a touch of pity and helplessness as she watched Feng Lingxi put away the silver needles."If you need to research about frostflowers, you can ask this King anytime, as long as the fourth brother doesn..."Don't you think I treat her like my own daughter"
Queen Cen's eyes suddenly turned cold. "She's just a pawn. If she's used by me, it's fine; but if she stands on Dugu City's side, then she becomes my enemy."
"Why would the Empress Dowager give her such a lavish dowry The Emperor's other daughters didn't get this much when they married."
"Even if she goes to the Fourth Prince's Residence, these things still belong to Ai Family. The Fourth Prince's Residence can't protect them for long. What difference does it make to give her these"
The Empress Dowager Cen looked at Liu Ma Ma, “You’ve been with me for many years now, you should know my thoughts.”
Nanny Liu lowered her head, "It's all because I am foolish. I won't do it again."
Empress Cen nodded, "Go and call the Sixth Prince back to me. Also, bring along that Yao tribe rebel he brought back. I want to see that woman."
Wind Lingxi held a bird's nest and came to Shutai's palace. Looking at the eunuchs and maidservants behind her, she gave Xiaoli a wink, and the two entered Shutai's bedroom. Seeing her mother who was closing her eyes in meditation, Wind Lingxi walked over.
"Imperial Noble Consort Shu, Yaohua has come to see you."
Since she moved in here, Shutai's position has restricted Shufei, making her life here a constant state of surveillance. These days, the maidservants in her palace have been replaced by Yao Wan'ying's people, disguised as those belonging to Empress Cen.
After Feng Lingxi entered, Xiaoli stayed outside with the replaced palace maids and eunuchs.
Shu Taifei saw her coming and got up to walk over. She watched Feng Ling Xi put down the bird's nest and took a silver needle to examine it. The black on the tip of the silver needle made Feng Ling Xi's eyes even colder. This poison, though not much, if taken every day, would not take long for it to permeate the five internal organs and six bowels, leaving no hope of recovery. Such a vicious heart.
"There's nothing different anymore."
The Shutai Concubine looked at Feng Lingxi's cold eyes, and poured the bird's nest from her bowl onto the nearby orchid. She retracted her gaze and said, "These past few days I heard they have been probing you, are you alright"
"Mother, don't worry, I'm fine. However, I'm not sure if they truly believe I am not Feng Ling Xi."
She acted so well, but she could never overcome their suspicions.
Furthermore, Empress Dowager Cen would rather kill the wrong person than let one go. Although she adopted her as a foster daughter, it was probably to make her lower her guard and attack when she least expected it.
"She certainly won't believe you, whether you are Feng Lingxi or not. Since you chose to marry Cheng'er, you are destined not to stay, unless you marry Dugu Yan." Shutai's eyes flashed with a cold light. "Dugu Yan is cruel and suspicious, which is the emperor's common ailment."
Wind Ling nodded, she knew all of this. It was precisely because of this that the last vestiges of guilt disappeared, and she no longer had any compassion for Empress Cen.
“Mother concubine, today Empress Cen suddenly took me in as her adopted daughter and prepared a generous dowry for my marriage, like that of a princess. She also told me about the treasure,” Feng Lingxi told Concubine Shu everything Empress Cen had said to her. Hearing this, Concubine Shu let out a cold snort, “She's truly shameless. This treasure belongs to the Yao Clan. What does she have to do with it If it wasn't for wanting to wash away your charges, she wouldn't waste her time.”
"It was Xi'er who made Mother Concubine suffer injustice."
If it wasn't to clear her name, she wouldn't have wasted so much time. Killing Empress Cen was easy, but clearing her name was not so simple. She had invested so much thought and effort into this, and now that she had come this far, she could only bear it.
Shu Taifei looked into her eyes, seeing the coldness within. She knew that since entering the palace, she had been suppressed and didn't want her to bear this burden.
"Why say such things among family You were wrongly accused. This Empress Cen and Dugu Yan are wicked, they'll stop at nothing to get the Yao clan's treasure. They framed you out of spite."
