Chapter 18 Complete the harem fight with betrayal

After a while, Yun Fenghuang and Nian Xuan were led to the Empress.

After they paid respect to the Empress, the latter on the noble throne smiled lightly and asked before Yun Fenghuang spoke, “Cheng Gui Yun, are you here to plead guilty?”

Yun Fenghuang respectfully said, “Yes, Your Highness.”

“You are here alone?” Empress Ji said softly, “It’s just a hairpin, and you come here specially. You do know the rules!”

It sounded like a compliment, but Yun Fenghuang knew that if she answered improperly, she would be very embarrassed at least, or at most… um, she could not imagine how the Empress would deal with her.

After all, for the past two days, she first went to Tong Xia Palace to find Noble Consort Shu, and then came over to pay respects under the leadership of the latter. However, at this moment, she came here to plead guilty alone. Such behavior would be considered ruthless. Moreover, since the hairpin had been broken yesterday, even if Yun Fenghuang did not immediately come over to plead guilty, she should have mentioned it this morning.

Why did she get rid of Noble Consort Shu and come here alone?

Although the Empress had a bad relationship with Noble Consort Shu, they were both high-grade concubines in the palace, much higher than Yun Fenghuang. At least both the Empress and Noble Consort Shu thought that Yun Fenghuang was not at the same grade as them at all. They were not interested in being used by a low-grade concubine.

“Actually, I’m not just being here to plead guilty for a hairpin.” Yun Fenghuang bowed her head, pretended to be very well-behaved, and said directly, “But also to plead guilty for deceiving the Empress Dowager, the three Queen Mothers, My Majesty, and Your Highness!”

The Empress and others stunned to hear that. A Cheng Gui like her could even commit such a big crime???

They were puzzled, and Empress Ji was also a little surprised, “Tell me what happened.”

Then Yun Fenghuang told her life experience frankly. Two years ago, Xie Fenghuan had an affair and then was sent back to Xie’s Family vociferously by her husband who insisted to get an explanation. Xie tribe had made her sink in a pig cage in order to prove their rigorous family tradition. Besides, they had ordered their tribe members to watch on the scene, considering it as a warning to all of them… This matter had been raging in the local area and known by everyone. Even if it had been two years, it could not be concealed once someone investigated there.

Maybe someone was already on his way…

Instead of being accused of deceiving the Emperor, Yun Fenghuang preferred to plead guilty first to show her loyalty.

Yun Fenghuang pretended to be honest, well-behaved and unambitious, complaining tearfully to Empress Ji, “… Since my elder sister’s accident, other sisters who were almost as old as me in the family had either been sent to the family temple or married away at will to hide the scandal as soon as possible. My aunt had received the favor of my parents before and pitied me, so she took me to Dijing City. Originally, she thought that after I grew older, she would pick an honest man who might not have much money for me. After having a baby, I could contact with my family again. Those things would also go with the wind by then.”

“However… however…” She choked for a while and continued, “However, suddenly, I became the daughter of my aunt and uncle. They not only changed my first name into Yun, but also let me accept the cordial invitation and join the Imperial Palace!”

Empress Ji snorted and said softly, “Did this really happen? Duke Yi is excessive indeed. I feel sorry for you!”

“Your Highness, I am just a nobody with no noble family background in the harem.” Yun Fenghuang did not want to leave herself at a disadvantage, so she responded right after the Empress finished, “It is my great honor to be able to serve My Majesty and see Your Highness. I just do not dare to hide my sister’s scandal, and please, Your Highness, punish me anyway you want!”

The Empress leaned against her noble couch, holding her chin with one hand. Wearing a significant smile, she said, “After what happened to your family, you came all the way to Dijing City to seek your relatives for help. But the relatives are only tribe members of Duke Yi’s Mansion. They depend on Duke Yi to live… Duke Yi and his daughter wanted you to be a daughter of Yun’s tribe. How can a little girl like you say no? I understand your difficult situation, so I will not punish you.”

Yun Fenghuang said cautiously, “Your Highness… If so, I?”

