Chapter 289

Noble Consort Wei’s delicate fingers dug into the fabric to conceal her deepest feelings of anger and hatred. She waited for the day she deemed suitable to eliminate the Empress. On that day, she would trample the other party into the ground. Unfortunately, today was not that day. It was not yet the Empress’ day to die!

"It is a great honor for me that the Empress has graced us by presiding over today’s ceremony. I have organized this event to thank all the furens in advance, as I believe everyone will be very busy and exhausted in the coming days. This is also to show appreciation for the sacrifices everyone will make."

"Whether it be resources, which I understand will require a significant amount of money, or sacrificing time to do this work to the best of our abilities, to welcome the refugees and make them feel that the Bai Region has not abandoned them, that the officials have not abandoned them."

"His Majesty also wishes to express his gratitude, which is why he allowed this grand banquet to be held in his private garden. Additionally, he has provided precious tea for everyone to enjoy the taste."

"From now on, I ask everyone to work wholeheartedly, as His Majesty expects of us. I, too, will do my best to support you. However, as a Noble Consort, I cannot personally get involved in the work. Therefore, I will send knowledgeable court ladies to assist at each residence. If there is anything lacking or if you need help, you can inform the court ladies."

"If I can help, I will. If I cannot, I will seek the mercy of the Empress and His Majesty to solve the problems," Noble Consort Wei smiled coolly, avoiding the traps set by the Empress and Yueqian.

She had brought everyone back to the main purpose of the banquet straightforwardly. If others listened, they wouldn’t think much of it; they would probably understand that Noble Consort Wei was expressing her own appreciation and organizing the banquet to make amends for burdening the noble families. However, Yueqian understood the hidden implications behind those words.

Whether it was the expectation of help and sacrifice from the officials or the fact that she would send court ladies to each manor, did anyone really think this was genuine assistance? Of course not. Once the court ladies arrived, any issues would undoubtedly be exposed.

Perhaps Noble Consort Wei thought that Yueqian intended to substitute other produce and let the refugees consume them without paying attention to the details of the food. Surely, Noble Consort Wei must have heard this rumor and had her people buy up other ingredients.

Yueqian showed no sign of being disturbed by this matter. Regardless of whether Noble Consort Wei sent someone to inspect or made any announcements, Yueqian always had her own solutions.

Just the issue of ingredients and setting up a soup kitchen to distribute food to the refugees—did she think such a situation had never occurred in the Du Region? Moreover, in the era she came from, there was no strict adherence to rice as the only staple food.

Even though people in this era favored rice because it was the easiest crop to find and required little maintenance, with various strains being grown in many areas or even imported from other Regions, it was still the most accessible crop.

The only processed food they were familiar with, commonly regarded as food for the lower class, was hard flatbread made from ground tubers. If Noble Consort Wei sent people to inspect and found that Yueqian was using food meant for the lower class while others were spending large sums to distribute rice, what kind of image would Yueqian have as a furen?

She would be seen as extremely treacherous, a selfish and stingy woman, wouldn’t she?

However, Yueqian wasn’t worried. Flour from tubers could be used to make many kinds of food. She could make over 100 different dishes from it, and she didn’t believe she would be seen as a stingy woman.

Having prepared in advance, Yueqian remained relaxed. When pressured and cornered, someone like her, a villainess from a modern era, wouldn’t fall so easily.

However, the corners of Noble Consort Wei’s mouth twitched involuntarily. She wasn’t foolish enough not to know that Yueqian would find a way to survive. Since giving up the fight to become Furen Mu, Noble Consort Wei had been cautious, knowing that Yueqian was not easy to deal with. Because of this, she allowed Yueqian to feel confident in handling the situation while she prepared for other matters!

"As Noble Consort Wei mentioned, I also have high expectations and hope everyone will do their best. Our Region is currently facing many crises, from epidemics to floods. Some cities have lost contact and we need to send soldiers to help evacuate people to safe areas."

"Therefore, those currently affected by the disaster are feeling very depressed. I want them to receive support and care, which frankly means you officials here in the capital. Most of you have not been affected by these calamities. I want you to help them to the best of your abilities. If you encounter any obstacles, let me know."

"Moreover, after the aid is provided, when the flood crisis is over, I will personally give gifts to those who have done an excellent job. Of course, these are small tokens that I have received, but I want to pass them on to those who are truly kind-hearted and selfless."

The Empress attending the banquet made it impossible for her not to make an appearance and steal some of the spotlight from Noble Consort Wei. Even though the Empress wasn’t the one who organized this, she could still use her status to draw attention.

The furens were thrilled to hear that the Empress would give rewards to those who performed well. After all, the Empress’s status was higher than Noble Consort Wei’s, so receiving recognition from the Empress was more desirable, wasn’t it?

Of course, this was only the perspective of some. Those who supported the Second Prince knew they had no chance of receiving praise from the Empress. Furthermore, this event was supposed to showcase the Second Prince’s faction. As soon as the Empress joined, everyone thought it was inappropriate, but what could they do? Noble Consort Wei’s status was lower than the Empress’.

