Reborn: Femme Fatale First Daughter

She had already been kneeling for several hours. If the two palace maids accompanying her were not holding her up, she would have already fainted.

“Your Highness, His Majesty invites you in.”

Lead eunuch Liu Xi stood at the entrance with a smile on his face. However, to Consort Yu, his smile was cold and sinister.

“Yes!” She did not dare to say anything else. She stood up with some difficulty, holding the palace maid’s hand. She stumbled for it was hard for her to even move.

“Your Highness, please hurry. His Majesty is waiting for you.” Liu Xi seemed not to notice how difficult it was for her to move. He continued rushing her with a smile.

Consort Yu did not dare to dawdle. She leaned against the palace maids and they helped her to move forward as she dragged her numb feet forward.

She heard Emperor Zongwen’s angry roar the moment they entered the study. Consort Yu did not manage to remain standing and she immediately knelt at the threshold that was carved with dragons.

“You are in charge of the women in the palace, and yet, you have been so neglectful. Alright then, I shall have three judicial chief ministries go and investigate and question that gentle and gracious daughter of yours.”

The Empress knelt down in fright, her expression was one of fear. She opened her eyes wide incredulously and pleaded with Emperor Zongwen. “Your Majesty, please forgive Xueyu. She is just young and ignorant. She is just jealous and it is her first time doing something like that. Furthermore, a princess should not be punished nor interrogated by the judicial ministries. Please, Your Majesty, forgive Xueyu!”

“Can a jealous girl do something like that that will ruin someone’s reputation! She is so young but vicious. I wonder who she learned it from. “The Emperor’s expression darkened. Then, he said angrily, “This is my edict, lock the Fifth Princess up and send her to...”

The Empress paled when she saw that the Emperor was truly angry. She reached out to clutch the Emperor’s robes and pleaded anxiously, “Your Majesty, don’t you want Xueyu to marry to the Yan Kingdom? If her reputation is ruined, it would not reflect well on our country. The First Prince of Yan likes Xueyu, so it would not be suitable if you send another princess.”

The Empress had never approved of this matter, but she had no choice but to bring it up now. She looked pleadingly at Emperor Zongwen with a tearful gaze as she pleaded. Could Xueyu even stay in the cold palace? That place was dark, cold, and desolate. There were many consorts there who had died because of her. She could feel their anger even when she walked by in the day. When the Empress thought of that, she felt a chill go down her spine and her limbs felt icy cold.

Her daughter could not end up there.

“So you are not going to allow me to punish her?” Emperor Zongwen glanced at the Empress from the side of his eyes. There was a hint of darkness in his eyes as he spoke to her coldly from where he was standing.

“I do not dare. I will definitely educate her well and make sure she does not do anything to Princess Anping. She will be married far away in a while and it would be impossible for her to come back again. Your Majesty, please, let Xueyu and I spend the last of our days together. I fear... it would be difficult for us to meet again!” The Empress could not help but cry softly when she said that.

The Princess was to be married off to a neighboring country and it would be impossible for her to return. Any parent would feel sad about it. Furthermore, Emperor Zongwen doted on this daughter of his.

Emperor Zongwen’s expression softened when he heard that. He gave it a thought and that waved his hand to the person who came to hear his edict. Liu Xi left the room respectfully.

“Empress, I do not wish to hear anything else about the Fifth Princess pestering Yihao. I do not wish to hear any rumors about her and Yihao. Her behavior has made sure that she can only be the Yan’s First Prince’s consort. She must not have any other entanglements with Yihao. It has nothing to do with her who likes Yihao or who Yihao likes.” Emperor Zongwen rebuked coldly.

“Yes, I understand. I will educate her well.” The Empress did not dare to say anything else. Then, she bid Emperor Zongwen farewell and left.

The Empress stopped when she passed Consort Yu who was kneeling at the threshold. She looked at the consort coldly and sinisterly before leaving.

