Chapter 63 - It was not my responsibility anyway

After Yun Fenghuang came back to Xi Xing Building, she realized that she had forgotten to make sure from Qi Jiulu whether the people behind Chao’s Family was Duke Yi’s Mansion or not…

Not only that, she didn’t even ask about the recent situation of Xie’s Family.

“How could the bastard be so muddled?!” Yun Fenghuang certainly would not admit it was she who forgot the right thing for being jealous. She blamed it on Qi Jiulu, saying, “He hasn’t made any progress in the past three years!”

At this time, it was going to be dawn. Several days ago, Queen Mother Ji was ill and therefore the Empress allowed them not to greet her for three days, and today was the fourth day. Yun Fenghuang pretended to be sleep in her bed and then awakened by Xi Le for dressing up.

“Queen Mother Ji has recovered, but she is still in low spirit, so today we should not disturb her.” Empress Ji was thinner than before in the past few days. Yun Fenghuang secretly doubted whether she was blamed at Mian Fu Palace. She thought that Queen Mother Ji might have not blamed her but the Titled Madams of Ji’s Family might do so as Duke Ye and others required.

The Empress was not in good spirit or mood, and she seemed to be upset. She said indifferently, “Who were bedded with His Majesty in those two days? I will raise their ranks for one grade.”

Yun Qingman and another two pretty-looking concubines hurriedly stepped forward to show thanks.

Empress Ji didn’t even bother to ask their names. She asked the leading maid to write their names down, and finished the thing curtly. She then casually asked about the situation of Yan Lan Palace. After learning that everything was okay there, she nodded slightly, saying something like “If so, I can rest assured” and “I hope that Noble Consort Gui could deliver a prince peacefully”. Noble Consort Shu and others echoed for a while, then Empress Ji held her tea bowl to hint that they could leave.

Yun Fenghuang followed the crowd and walked out, but she slowed down when she was approaching the gate of the palace. Finally, watching most of the people walking away, she turned back and told the maid that she wanted to tell the Empress something.

The maid took her to the side hall for waiting. About an hour later, she was called to a warm room. Empress Ji had changed a daily dress, but she was still dispirited. Seeing Yun Fenghuang enter in and salute, she asked her to raise up. She massaged her forehead and asked, “I heard that you came here in the past two days. What’s your emergency?”

“Your Highness, I learned something from people of Ning Bi Hall.” Yun Fenghuang lowered her head, “It is said that Childe Qi, who once had engagement with me, came to Dijing with his wife.”

“Oh?” Empress Ji said indifferently, “Although you had engagement, wasn’t it broken up later? What are you worried about? Do you still have feeling towards him?”

Yun Fenghuang said, “How is that possible? I was young at that time and only treated him as a playmate. Later, after our families annulled the engagement, we have become strangers and even enemies. I just worried that if Yuan’s Family would take this as a leverage? Otherwise, why do I tell you about this?”

The Empress replied with an “En”, saying that it was possible. She said, “Now, you are in the Imperial Harem and therefore can’t meet Childe Qi. As long as you are cautious about the people around you and do not let yourself be framed up, I would help you in other things. What are you worried about?”

“Thanks, Your Highness.” Yun Fenghuang knew that the Empress might say this casually, but she still pretended to be relieved. She kowtowed to show thanks, “I dare to beg you for taking care of yourself, Your Highness.”

“Did I look gloomy those two days?” Empress Ji touched her face unconsciously after hearing that, sighing, “I am a little tired, perhaps.”

Before Yun Fenghuang could say anything else, she waved her hand, beckoning her to leave.

Yun Fenghuang frowned slightly when she left Yan Fu Palace. Finding that no one else was around, Xi Le comforted her in a low voice, “The Imperial City Division has always been in charge of the emperor, and therefore it is difficult for Ji’s Family to control it. So, the Empress would definitely not know what happened yesterday.”

“If I hadn’t believed in Shizi’s ability, I would not have gone to see him last night.” Yun Fenghuang shook her head, “Why I told the Empress that just now was to beware of Ni Bi Hall… After all, Mammy Zhu was the one who mentioned Qi Jiulu in front of me.”