“I got it. People of Duke Yi’s Mansion are gone a little far, but Duke Yi has contributed a lot to the country, and Noble Consort Shu also has been serving My Majesty for many years. Even without honorable merits, they still have devoted a lot.” Empress Ji said softly, “For my sake, you forgive them… In exchange, I will give you another promotion. How does that sound?”

“Your Highness, I dare not!” Yun Fenghuang said quickly, “Although I was forced, I still concealed my life experience and joined the Imperial Harem. I am very grateful that Your Highness does not punish me. How dare I accept any compensation?”

Empress Ji chuckled, “Although your grade is much lower than Noble Consort Shu’s, both of you serve My Majesty. I do not hope that concubines cannot get along well with each other, and also do not want you to be wronged.”

Yun Fenghuang was immediately moved with tears, saying, “Your Highness… treats me so well. I… I can’t repay your kindness even with my life!”

She expressed her loyalty sincerely, and then left with the Empress’s reward.

After leaving Yan Fu Palace, they walked for a while. Assuming that the maids could not see them, Nian Xuan almost fell to her knees with soft legs, “Cheng Gui, you… What should we do if Noble Consort Shu and Mei Ren Yun know about this?”

“Whatever.” Yun Fenghuang did not care about that, “You know how she treated me. She didn’t intend to help me but constrained me. It is better for me to get rid of her as soon as possible. As for Qingman…”

Yun Fenghuang said faintly, “Since Yun’s Family sent me to join the Imperial Harem without my permission, do you think I can still maintain the same relationship with her as before?”

Unless she bore it… However, she wouldn’t do that.

Besides, she was trying to deal with her dangerous situation, having no efforts to worry about anything else.

She didn’t have the noble quality to sacrifice herself for others!

“But Your Highness was just defending Noble Consort Shu and Duke Yi.” Nian Xuan was very sad, “Originally, Consort Yue hated us, and now Your Highness does not mean to help us. Once Noble Consort Shu punishes us, I could die. I’m just a humble maid anyway. My Lady… you must be safe!”

Yun Fenghuang squinted at her, smirking, “Stupid girl! Did you say that Your Highness didn’t mean to help us? If not, why did she offer me a promotion?”

“Ah?” Nian Xuan was stunned for a while, thinking for a moment, and suddenly said, “I got it! Your Highness said this morning that she would like to let Noble Consort Shu help her. It is for Noble Consort Gui’s pregnancy, right?”

She just regretted it, “How did she get pregnant at this time?”

Given Noble Consort Gui’s pregnancy at this time, Empress Ji had no choice but to cooperate with Noble Consort Shu… If it was not for this reason, maybe the Empress would have been furious just now, and ordered someone to go to Tong Xia Palace to call Noble Consort Shu for confronting.

Yun Fenghuang smirked and said, “Partly because of this, but mostly because of the Imperial Court.”

When she asked Noble Consort Shu to get her out of Hu Zhu Palace, Noble Consort Shu tried her best to convince her and Yun Qingman that she also had a hard life in the Imperial Harem. Yun Fenghuang still remembered it very well.

In particular, Duke Yi refused the marriage proposals of Ji’s Family. He also tried to propose that Emperor Chunjia should take over the power, which made Ji’s Family very angry… So, Yun Fenghuang wondered what would happen if she gave Ji’s Family an excuse to attack Duke Yi at that time?

As for the impact on Emperor Chunjia after she did this, it was not Yun Fenghuang’s business.

Anyway, even if the Emperor took over the power, the beneficiaries would be Queen Mother Yuan, who was his affectionate adoptive mother, and Consort Yue, who grew up with him, not Yun Fenghuang. More seriously, she would be punished to death by Consort Yue since the latter was offended greatly by her.

So, Yun Fenghuang hoped sincerely that Emperor Chunjia could be a puppet and would not take over the power forever!

In that way, even if Consort Yue couldn’t wait to kill her, she could only grit her teeth and watch the latter’s promotion with the help of the Empress! Haha!