If not for Consort Yu, that slut, and her provocations, why would Xueyu do something so stupid? She only found out when she asked Xueyu that Consort Yu was the person who started the matter. The Empress thought of how Consort Yu was especially close with the Empress Dowager lately and found out that some of her maternal family felt that they were even closer with King Ning’s bloodline. She felt even angrier.

King Ning was related to the Empress Dowager but had nothing to do with her. If Feng Yuzhen, King Ning, were to ascend the throne, then the Empress would have no place with the Empress Dowager and the Empress would also not become the Empress Dowager. When she thought of that, the Empress could feel the anger surging up within her. She could not do anything to the Empress Dowager, but could she not complain about Consort Yu? Earlier, she had already openly and secretly pushed the blame to the slut. She believed that the slut would not be able to get out of it unscathed.

A consort who was only favored for a few days wanted to surpass her? She really did not know her place.

“Consort Yu, look at what you did!” Emperor Zongwen’s expression was cold as he looked down at Consort Yu from where he was standing.

“Your Majesty, I, I only said...” Consort Yu looked up after a moment of being startled. She slid on her knees to the Emperor’s feet and started crying.

“There were so many people who saw you giving the ruby hairpin to Princess Anping. The ruby reflected light and shone on their faces. The shine and glitter were so bright. I suppose you didn’t expect that!” Emperor Zongwen did not look at her and kicked her away indifferently.

Liu Xi, who was standing by the side lowered his head and took two steps back, avoiding Consort Yu who fell in his direction.

“Your Majesty, please forgive me. I will not dare to do this in the future.” Consort Yu sprawled out on the ground. She was very pale and her lips trembled as she pleaded, “Your Majesty, I only listened to the Empress Dowager...”

“Shut up!” Emperor Zongwen bellowed. The sudden yell shocked Consort Yu so much that she could not say another word. She suddenly realized something and bit her lips tightly. She did not dare to say anything else. Instead, she kowtowed forcefully. Everyone in the palace knew how filial the Emperor was to the Empress Dowager.

And everyone knew how benevolent and harmonious the Empress Dowager was. If she said that, it would look like she was intentionally sowing discord between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager! The result of that was not something a mere concubine could afford to bear.

“The women in the palace are gracious and demure, but you are so vicious. Consort Yu, I was wrong about you!” The Emperor’s eyes were filled with disappointment. Consort Yu trembled when he looked at her and she almost fell to the ground. She pleaded once more, “Your Majesty!”

“Send forth my edict, Consort Yu is prideful and does not know her limits. She dares to meddle in politics. Send her to the cold palace!”

“Yes!” There were guards waiting outside the door. Two of them came up and dragged Consort Yu away!

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was wronged, I was wronged!” Consort Yu was very frightened and she started crying loudly. She struggled and attempted to crawl back into the study. However, the two guards did not care at all and dragged her out.

When Consort Yu’s cries grew distant, Emperor Zongwen sighed. He said coldly to Liu Xiu, “Send forth my edict, put up boards at every palace that said women should not interfere in politics. Anyone who does not obey will have their heads cut off!”

“Yes, I will have someone do that now.” Liu Xi immediately answered and left.

After he left the study, he issued orders to have boards placed outside the entrance of every palace.

“Sir, do we need to put one at Cining Palace?” A smart little eunuch asked carefully.

“Is that a palace?” Liu Xi asked coldly. Then, he turned to enter the study. The little eunuch did not dare to say anything else and immediately ran away.

The Emperor putting up these boards was obviously not just meant for the Empress. The Empress Dowager was most likely to interfere with politics among all the women. Liu Xi had followed Emperor Zongwen for many years and understood him. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor seemed like a pair of loving mother and son, but they had always struggled against each other.

The Empress Dowager retreating to Cining Palace and not interfering with the matters of the back of the palace was already her way of stating where she stood. The Emperor had also given her a true honor because of this and she enjoyed a status similar to that of a true Empress Dowager. However, this woman was trying to sow trouble in the back of the palace and it was obvious that she was attempting to first undermine the inner courtyard and then the court. Anyone would be able to understand what the Empress Dowager was thinking.

