Chapter 592 - 370: Ming Fei Just Accepted It?

Chapter 592: Chapter 370: Ming Fei Just Accepted It?

Everyone in Huayang Palace was busy packing their bags. Qin Xiyue sat by the window, sipping her tea. From there, she could see the palace attendants of the East Wing coming and going; they were likely packing as well.

Qin Xiyue sneered. ’These last few months have been so unpleasant.’ An Shutong had seemed quiet enough after moving into Huayang Palace, but the attendants serving her were gifts from the Empress Dowager. Each one was insufferably arrogant and treated Qin Xiyue’s own people with utter disrespect. How could their two households possibly coexist pleasantly?

’If An Shutong had any intention of reining them in, they never would have dared to act this way. She’s just doing it on purpose.’

Qin Xiyue was certain of it. This was An Shutong’s deliberate revenge for what had happened before.

Where was the sisterly closeness they once shared? These past few months, they had treated each other with icy formality.

Qin Xiyue’s rank was higher, so there was nothing An Shutong could do to her.

An Shutong had the Empress Dowager’s backing, so Qin Xiyue didn’t dare to make a move against her either.

So they were locked in a stalemate, mutually tormenting each other. Life was utterly miserable and frustrating day in and day out. The chance to get away to the traveling palace was a welcome one, and for the first time, Qin Xiyue was truly desperate to leave.

’At the traveling palace, the Empress Dowager surely can’t force An Shutong to live with me again.’

Hua Ying lifted the door curtain and entered, bowing her head. "My Lady," she said softly, "I’ve just received word. The one in the East Wing will not be going to the traveling palace. The Empress Dowager personally asked His Majesty to let An Xiaoyi stay behind to serve him."

Qin Xiyue was stunned for a moment, but then her face broke into a wide grin. She wanted to slam the table and roar with laughter!

’What a brilliant move by the Empress Dowager! Yes, by all means, keep her here.’

’With Song Yunzhao’s personality, does An Shutong really think she can win against her?’

’She must be dreaming.’

’Leaving her behind is good, it’s wonderful. Let An Shutong be Song Yunzhao’s problem now.’

With An Shutong living in Huayang Palace, it felt like countless eyes were watching her, making it impossible for Qin Xiyue to do anything freely.

Now that An Shutong and Song Yunzhao were both staying behind, she could just sit back and watch them fight it out.

This was the happiest Qin Xiyue had felt in months. She wished she could sprout wings and fly to the traveling palace this very instant.

She’d had a miserable time at the traveling palace the year before last, but this year, she was determined things would go her way.

News that An Shutong was staying behind spread quickly. When Song Yunzhao heard, she wasn’t angry. Seeing Feng Yi’s displeased expression, however, she tried to console him. "So what if the Empress Dowager had her stay? Don’t tell me she’s going to barge into Taixi Hall? Or come to Yaohua Palace to drag you away? As long as the Emperor doesn’t visit Huayang Palace, what’s the point of her being here?"

That was true, but Feng Yi was still fuming.

He had been forced to agree by the Empress Dowager, after all. He gave a cold laugh. "The Empress Dowager has always been like this. If she weren’t..."

Feng Yi didn’t finish his sentence, but Song Yunzhao understood what he meant.

’If she weren’t his own mother, he probably would have found some remote temple to ’enshrine’ her in long ago rather than suffer this kind of needless frustration.’

Song Yunzhao could relate. Now that she was Lady Ming, whenever Mrs. Cai visited the palace, didn’t she have to endure her own frustrations without any recourse? That was her birth mother, after all, and she was entitled to a share of the family’s glory.

Song Yunzhao had it slightly better; Mrs. Cai lived outside the palace and could only enter for banquets on holidays and special occasions.

The Empress Dowager, however, was different. She lived right inside the palace, and Feng Yi couldn’t afford a true falling out with her. The accusation of being unfilial was a heavy burden, even for an emperor.

Besides, the Empress Dowager was only really insistent when it came to matters concerning Gu’en Houfu, and she did tend to target Song Yunzhao. In other respects, she was tolerable. That was why Feng Yi couldn’t bring himself to take harsh measures against his own mother.

