingyou in public to Yun Fenghuang, the official future daughter-in-law.

Ms. Jiang had investigated these things, and of course, she warned her daughter to guard against this prospective mother-in-law.

Actually, Ms. Jiang and Yun Fenghuang didn’t really care much about Ms. Chen’s attitude. Because Yun Fenghuang’s prospective father-in-law liked her very much, very much. Also, Qi Jiulu was also partial to her… Besides, her family also backed her up and she was not vulnerable. So, she didn’t think that her prospective mother-in-law could deal with her even if she was very discontented.

Unexpectedly, something bad happened to Xie Fenghuan.

At that time, Chao Jingyou came to visit specially, with a very courteous and polite attitude. Ms. Xie thought she came here to comfort Yun Fenghuang, so she even treated her with gratitude for the thought that Chao Jingyou was returning kindness for evilness.

However, when they met in the Xiao Hua Hall, Chao Jingyou picked up a cup of tea but didn’t drink it, and just sneered, “My mother has been very self-blaming all these years, saying that she was unlucky to only have a son, or I could be the prospective hostess of Qi’s Family, not you. But given the situation, it seems that what belongs to you will eventually be yours.”

Seeing that Yun Fenghuang’s expression was changing, she didn’t stay too long. She put down the tea bowl and said goodbye. When she walked to the doorway, she laughed again and said, “It is said that your family is notorious and dirty. Otherwise, how could your family raise a shameless daughter like your sister? I don’t dare to drink the water in your house. I’m afraid that after going out, people will think that I am not pure anymore.”

Yun Fenghuang didn’t intend to meet Qi Jiulu again after Qi’s Family proposed to dissolve the engagement, but given what Chao Jingyou said to her, she still specially asked him out and let him swear that he could marry anyone in the future, except the girls of Chao’s Family!

… At that time, Qi Jiulu was hysterically opposed to the family’s decision to cancel the engagement. After Yun Fenghuang’s words, he took out his sword without hesitation, and cut his palm to swear that in his life, except Yun Fenghuang, even if he would have no offspring, he would not marry anyone.

Although Yun Fenghuang knew it was impossible, she was also moved at that time.

But it had only been three years now. He got married and his wife was Chao Jingyou…

Yun Fenghuang looked at the lights not far away, thought for a long time, and lowered her head to smile. Childhood sweetheart… childhood sweetheart was nothing!

Were all the girls from respectable families dead?

Were there only girls in Chao’s Family?!

Qi Jiulu, well done…

Well done…

You could not live without marrying that bitch, could you?!

“But it’s also a good thing for me.” She was very uncomfortable. And then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed down to think, “At that time, the asshole Qi Jiulu liked me very much. Compared with my casual words, what his father and mother said was nothing. When his mother complained a little about me, he refuted for me immediately as he was present. He behaved as if he forgot his mother once he had a wife… If a childhood sweetheart like him could change his heart so easily after three years, what about the Emperor? He has been dragged by Consort Yue for many years. I don’t believe that he doesn’t feel bored sometimes!”

Yuan Lianniang, who was born in a respectable family and was spoiled by her family, chose to join the Imperial Harem and had survived here for several years, which was all based on her affection for Emperor Chunjia and Emperor Chunjia’s affection for her… If she found out that Emperor Chunjia was actually tired of her already, even, all those years, he had another intention for indulging her, how would she react?

Yun Fenghuang narrowed her eyes and smiled grimly: we were both used to be indulged by men… Among all the girls who were once indulged by men, she shouldn’t be the only one who was so unlucky, right?

Anyway, since she had framed Consort Yue several times, it did not matter to frame her again.

After thought for a while, Yun Fenghuang called Xi Le to serve her.

Xi Le reminded her when she was serving, “According to the rules, Gui Ren still lacks three eunuchs and two maids… Oh, since Nian Xuan is back, we still lack a maid. In terms of residence, Xi Xing Building was provided originally for Bao Lin to live. It’s not appropriate for Gui Ren to live here anymore…”

“Do you have any advice?” Yun Fenghuang looked at herself in the copper mirror and asked lazily.

Xi Le said softly, “In terms of residence, it depends on your preference. I just feel that there is only a eunuch at the moment, and it is not very convenient to do some heavy work. What’s more, with all the places in Xi Xing Building, I am afraid that just a few maids here could not keep the house safe. There are chances for others to sneak in before we know. Plus, given what happened to Xin Qing… I think that you’d better take two maids with you if you go out.”

So, the servants here should be supplemented.

Yun Fenghuang responded casually, “Then I will talk to Her Highness tomorrow.”

Seeing that Xi Le seemed to be hesitant, she raised her eyebrow, “What’s wrong?”

Xi Le thought for a while and whispered, “Her Highness has sent me and Xi Jing here. As for the rest maids, why don’t you ask Noble Consort Shu? After all, she is your sister, and…”

She looked at Yun Fenghuang’s complexion, and seemed not to dare to continue.

Yun Fenghuang laughed, “Go ahead. And what?”

“… And I am afraid that defeating Consort Yue would not be enough for you to be one of the four noble consorts!” Xi Le was silent. Then she gritted her teeth, put down the silver comb, and knelt down beside Yun Fenghuang’s skirt, saying slowly, “After all, Consort Yue herself is just a concubine!”

Yun Fenghuang looked at the humble maid in front of her melancholily: she was still thinking how to separate Emperor Chunjia and Consort Yue, so that she could achieve her goal to prove her value to the Empress indirectly. However, it had already occurred to her maid to target at Noble Consort Shu directly… Even a maid was so ambitious, but she felt depressed for the bastard Qi Jiulu for at least fifteen minutes, which was shameful!

Indeed, it was right that people survived in disasters but died in comfort. It seemed that she had been too comfortable in the last two days!

All right, she had to do something tomorrow… no, today… Well, she could not be lazy. Why didn’t she start now?!