Otherwise, why would King Ning be sent to the Yan Kingdom early on to become a hostage prince? He had thought that the Empress Dowager would not act for some time since King Ning was not around. He did not expect that in just a few years, the Empress Dowager would not be able to hold still any longer.

It seemed that trouble was brewing among the women of the palace!

The Emperor was furious and even the Empress was rebuked. News of that spread throughout the back of the palace.

Consort Yu had been banished to the cold palace! Even though the Fifth Princess had not really been locked up, the intention was there. She was brought to the Empress’ palace so that the Empress could educate her. She was already so old, what was there to teach her? Everyone could see that the Emperor was angry. There was a signboard in front of every palace in the back of the palace that they should not interfere in the matters of the court.

There was even such a sign in front of Cining Palace, where the Empress Dowager, who did not interfere in anything, stayed. The officials who have come to greet the Empress Dowager all felt a shiver run down their spine. They could not help but stop visiting. Otherwise, there would usually be officials visiting Cining Palace every couple of days. Yet, after the sign was set up, no one visited again.

The Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace became very quiet.

Inside Cining Palace:

Feng Yuzhen sat on a nanmu chair. He was frowning and did not speak. On his other side, sitting on a high seat, was the Empress Dowager who watched the large hall coldly. There was a hint of vicious fire in her eyes that was interspersed with coldness. Her benevolent appearance seemed a tad scary.

“The Emperor has done well this time. He has not only made the Empress jealous of me, he even managed to warn everyone using me as an example. He wants to shock me like that. What a good move!” The Empress Dowager said coldly. She held the Buddhist prayer beads in her hands so tightly they almost broke into pieces.

“Grandmother, why must you let Consort Yu provoke the Fifth Princess into acting? The Emperor would definitely be suspicious of your intent. Even those officials could see what the Emperor means. They all do not dare to visit you now.” Feng Yuzhen said lightly with a smile.

The Empress Dowager’s gaze landed on the Buddhist prayer beads in her hands. She flicked it through her fingers and suddenly stopped, lowered her eyes and said coldly. “Even though the Emperor will be suspicious about the thing with Consort Yu, he has no evidence. Furthermore, Consort Yu’s brother is still in our hands. I don’t believe that she would dare to say anything. Except, I didn’t think that that lass would be so sly. She managed to deal with such a matter. I have underestimated her.”

Feng Yuzhen knew that she was talking about Mo Xuetong. That woman had a rare cunningness. There were so many people working together against her, but it had not worked. That was really unexpected. Now that they had failed at it, he did not expect that his faction would be affected the most.

“Grandmother, what shall we do now?” He banished the odd thought in his mind and looked up with a frown.

“The matter now cannot drag on any longer. I will have the Emperor bestow marriage upon you in a few days. Then, you can appear here openly.” The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and answered. The matter could not drag on any more. They had already aroused Emperor Zongwen’s suspicion. He would only need to send someone to the capital of Yan and will find out that Feng Yuzhen was not there.

As a hostage prince, he was not supposed to leave the Yan Kingdom for anything unimportant. If he did, it would be returning home on sly. It was the same as treason and was a crime worthy of being beheaded. Even if the Empress Dowager wanted to protect him, she had no reason to.

“Grandmother, which young lady do you think I should marry?” Feng Yuzhen asked non-committedly. It was not important who he married. What was important was who would be most advantageous for him to marry. Wang Xiuxiu was already his. His grandmother had already expressed that to her openly. Feng Yuzhen had already eliminated her. It would be too much of a waste to give her the place as King Ning’s consort!

The Empress Dowager thought for a moment. Then, she stopped flicking through her prayer beads and looked up. “Luo Mingzhu of Fu General Manor!” She said decisively.