She said seriously, “Given how the Empress treated me before, I am worried that I can’t fully rely on her later on.”

Xi Le said, “Her Highness is clever, and there are no legitimate daughters of Ji’s Family can compare with her. Therefore, they all got married for benefits. Even if she did something that displeased Ji’s Family, they would not abandon her easily, would they? I don’t think Zhao Yuan Ji could manage the Imperial Harem.”

As Xi Le mentioned Zhao Yuan Ji, Yun Fenghuang smiled and asked, “It is said that she is also a legitimate daughter of Ji’s Family, How is she just a Zhao Yuan?”

After all, even Yuan Lianniang joined the Imperial Harem as one of the Jiu Pin, Deputy Second-Grade, thought the Empress Dowager opposed it.

Ji Muzi had the same relationship as the Empress with the Empress Dowager and Queen Mother Ji. Yuan Lianniang had been promoted as a Consort before, but Ji Muzi was still a Zhao Yuan as she was at the very beginning. It was not convincing.

“It is said secretly that Zhao Yuan Ji was related to the abortion of Noble Consort Shu.” Xi Le whispered, “But whether it was true or not… I was just a nobody at that time, so I am not clear about it.”

Yun Fenghuang said, “Oh? Sounds like you didn’t buy it. How so?”

“Noble Consort Shu was the first who got pregnant in the Imperial Harem.” Xi Le smiled, “So, she instantly became the target of all. Her miscarriage was clearly caused by others, and people all said it was done by Ji’s Family. The Empress Dowager got extremely angry when she heard this, so she ordered people to search the palace thoroughly. Originally, she wanted to show that Empress Ji and Zhao Yuan Ji were innocent. As a result, few concubines were truly innocent except the Empress… So, it could only be minimized.”

The result of this incident was that Yuan Lianniang became the fall guy in terms of reputation. Although she failed to hurt Noble Consort Shu, the most popular topic at that time was that Noble Consort Shu was hurt by her for she was favored by the Emperor.

In fact, a group of concubines and their personal servants were killed by rob punishment and no one knew whether they had really hurt Noble Consort Shu or not.

Later, the rumor that it was done by Zhao Yuan Ji spread in the palace, because her personal servants accounted for most of the ones being punished. The maids around her now were arranged after that.

Xi Le said, “Everyone knows that Zhao Yuan Ji is rush and therefore it’s not surprising for her to do such a thing. Also, Queen Mother of Honor was planning to let the Empress promote Zhao Yuan Ji at that time. Out of pride, Zhao Yuan Ji might did something inappropriate… But I have heard some other news, which said that Zhao Yuan Ji, like Jie Yu Yue, was wronged.”

Was wronged?

Like Jie Yu Yue?

In that case, was she a scapegoat?

Ji Muzi’s background was already top-notch in the Imperial Harem, so there was only one person who could frame her up in the Harem.

Yun Fenghuang raised her eyebrows and chuckled, “There is such a thing… The Harem is really not peaceful!”

“Whether peaceful or not, it depends on people.” Xi Le said softly, “Gui Ren, before you joined the Imperial Harem, Hu Zhu Palace is the most dangerous place. But since you live here, isn’t it quite peaceful?”

As they two talked, they arrived at a remote section of the way. At this time, they suddenly heard a seemingly crying sound, a kind of repressed but overwhelming sound, showing bitterness and sadness. If it was not in the daytime, they would think that they met ghosts.

Because Xin Qing was killed at a similar spot before, Yun Fenghuang became alarmed. She looked at Xi Le for a certain answer, but Xi Le was also confused. She said in a low voice, “It sounds like… someone’s crying?”

“… Leave it alone and let’s go.” Yun Fenghuang thought about it for a while and then shook her head, “There are many collapsed palaces in this area, and no one comes here in idle time. Maybe someone finds this quiet corner to cry. Why shall we bother?”

Xi Le thought the same, and they two planned to leave.