People are emotional creatures, and these kinds of feelings are very complex.

"It’s just one person staying in the palace. As long as you have no interest in her, what does it matter?" Song Yunzhao said with a smile. "As long as An Xiaoyi behaves herself, I won’t make things difficult for her. It would be best for everyone to just live their lives in peace."

Hearing this, Feng Yi pulled her into his arms. He still felt incredibly frustrated but had no way to vent his anger.

Even an emperor had to swallow the grievances dealt by his own mother.

Song Yunzhao shrugged. Nothing to be done about it.

Everyone waited to see how Song Yunzhao would react. She didn’t.

This was quite a disappointment. Wasn’t Lady Ming supposed to be domineering?

Why was she so quiet now?

The new Beauties who had recently entered the palace hadn’t so much as caught a glimpse of the Emperor these past few months, but they had heard every last detail of Lady Ming’s rise to power. The nickname "The Unprovokable Lady" wasn’t something just anyone could earn.

’But... this is it?’

’She just let her stay?’

’Lady Ming just accepted it?’

’This isn’t what we imagined. Shouldn’t Lady Ming have flown into a rage and shoved An Xiaoyi onto a carriage bound for the traveling palace?’

When Song Yunzhao heard the gossip Xiangxue and the others had gathered, she was momentarily speechless.

Feng Yunjin and the others were there too, laughing so hard they were doubled over.

Lu Zhixue was laughing the hardest, while Wang Zhaorong was a bit more composed.

The four of them were also going on the trip. It was a rare opportunity to unwind, and they were looking forward to a change of scenery.

Soon, the day of departure arrived. Song Yunzhao brought An Shutong with her to see the Empress Dowager off.

An Shutong, dressed in her formal palace robes, followed quietly behind Song Yunzhao. The Empress Dowager was worried, but she didn’t let it show on her face. Instead, she took the chance to reprimand Yun Zhao, telling her not to monopolize the Emperor.

Song Yunzhao smiled and nodded. ’What a load of nonsense,’ she thought.

After seeing off the Empress Dowager and her entourage, Song Yunzhao turned to An Shutong and said with a smile, "An Xiaoyi, you should go back and rest as well."

An Shutong bowed. "This concubine will see Lady Ming off."

Song Yunzhao got straight into her sedan chair without wasting any more words on her. After all, their factions were like hers and Qin Xiyue’s—their conflicts of interest and family rivalries were utterly irreconcilable.

An Shutong stood rooted to the spot, watching until Lady Ming’s figure vanished in the distance. Only then did she lead her attendants back toward Huayang Palace.

Mu Qing and Yingxue trailed carefully behind their lady. The smile had vanished from her face ever since the Empress Dowager had arranged for her to stay behind.

’Sigh, what’s the use of staying in the palace? Look at the prestige Lady Ming commands, and the way she spoke just now... We’re afraid...’

The two of them were deeply worried, feeling that their lady’s life was simply too hard.

An Shutong returned to her chambers and leaned against a soft pillow, gazing out the window. The sunlight hit the ground, a blinding white glare. The trees in the courtyard were perfectly still. There wasn’t a breath of wind, and she was already drenched in sweat from the walk back.

But she had seen it earlier—there had been basins of ice inside Lady Ming’s sedan chair.

She, however, had nothing.

"My Lady, your bath is ready. You should bathe first," Mu Qing said as she entered.

An Shutong nodded. She took a few steps, then turned back to Mu Qing. "Find out what time the Emperor is going to Yaohua Palace today."

Mu Qing froze for a second, then nodded quickly. "Yes, this servant will go at once."

An Shutong entered the bathing chamber. The Empress Dowager had left her with a task, and no matter how much she loathed it, she had to see it through.

Besides, she wasn’t willing to spend the rest of her life like this. For months, she had endured the mocking looks of others.

She knew people were laughing behind her back. ’So what if she’s the Empress Dowager’s niece? Now that she’s in the palace, isn’t she just as loveless and unfavored as the rest of them?’