"Mother Consort, Xier understands. After washing away the charges, it will be time to strike back."
Feng Lingxi is not some soft, pushover target. They think they can just take the treasures of the Yao clan They're not even worthy!
"Be more careful in the palace, and do everything according to plan."
Feng Lingxi responded and then, Shutai bestowed a few more words of advice on her before she left.
As the wedding day drew nearer, Dugu Yan tried every trick she could think of to probe Feng Lingxi, but all her attempts failed. She had even questioned several noble concubines and the Empress, but they couldn't get anything out of her either. Although Empress Dowager Cen claimed to believe that Princess Yao Hua wasn't Feng Lingxi, her only interest in Feng Lingxi stemmed from their shared benefits.
Shou'an Palace
Wind Lingxi finished kneading the shoulders of Empress Dowager Cen, and Empress Dowager Cen kept her to stay and sleep with her, saying that tomorrow was her wedding day and she wanted to spend more time with her. Wind Lingxi felt something was wrong, this was in a palace, after all. The incident before still lingered in her mind, and she was afraid that the empress dowager would plot against her.
"Mother, Yao Hua has something she's always wanted to ask you."
"What's up"
The Empress Dowager looked at Feng Lingxi’s conflicted eyes, grabbed her hand and asked, “If you have anything you want to ask, just ask directly. After tomorrow, when you marry into the Fourth Prince's Mansion, it won't be so easy to find your mother.”
Feng Lingxi nodded, looking at Empress Cen's concerned eyes. If she didn't know her intentions, she would almost think that she was genuinely kind to her.
The concerned tone, the eyes of a mother, she truly deserves to be called a woman of the deep palace.
“Mother, Yao Hua went to the Fourth Prince’s Mansion that day and has been with the Fourth Prince since then. The Fourth Prince said he was drunk and mistook me for Feng Ling Xi when I was with him. However, Yao Hua doesn’t remember what happened that day. According to Ali, it was me who pulled the drunk Fourth Prince into the room, and she said Yao Hua seemed to have been drugged.”
"Nonsense, you're my adopted daughter! You came with the princess as a member of our family. Who would dare drug you It must have been that drunkard Dugu City who harmed you and is now lying to you."
Feng Lingxi saw Empress Dowager's cold expression and, holding her arm, coquettishly said, "Empress Dowager, Yao Hua belongs to the Fourth Prince now. If Empress Dowager needs anything in the future, just tell Yao Hua, and she will definitely ask the Fourth Prince for help. After all, I might already have his child in my belly."
Looking at Feng Lingxi's actions, Empress Cen's eyes flashed coldly, but it disappeared in a flash. She took Feng Lingxi's hand and said softly, "Your mother only wants you to be well. As long as he doesn't bully you, your mother will be happy."
"Yaohua will be happy."
Feng Lingxi hurriedly poured a cup of tea for Empress Cen, "Empress Dowager, have some tea to moisten your throat."
The Empress Dowager Cen watched her pouring water and took the cup, drinking it.
"Mother, are you really going to pardon Feng Lingxi tomorrow"
"Unforgiven, Dugu City refuses to marry you. What can I do"
Feng Lingxi looked at the helplessness in Empress Cen's eyes, "I can't wrong you."
"Mother, if you don't pardon her crimes beforehand, wait until Yaohua marries into the Fourth Prince's Mansion. Then, issue an imperial decree to have Dugu City divorce Feng Lingxi. Otherwise, Yaohua is afraid that Dugu City will take Feng Lingxi back to his residence, and at that time, Yaohua's status will be in jeopardy."
When Empress Cen heard this, she was slightly surprised, then indulgently tapped her nose, "You little mischievous sprite, your mother dotes on you."all the way from the capital to Xicun, but if she really wants help, she could go to the General's Mansion. Finding you wouldn't be helpful.""That's why I have a headache, nothing is clear. Sister X...