Chapter 52 - Changing a residence

“How can’t it be?” After half a day, when Yun Fenghuang returned to Xi Xing Building, she lazily said while drinking the tea taken from Ning Bi Hall, “Mr. Ling Shan was nicely treated and received great kindness from the late Emperor, but he fled to his hometown when the late Emperor needed him the most… Even if he was on the excuse of being in mourning for his mother’s death, the discerning people of this country could easily tell what was going on. Although His Majesty is not the biological son of the former Emperor, an adapted son is equivalent to a biological son. His Majesty is willing to accept him regardless of the previous enmities, so how can he refuse His Majesty?”

Xi Le said, “Gui Ren, please forgive my ignorance. Although Prince Regent is not of supremacy, his situation is better than His Majesty’s now. I really can’t understand. Mr. Ling Shan has already chosen Prince Regent’s Mansion, why will he accept His Majesty’s solicitation?”

After all, although many people in this world were shameless in front of interests, Wei Changkong had to keep an innocent and clean reputation, given that he was famous for being a child prodigy in the country and later a person with a literary reputation both at home and aboard. Once his character setting broke, he basically had no future. Previously, he returned to his hometown to avoid misfortune under the banner of being in mourning for his mother’s death. Now if the disrepute that he mediated between the uncle and nephew of the royal family and won advantage from both sides… If the news was spread, how would he develop in the future?

Especially Emperor Chunjia was now even unable to protect himself, so what qualifications did he have to persuade Wei Changkong, the Liu Shou (the head of the six ministers) in the former dynasty?

“Solicitation?” Yun Fenghuang shook her head, “Is it necessary to be so polite to this kind of villain who seems to be loyal but is treacherous? If he doesn’t accept… His ending will be like Earl Xingning’s!”

Xi Le was startled, lowering her voice subconsciously and whispering, “Jie Yu Yue is really willing to kill Earl Xingning?”

“How is she able to do it?” Yun Fenghuang sneered and said, “As for Mr. Ling Shan’s reputation in the intellectual circle, do you think that Lord Ye, Marquess Haixi, Marquess Minyang, General-in-chief of the Cavalry and Minister Cui will allow the enlightenment ceremony of Prince Regent’s Mansion to be proceeded peacefully and smoothly? Just wait and see. Within a few days, Mr. Ling Shan will have trouble. At that time… huh, huh!”

“Minister Cui will also join this fight?” Xi Le curiously asked, “But why?”

Cui Wan’s attitude in the Imperial Court was similar to that of Consort Xin in the Imperial Harem. They were not afraid of trouble, but they also would not easily cause trouble. So, why would he get himself into the trouble about Prince Regent’s Mansion?

Yun Fenghuang looked at her as if she was looking at a fool, “Although Cui Wan is born in a so-called literary family and has succeed in the government examination, how many scholars have ever been a Liu Shou throughout the ages? If Mr. Ling Shan returns to the Imperial Court with the support of Prince Regent, can Cui Wan keep his status of the head of scholars?”

Xi Le was stunned, and said immediately that Gui Ren was intelligent and she could not be compared to ten thousandth of her wisdom. After a second, she hesitated to ask again, “But if so many people join the fight, can Prince Regent’s Mansion still protect Mr. Ling Shan?”

Yun Fenghuang replied with a smile, “You want to ask if this is the case, can Jie Yu Yue still keep Mr. Ling Shan even if she solicits Mr. Lingshan in the name of His Majesty, right?”

Seeing Xi Le nodding embarrassedly, she sighed, “Are you stupid? Our purpose is not really to help His Majesty be in power! We are here to share the worries for Her Highness! So, as long as Jie Yu Yue makes the actions to solicit Mr. Ling Shan in the name of His Majesty, Her Highness will deal with the following things… As for what will happen to Mr. Ling Shan, what does it have to do with us?!”

“… Gui Ren, I am confused.” Xi Le said embarrassedly, “But… Jie Yu Yue is stupid. She is in the Imperial Harem, so can she hide what she would do from Queen Mother of Mercy and His Majesty?”

If they knew it, they would not be as innocent as Yuan Lianniang.

Yun Fenghuang smiled with an unknown meaning, “Didn’t I promise to help her?”

