Chapter 652 - 430: Joining Hands to Lay a Trap

Chapter 652: Chapter 430: Joining Hands to Lay a Trap

Mrs. Feng’s daughter had been in the palace for so long. At first, she had hoped her daughter might one day soar to the top, but then Ming Fei came along.

Mrs. Feng had rather complicated feelings about Ming Fei.

She looked after her daughter very well, and her husband’s last promotion was also thanks to Ming Fei. The Feng family was extremely grateful to her.

If there was one small imperfection, it was that Ming Fei monopolized the Emperor’s favor, and His Majesty only had eyes for her.

But if she put herself in Ming Fei’s shoes, if it were her own daughter who was so favored, she naturally wouldn’t want to share that favor either. With that thought, Mrs. Feng felt at ease.

Besides, ever since the Empress Dowager returned to the palace, trouble was always brewing. Without Ming Fei protecting her daughter, she couldn’t imagine what kind of predicament she would be in.

Mrs. Feng had completely come to terms with it. As long as her daughter could live safely and peacefully, she asked for nothing more.

So, with her daughter encountering two obstacles in a row, her heart felt like it was being roasted over a fire. She couldn’t sleep peacefully at night.

She had long wanted to visit Madam Ning Anbo for some advice, but since Ming Fei hadn’t said anything and her daughter showed no such intention, she didn’t dare act rashly. She was afraid that if she displeased Ming Fei, her daughter would suffer the consequences.

Now that Madam Ning Anbo had come to visit in person, how could Mrs. Feng not be delighted?

Thus, she was exceptionally welcoming.

Madam Ning Anbo listened to Mrs. Feng, thought for a moment, and then said, "If we are to invite the abbot of the Imperial Awakening Temple to the palace to perform a ritual, we’ll need an imperial edict from the Emperor. Since Her Ladyship already has this in mind, it’s only a matter of time."

Mrs. Feng nodded hurriedly, afraid that if she were too slow, Madam Ning Anbo would mistake it for dissatisfaction with Ming Fei. "Yes, that’s what I thought too. It’s just that Xu Ji shows no sign of anything unusual, so I’m not sure what to think. Do you think she truly knows nothing about this?"

"It’s hard to say," Madam Ning Anbo mused. "It’s difficult to make a move at the Imperial Awakening Temple. What do you think about trying to get information from the Marquis Wuxin Mansion?"

"The Marquis Wuxin Mansion?" Mrs. Feng frowned slightly. "It’s not that I haven’t considered it, but the Marquis Wuxin Mansion is in such an uproar right now. I’m afraid we won’t be able to find out anything useful."

Hearing this, Madam Ning Anbo said, "If the Marquis Wuxin Mansion weren’t facing any difficulties, why would they need to ask anyone for help?"

’Does Madam Ning Anbo mean to have Marchioness Wu Xin seek help from Xu Ji?’ Mrs. Feng wondered.

If they could get Xu Ji to connect with the Marchioness, it would be a viable strategy. Whether it would work or not was another question, but at least it would give them a direction.

Then a thought occurred to her, and she shook her head. "I’m afraid that won’t work. The plan from the palace is to make Xu Ji believe Lingshuang isn’t dead. But the Marquis Wuxin Mansion probably knows what happened to Lingshuang. If they were to meet, wouldn’t the lie be exposed?"

Madam Ning Anbo asked, "They want to keep Xu Ji from knowing Lingshuang is dead?"

Mrs. Feng clapped her hands. "Ah, forgive me, I forgot to mention that. Yes, that’s the idea."

Madam Ning Anbo pondered this. "That makes things a bit difficult. We would have to keep Marchioness Wu Xin too busy to bother Xu Ji."

Mrs. Feng sighed. "Exactly."

It was one more complication.

"I wonder, is the person you found reliable?" Madam Ning Anbo asked softly.

The Imperial Awakening Temple was a royal temple, and its rules were very strict. It wasn’t easy for information to pass in or out, but that didn’t mean it was without its loopholes. Otherwise, where would Mrs. Feng’s informant have come from?

"He’s reliable," Mrs. Feng said.

