Chapter 313 - Consort Yu is Banished to the Cold Palace (2/2)

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 s.h.i.+ver 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 la.s.s 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. w.a.n.g 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.

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