At this time, a eunuch came in and reported that another batch of gifts from the concubines were sent here again, and of course there were a few densely written colored papers… Well, Yun Fenghuang had found before that several concubines had not sent colored papers, and she had thought they either had had a sense of compassion, or had felt that Yuan Lianniang would have been definitely treated miserably anyway. In short, they hadn’t intended to make it harder for Yuan Lianniang.

As a result, she found that she was wrong. These people’s hatred toward Yuan Lianniang was so deep that they worried that they could not prepare enough to vent their anger!

“Gui Ren, our Xi Xing Building is not big. There are so many things now that we have no space to place them.” While Yun Fenghuang was thinking about how to meet the requirements of these people, Xi Jing came in with a box from the outside and said, “Gui Ren, look, here is superior cubilose, and it should be put in a dark and windy room. But we have only one such room, and it has been full now.”

She suggested, “Gui Ren, it’s better to change a residence! The side halls of Hu Zhu Palace are now empty anyway. With regard to your grade, you are qualified to live there now.”

Yun Fenghuang said, “Yes, you are right… How to make it happen? Report to Her Highness?”

Xi Le said, “Don’t be so troublesome. As long as the hostess agrees, we can pack it up now and report to Her Highness when you pay respects tomorrow.”

Then, the master and the maids began to discuss where to move.

Most of the side halls of Hu Zhu Palace were close to the Ning Bi Hall. In Xi Jing’s eyes, they should of course move to the one which was most gorgeous and spacious among the closest ones. After all, according to the relationship between Yun Fenghuang and the hostess, they might exchange their identities one day. If so, it would be convenient to move to Ning Bi Hall at that time!

“Why so close?” Yun Fenghuang laughed lightly, “Convenient for His Majesty to come to see me? I think it’s better to choose a farther one. Zi Bei Hall is good.”

Xi Jing and Xi Le were stunned first and then understood. They covered their mouths to laugh and said, “Gui Ren, you are right.”

Emperor Chunjia secretly met Yuan Lianniang on the excuse of coming to see Yun Fenghuang before. Of course, Yan Fu Palace must know it. It was just that although Empress Ji was keen on suppressing Yuan Lianniang, she didn’t really feel angry about the Emperor’s preference for his childhood sweetheart, so she was too lazy to cause any trouble for such a thing.

But Yun Fenghuang noticed this and took the initiative to make the sweet couple uncomfortable. No matter the Empress or the people of the Empress’s palace were surely happy about it.

Xi Jing volunteered to ask Ning Bi Hall for instructions.

Yuan Lianniang was deeply troubled at this moment, so how could she have other efforts to create difficulties?

Knowing that Yun Fenghuang chose Zi Bei Hall, she even breathed a sigh of relief. The people of Yun Lianniang were really afraid that Yun Fenghuang would pick the hall near Ning Bi Hall and make trouble for them every day in the future.

“It can be seen that the bitch Yun is actually a little fearful of us. She doesn’t dare to live near us.” Auntie Zhu comforted Yuan Lianniang, “My Lady, please be patient for a while. Once the incident was forgotten by others in a few days, we can find a way to recapture our momentum!”

Yuan Lianniang’s face was dark and she didn’t reply but just said weakly, “Auntie Zhu, I’m a little tired.”

“Then My Lady, just go to rest.” Auntie Zhu thought she was still upset and hadn’t recovered. After all, she was promoted to a consort by the compensation of the miscarriage. As a result, she was demoted to Jie Yu directly and even almost moved from the main hall. Given Yuan Lianniang’s temper, it was understandable that it was difficult for her to cheer up shortly, so Auntie Zhu slowed her tone and said softly, “My Lady, I can imitate your handwriting. Let me copy the scriptures for you for a while.”

If this was at ordinary times, Yuan Lianniang would definitely not pay attention to this kind of details. Even if she noticed it, she would only be thankful that she could be free from the boring punishment.

But at the moment, she couldn’t help thinking of Yun Fenghuang’s words, and there was an unexpected thought that came to her mind: Auntie Zhu could even imitate her handwriting. If she died suddenly one day, and Auntie Zhu imitated her handwriting to make a fake posthumous paper, would Ji doubt it?

Probably not.