"Then have him find an opportunity to let Xu Ji know about Yan Liu’s death. Also, let her know that Third Young Master Xu has reconciled with his wife. We’ll see how she reacts," Madam Ning Anbo said immediately.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Mrs. Feng couldn’t understand.

"We’re testing to see if Xu Ji has contact with the outside," Madam Ning Anbo said.

Mrs. Feng’s eyes lit up. Xu Ji was keeping her composure so well. It was either because she had a steady temperament or because she had another source of information.

However, Xu Mingying hadn’t been particularly level-headed back when she was an unmarried maiden. If they could test whether she had another line of communication, that would be good news.

The two of them discussed a few more details before Madam Ning Anbo rose to leave.

Mrs. Feng personally saw her out, and they arranged a day for their next meeting.

After leaving the Feng Mansion, Madam Ning Anbo didn’t return directly to the Ning’an Bo Mansion. Instead, she had her carriage turn around and head for her maiden home. She stayed at the Jiang family’s residence for about an hour before returning to her own mansion.

Madam Jiang wrote a letter, inviting Madam Fu to go with her to the Imperial Awakening Temple to offer incense.

While the Imperial Awakening Temple was a royal temple, it was not exclusively for the Royal Family. Many prominent families in the Capital City were permitted to enter. For instance, the sons of both Madam Jiang and Madam Fu were Ministers of the Six Ministries. As high-ranking court officials, their families had the privilege of visiting the Royal Temple—a grace bestowed by the Royal Family.

Madam Jiang recalled her daughter’s words and carefully considered how she should act tomorrow while burning incense so as not to reveal her intentions and arouse Xu Ji’s suspicions.

After Madam Ning Anbo returned to her mansion and rested for a bit, Ning’an Bo also came home. The couple discussed the outcome of her visit.

"...I also went to see Mother and asked her to take a trip to the Imperial Awakening Temple. She’ll bring a few servants with her, and it wouldn’t be strange for servants to gossip a bit about the latest amusements in the Capital City. Mrs. Feng’s person will release the information, and our people will corroborate it. I’m sure Xu Ji will take the bait."

Ning’an Bo nodded and added, "Let’s test it out first. You have to put it to the test to see what it’s really made of."

"That’s my thinking as well. Right now, we can’t be sure if Xu Ji is connected to this matter, or if she’s the mastermind behind Lingshuang’s death. Until we know, it’s hard to investigate the case in the palace thoroughly. We have to eliminate suspects one by one."

"Later, I’ll have someone pass a message to Xu Anchen. He’s Xu Ji’s older brother. I’ll have his wife find an opportunity to meet with Xu Ji."

With this three-pronged approach, it couldn’t be completely useless.

While the Feng family and the Ning’an Bo Mansion were busy outside the palace, inside, a day later, Yun Zhao brought up the matter of inviting the abbot of the Imperial Awakening Temple to perform a ritual with Feng Yi.

"First there was the fire, and now a life has been lost. The concubines in the palace are all terrified, and a few have even fallen ill. Consort Shu and I discussed it, and we thought it would be best to invite the abbot to perform a ritual to calm everyone’s nerves," Song Yunzhao said to Feng Yi.

Feng Yi didn’t believe in such things, but since Yun Zhao had brought it up, he said, "I’ll send someone to the Imperial Awakening Temple later. But if a ritual is to be held in the palace, you’re going to be busy."

"It’s not a huge deal. With Consort Shu here now—she’s a very capable person—I can still afford to slack off a little," Song Yunzhao said with a smile.

It wasn’t that she was deliberately avoiding work. Rather, the more she managed, the more the Empress Dowager would interfere and cause trouble. She couldn’t be bothered with the effort, and she was even less willing to lock horns with the Empress Dowager every day. So, she could only trouble Consort Shu.

’In the future, when I truly ascend to the position of Empress and have the standing to challenge the Empress Dowager, I certainly won’t back down a single step.’

Feng Yi glanced at Yun Zhao and reached out to gently stroke her face. She said it lightly, but he knew she was yielding to the Empress Dowager, and that she was ultimately the one being wronged.