Yun Fenghuang returned to Hu Zhu Palace in a good mood. The eunuch of Emperor Chunjia came over a short time later, saying that he had already come over once. When he found that Yun Fenghuang was not here, he went to Tong Xia Palace specially. Finding no trace of Yun Fenghuang there, he heard in Tong Xia Palace that Cheng Gui Yun came back long ago. He was afraid that he came in the wrong way, so he changed another way on his way back. Eventually, he could deliver the message, “His Majesty invites you to visit Tai Ye Pool after lunch.”

“Thank you.” Yun Fenghuang thought that did Gongxiang Ji think she was stupid? Before that, she tried her best to invite him to appreciate apricot flower together and walk around Hu Zhu Palace, but he rejected both proposals. Just one day later, however, he invited her to Tai Ye Pool.

Was he planning to plot her to jump into Tai Ye Pool?

Sure enough, it was right to resort to Empress Ji. If she could not stop the administration of Emperor Chunjia, once he took over the power, his beloved Consort Yue might kill her first!

She sneered secretly, but agreed with a smile, saying that she would go after dressing up.

As usual, two silver ingots were given to the eunuch. Before Nian Xuan stepped forward to open the makeup box, she heard that her lady asking Xin Qing to set the meal.

The dinner time was almost passed. Yun Fenghuang didn’t have her own kitchenette given her low grade. So, all the food in her palace were collected from the Imperial Kitchen by the servants in the dinner time. Before she and Nian Xuan came back, Xin Qing had taken the hamper back. Now she was busy setting meals in the Xiao Hua Hall as she was ordered.

Due to her low grade, there were only two dishes, one soup and one plate of pastry, not very delicate. At this time, the dishes had cooled down and the oil in the meat dish had already congealed, which made people have no appetite.

However, Yun Fenghuang was not a picky eater. Before Xin Qing asked whether she needed to find a way to heat the dishes, Yun Fenghuang had already taken the bowl to eat. Before Xie Fenghuan’s affair, she might have been spoiled. However, the hardship along the way to Dijing City and the two-year life under Ms. Xie’s caring had made her lose her arrogance.

After all, unless she had something wrong with her body, how could anyone at her age have no appetite to have meals?

After finishing the meal, she took the tea and rinsed her mouth. Then she let Nian Xuan dress her up beautifully. After that, she looked in the mirror, feeling that she was really a national lover, and then she stood up slowly, “Let’s go!”

The little eunuch who had previously delivered her the message had already told her the approximate location, so Yun Fenghuang went straight to Ning Bi Hall after she left Xi Xing Building.

Nian Xuan caught up instantly and whispered to remind her, “Cheng Gui, we can take a long way less by taking the side door over there.”

“I know.” Yun Fenghuang nodded and whispered, “Let’s go around the main hall.”

Nian Xuan’s scalp was numb, and she thought that her lady was plotting something bad again, “My Lady, Consort Yue is still grounded, and you will not see her even if you go there!” So, please, could you just meet My Majesty as appointed, and do not think about stimulating Consort Yue?”

Nian Xuan didn’t feel sorry for Yuan Lianniang. She was thinking this way mainly because she felt that this hostess of Hu Zhu Palace was not a patient person.

With regard to her lady’s performance during this period, it was estimated that Consort Yue had already hated her very much… If Cheng Gui intended to provoke Consort Yue and the latter lost her mind to kill her lady, what should they do?

Even though people in Ning Bi Hall had just been dealt with by the Empress, Consort Yue was still a concubine of the Emperor and the hostess of Hu Zhu Palace. She could order some strong maids to kill them without any efforts!

“It’s okay. I don’t want to see her.” Yun Fenghuang comforted her casually, “I just want to look at the maids outside Ning Bi Hall.”

Nian Xuan took a sigh of relief, thinking that her lady could not afford to frame Consort Yue, so she wanted to tease the servants of Consort Yue, just like what she did to Qing Die last time.

Although this was a little dangerous, it was safer than directly offending Consort Yue… maybe?