Chapter 663 - 442: Send Her to Become a Nun

Chapter 663: Chapter 442: Send Her to Become a Nun

Where there are many women in the harem, there is much strife. However, because Feng Yi was a self-disciplined Emperor with high standards for himself, he preferred a single partner for the night. Thus, the harem of this dynasty was relatively peaceful.

This relative peace, however, was built upon Song Yunzhao’s formidable prowess. Otherwise, she would have been eaten alive by now.

She had always been a very clear-headed person. She knew what she wanted, and she knew what she had to give to win people over.

As for those who simply wanted to share her favor or step on her to get noticed by the Emperor, she never got close to them, nor did she give them any opportunity.

She wasn’t a saint. Was this a matter of simply being stepped on once?

No.

Get stepped on once, and countless more feet would follow.

There was only one Emperor, but there were many concubines.

The people who gathered around Yun Zhao had needs that did not conflict with her own. Yun Zhao wanted the Emperor himself. The others knew it was hopeless to compete for his favor, so they turned to seeking other paths.

Yun Zhao could give them what they wanted, which was how the delicate boat of their friendship stayed afloat.

What were friends, anyway?

Friends were fellow travelers who could walk side by side, but whose interests must not clash.

If everyone shared the same goal, there would inevitably be conflict.

This was an immutable truth, which was why the old saying went: never test the human heart.

There was another saying: judge people by their deeds, not their hearts. If you judged by the heart, there would hardly be any good people left in the world.

Song Yunzhao thought to herself, ’My heart is really getting darker and darker.’

The sky had been overcast since early morning, and now a light rain was beginning to fall. A fine drizzle drifted through the air, wrapping one’s thoughts in a light blanket of melancholy.

Feng Yunjin hurried through the door, handing her umbrella to Shizhu. Xiangxue quickly brought a handkerchief to dry her off. Yun Zhao watched her through the window. "Why have you come at this hour? It looks like the rain is about to get heavier."

Feng Yunjin dried herself off before entering the inner hall. She curtsied to Yun Zhao, then sat opposite her and said softly, "Something is indeed wrong over at Cai Cui Hall."

Song Yunzhao’s expression turned grim. "What did you find?"

Yesterday, when she was with Lu Zhixue, she had mentioned An Fangyi, and Feng Yunjin had clearly taken it to heart.

Feng Yunjin said, "The more I thought about it yesterday, the more I felt something was off. There was something strange about An Fangyi pouring out that medicinal soup, so I went to Cai Cui Hall myself. I didn’t go in, though. I just walked around the area and discovered a small path that leads directly between Cai Cui Hall and Pingyun Pavilion. And it’s a very short walk."

Song Yunzhao said nothing, her eyes fixed on Feng Yunjin.

Feng Yunjin continued, "You mentioned before that the palace attendant watching Qin Wan Yi didn’t get a look at the person she met, and she hasn’t been seen meeting that person since. I don’t think she stopped meeting them; I think she’s been meeting them without us knowing. This path leads out from the back of Pingyun Pavilion. Watching from the front, you’d never see a thing."

Song Yunzhao’s face darkened.

Seeing Ming Fei’s foul expression, Feng Yunjin sighed as well. "We aren’t familiar with Jincui Garden. It’s so large that, let alone us, even the palace attendants who work here wouldn’t know every little path unless it’s in their assigned area. It was just a coincidence that I found it. I got lost and stumbled upon it by accident."

Song Yunzhao quickly composed herself, though she was still indignant. ’Why does the "female lead" get such good treatment, discovering "bugs" like this wherever she goes? Look at my Qingyao Palace—it’s open on all sides. Forget secret paths, there isn’t even a minor trail, only main roads. How infuriating is that?’

In any case, Yun Zhao was thoroughly infuriated. She made up her mind: no matter what, she had to make Qin Xiyue pay this time. Otherwise, the thought of having to guard against her day and night meant her life would be unlivable.

"Since this secret has been uncovered, have the palace attendant who first spotted her go and keep watch. See if they can find the person who met with Qin Xiyue," Song Yunzhao said in a low voice.

"That’s what I was thinking, too. That’s why I came to ask you for that attendant today," Feng Yunjin said. "The sooner we act, the better. Otherwise, I’ll never have peace of mind."

Song Yunzhao nodded. "I’ll have her go back with you. You can make the arrangements. If you need more people, go directly to Zhang Maoquan."

Feng Yunjin made a mental note. "There’s one more thing. We talked about Xu Ji yesterday, and the rumor has already been spread today. However, when we spread it, we didn’t mention any of us. We just said that some concubines suspect Xu Ji’s intentions for leaving the palace back then weren’t pure."

"Just spreading it like that isn’t enough. We need to add more fuel to the fire. As long as the matter blows up, if Qin Xiyue really is connected to Xu Ji, she certainly won’t sit by and do nothing."

"This plan to lure the snake from its hole might not work, but at least it can test whether Qin Xiyue and Xu Ji are actually connected," Feng Yunjin said. "I haven’t received any news from my family yet, so I don’t know what’s happening with the Marquis Wuxin Mansion."

"For them to be so cautious, their ambitions must be great. As for Marchioness Wu Xin, you should be prepared to find nothing. Xu Ji has left no traces so far, which shows she’s a cautious person. Either she’s not a suspect, or... In any case, be careful."

"I know. Don’t you worry, Your Highness." Feng Yunjin agreed, then rose to take her leave. She took the palace attendant who had been on watch with her, and their party disappeared into the curtain of rain.

Song Yunzhao’s mood lifted slightly. Having a few leads now was much better than fumbling in the dark as before.

Now she just had to see if this strike would yield any results.

Their summer retreat in the garden was on a time limit. When the day came, they would have to return to the palace.

If Qin Xiyue was truly plotting something, she would have to act before they returned. Not much time was left for her.

As for Xu Ji, Song Yunzhao scoffed. ’If she really gets involved and colludes with Qin Xiyue, she won’t even get to spend the rest of her life at the Imperial Awakening Temple. I’ll definitely have her sent to a nunnery to live out her remaining days!’

’Return to the palace?’

’In her dreams.’

「Another day passed.」

There was still no news from Feng Yunjin’s side, but some good news came from Feng Yi.

Song Yunzhao hadn’t expected Feng Yi to choose children from the Yue and Yang Families as playmates for Feng Ze. From the Yue Family came Yue Guanlan, the eldest son of Song Yexi’s brother-in-law, Yue Feng. Yue Feng served as the Commander of Jiangling Prefecture and was stationed outside the capital. His eldest son, however, had been raised in the Capital City by his grandparents. He was three years older than Feng Ze and had already begun his martial arts training.

From the Yang Family came Yang Weiqing, the eldest son of Song Jinxuan’s brother-in-law, Yang Hong. Yang Hong was currently serving as the county magistrate of Guanghe. With his qualifications, he should have been promoted to Magistrate by now, but he’d had a stroke of bad luck. He was caught on the periphery when Feng Yi launched a major anti-corruption campaign, and his direct superior was implicated. Fortunately, Yang Hong had been cautious and wasn’t involved, but his promotion was stalled as a result. He would likely have to serve as a county magistrate for another three years before he could be promoted.

Like Yue Guanlan, Yang Weiqing was also being raised in the Capital City by his grandparents while his parents served their official posts elsewhere. It was common for the children of officials serving in the provinces to be sent to the Capital City once they were old enough for a better education. The quality of tutors in the capital was far superior to that in smaller regions, and by living with their elders in the city, their circle of friends would naturally be different as well.