After all, she had become more irritable and unreasonable in recent years, and anyone with clear eyes knew that she had not been able to bear such a life…

In fact, sometimes she did consider to suicide to put herself out of her misery…

But she was worried that her lover would be sad, and she was not reconciled to her life. It was not a day or two that the bitches in the Imperial Harem was jealous of Gongxiang Ji’s preference for her. If she’s dead, they would be very happy, right?

Thinking of this, she felt that she not only couldn’t die, but had to live a long time, longer than all of the bitches!

But her thoughts and actions had never been stable. She might want to do this out of impulse; and to do that for the same reason… Yuan Lianniang entered the bedroom in a trance, wondering sadly how Gongxiang Ji had endured her for so many years.

Had he ever regretted it or tired of her for an instant?

Yuan Lianniang didn’t dare to think about it further. After all, Emperor Chunjia’s love for her was the only support for her to continue to live in this Imperial Harem…

Pulling the quilt over her head, she forced herself to sleep.

Ning Bi Hall was very peaceful that night. After all, Yun Fenghuang was busy preparing to move and had no time to make any trouble.

Although Hu Zhu Palace was quite remote in the imperial palace, it was the residence of the one favored by Emperor Chunjia and backed by Queen Mother of Mercy. No matter how difficult Yuan Lianniang’s situation was, she enjoyed everything a consort should have. Therefore, every hall and room of the palace were repaired every year. People could directly live in Zi Bei Hall, almost having no need preparing anything. But for the sake of perfection, Yun Fenghuang decided to clean it first, burn some braziers and herb pots to disperse coldness and dislodge snakes and insects because of the inhabitation after so many years, and then move in two days later.

When she paid respects next morning, she told the leading maid of Yan Fu Palace about this matter and asked her to report to Empress Ji.

But the maid told her directly that there was no problem and replied, “Gui Ren, do you need any manpower? Her Highness told me about the matter two days ago, but you did not say that you wanted to change the residence before. Besides, Gui Ren, what kind of eunuchs and maids do you like?”

Yun Fenghuang said, “Mammy, you can arrange the eunuchs out of your will, as long as they are smart enough to do things. After all, I joined the Imperial Harem too shortly to be clear about many things, so I really need to be advised by servants. As for the maid, I met one when I was lost in Small Peng Lai… I was fortunate to be taken care of by her at that time.”

“Gui Ren, do you mean Liu Hong?” The maid said with a smile, “Although she doesn’t talk much, she is very diligent in her work. Gui Ren, since you like her, I will arrange this for you later.”

Yun Fenghuang smiled and thanked her before returning to her seat.

As soon as she sat down, she found that Wei Hengyan sitting on her left couldn’t help glancing at her.

“What’s wrong?” Yun Fenghuang raised her eyebrows, “Do you have nightmares again yesterday?”

Wei Hengyan stared her angrily, “You have nightmares!”

Then she bit her lower lip again, moved closer, and whispered, “Hey, do you know what’s going on?”

“What’s going on?” Yun Fenghuang felt inexplicable.

Wei Hengyan said sullenly, “Don’t pretend to be muddled… His Majesty slept at Small Jiao E Building of Tong Xia Palace last night!”

“Does it have anything to do with me where His Majesty slept?” Yun Fenghuang was about to answer casually, but she gave it a second thought and understood immediately. She could not help but chuckle, “You really think I can decide for His Majesty? How can I know why His Majesty didn’t go to your residence?”

Seeing her look was dark, Yun Fenghuang fooled her carelessly, “It’s only a few days since we joined the Imperial Harem. Maybe His Majesty will go to your residence tonight? Think about it. His Majesty goes to my residence for Jie Yu Yue, goes to Su Rong Palace to give a face to Zhao Yuan Ji, and goes to Tong Xia Palace of course for the face of Noble Consort Shu… You don’t have a hostess in your palace. Do you think you are comparable to others who are backed by their own hostess?”

Wei Hengyan thought it was reasonable, so her face was not so dark and said, “Then I will…”

Before she finished her words, a serious-looking maid came in and told them with a shrill voice that Queen Mother of Honor was a little uncomfortable and they didn’t need to pay respects today. The Empress was worried and wanted to look after Queen Mother of Honor, so she dismissed them to go back to their own palaces and having no need to pay respects for the following three days.