But after they took a few steps, they heard that the cry stopped abruptly, followed by a clear scream!

They seemed to have heard the sound before…

As Yun Fenghuang was wondering, Xi Le changed her expression slightly, saying, “Gui Ren, is she Princess Minghui?!”

“Let’s go and have a look!” Yun Fenghuang felt that the person was indeed Princess Minghui after being reminded… When she was on the way, she also felt confused, because Princess Minghui was valued much by Queen Mother Ji and she was so noble. In that case, who dared to get even with her?

They hurried to the scene and found that Princess Minghui was sitting alone on the edge of a long-abandoned broken wall without any maids. At the moment, she was staring nervously at her skirt, daring not to make sound or move but sobbing in an undertone when she found some people were approaching.

“Your Highness.” They two stepped forward and saluted. After that, they looked at the direction where Minghui’s eyes focused. Yun Fenghuang quickly grabbed the toad who wanted to escape from her skirt and asked confusedly, “Why are you here?”

Princess Minghui looked at her like she was a ghost. After a while, she said weakly, “You… you first drive that thing away!”

Yun Fenghuang casually threw the toad into the grass not far away. The toad kicked its legs and jumped away from the leaves of grass. She took the veil handed over by Xi Le and wiped her hands. Seeing that the princess was still sitting on the ground, she wondered whether she could get up by herself. She wanted to help her, stretched out her hands but then withdrew them. She said to Xi Le, “Why not support Her Highness?”

Xi Le stepped forward obediently, but… she failed to do so.

She didn’t mean it. Although she didn’t grow up in a noble family and did a lot of rough work since she was sold into the palace at about twelve, she was just a weak girl who had limited strength. Regarding the weight of Princess Minghui, even if a fat woman took the place of her, she would have to make great efforts.

“…” Yun Fenghuang smiled embarrassedly. Disregarding that the princess might mind that she had grabbed the toad before, she stepped forward to support the princess’s arm at one side, with Xi Le in the other side. Yun Fenghuang said, “Xi Le has been dizzy these two days. I’m afraid she would make you fall. I’d better help her.”

Princess Minghui immediately burst into tears, and broke away from them angrily, sobbing, “Don’t lie to me. I know what’s the reason!”

Yun Fenghuang said softly, “Princess, the ground is cold, and now it is the late spring. This place is remote, and therefore there are many like snakes and insects. Although the toads are a bit ugly, they will not harm people. If you meet a snake, scorpion, or spider…”

Before she finished, without saying a word, Princess Minghui had already stretched out her arms in a hurry, and motioned them to get her up.

When she stood up tremblingly, Yun Fenghuang said, “The palace costume is burdensome. If we stay here, we would not know what kinds of worms would get into our skirts.”

The princess was convinced soon and returned to the palace road with them.

When they arrived there, Yun Fenghuang didn’t want to have physical contact with the princess any more. So, she hinted at Xi Le for calling someone for help.

“Don’t go!” Yun Fenghuang didn’t expect that Princess Minghui would immediately find their intention. When she saw it, she instantly cried and sobbed, “You are not allowed to tell my mother!”

“Okay, I will not disturb her.” Yun Fenghuang coaxed, “But you are distinguished and can’t stay here alone, right? The place is quite remote. Although there are bluestones covering the road, snakes and mice would appear occasionally…”

Princess Minghui burst into tears when she heard it. She was not afraid of snakes or mice, but for other reasons. She cried, “You also dislike me, don’t you? You said honey words, but in fact you are impatient to stay with an ugly monster like me!”

Uh… Did anyone laugh at her look just now so that she was sad and hid herself there?

Yun Fenghuang was very curious. Who was so bold?

After all, Princess Minghui, as the legitimate daughter of the late emperor Xiaozong, was not only cherished by Queen Mother Ji, her birth mother, but also the apple in the eyes of the Empress Dowager, who had lived alone for a long time.

However, since Queen Mother Ji was slightly ill in these days, the princess was irritated to hide away and cry alone. Was it… a coincidence or was there anything behind this?