"Alright, everyone, please relax and enjoy yourselves. This banquet was organized to thank all of you, so let’s not stand on ceremony," the Empress said, effectively closing Noble Consort Wei’s act.

Despite the fact that Noble Consort Wei had painstakingly organized this event, it was unexpected for the Empress to act this way. Yueqian hadn’t anticipated this either. It seemed that the inner palace battles were indeed fierce. Noble Consort Wei could only smile and agree, even though she wanted to target Yueqian more.

After sitting in the pavilion for a while, Yueqian excused herself, citing the need to care for her young child. No one could stop her from leaving early.

"Then, I take my leave, Your Majesty." Yueqian said, respectfully bowing to the Empress. She then looked at Noble Consort Wei and the Second Prince’s Consort. Even though her status didn’t require it, the beautiful woman bowed slightly, once again projecting a humble image.

"Please go ahead. Earlier, I already gave a gift to welcome the little baby. I’ll find an opportunity to visit the baby at the Mu manor soon," the Empress said with a smile, as if there was no enmity between her and Yueqian. However, everyone knew they were certainly not on the same side.

"Thank you again, Your Majesty," Yueqian replied with a smile. The last time, the Empress had given her a gift of animal fur, suggesting it would make an excellent cushion for the baby. But Yueqian saw it as a trap. If she had indeed used the fur to make a cushion for Xiao Hao, she suspected she would lose her head.

What would happen if someone saw that her Xiao Hao had urinated or defecated on the cushion? It was, after all, a royal gift from the Empress, a rare piece of animal fur. If she ruined it, wouldn’t that be considered disrespectful to the Empress? Many might not think much of it, but those looking to bring her down would definitely use it against her. Thus, the precious cushions were safely stored away in a storage room.

"It must be tiring for you, Furen Mu, especially after just giving birth to a son. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. Nevertheless, aiding the refugees is truly necessary. I hope Furen Mu doesn’t resent the royal decree. At the very least, consider it a charitable act that will help your son grow strong."

"Moreover, the monk said that your son is blessed and will surely bring peace and prosperity to the Bai Region. Therefore, I rely on the baby’s good fortune to help the townspeople in this time of need."

Noble Consort Wei said with a smile. The Empress’s eyebrow twitched slightly, showing her displeasure. She knew that Noble Consort Wei had once desired to be Furen Mu. However, the Wei and Mu families were on the same side, both supporting the Second Prince. Mentioning the monk’s prophecy now was like a slap to the Empress and the Crown Prince’s faction.

The Crown Prince’s faction had always been jealous of the favorable prophecy given to Furen Mu by the monk. Previously, some had considered killing Furen Mu’s son, because otherwise, when the other party grew up, it would definitely become major problem. However, someone acted preemptively. Although it was unclear who, the assassins were found dead within the Mu manor, indicating just how well-protected the Mu family was.

The Empress and her faction were unaware that it was not the Emperor and the Wang who were protecting Furen Mu, but the people of the Divine Doctor and the Art Institute who were assisting her. Hence, the Crown Prince’s faction had to shelve their plans, hoping to act when the Emperor and the Wang let their guard down.

What they didn’t know was that the longer they waited, the stronger the forces Yueqian had developed would become! Therefore, their plan was doomed from the start.

This was the Empress’s hate-filled perspective on Yueqian, not knowing that Noble Consort Wei had never ceased her efforts to seek revenge against Yueqian and Furen Mu.

Speaking like this, the first thing that succeeded was to provoke the Empress’s anger, the second thing was to pressure Yueqian into submission!  By invoking the child’s supposed divine favor as foretold, if Yueqian didn’t work hard to produce good results, the child’s reputation would be tarnished because of his mother.

After this, perhaps her reputation as a villainess might resurface, completely overshadowing the monk’s prophecy!

Both sides were scheming, each trying to outmaneuver the other, while sweet smiles and friendly expressions remained on their faces.

"I will not disappoint you, Your Majesty," Yueqian smiled, radiating her kindness and warmth. Soon, she stood to return to her manor.

Fan Yu, who was by her side, muttered once they were in the carriage. She seemed quite worried, having assisted Yang Ji all along, she understood that Noble Consort Wei’s expectations might be too much for them to meet.

"Furen Mu, if our enemy is indeed Noble Consort Wei, what will you do?" Fan Yu, who had been silent, finally asked.

Her face was full of concern, which piqued Yueqian’s interest. It was the first time she saw Fan Yu showing genuine concern for her well-being. Usually, this young girl kept her distance, remained indifferent, and stayed quietly in the background unless she was needed. When she was called upon, she performed excellently. But this time, she spoke up on her own, making Yueqian feel somewhat successful. At least this incident made Fan Yu realize whose side she was truly on.

"Are you worried?"

"I..."

"Of course, it is good that you are worried because Noble Consort Wei has positioned herself as our enemy. At the same time, we must cooperate to ensure the Second Prince becomes the next Emperor. Thus, right now, Noble Consort Wei is the main force behind the Second Prince’s faction. Whatever she does, it seems we must comply and cannot resist."

"I am worried about that, miss," Fan Yu nodded.

It was difficult for her furen to deal decisively with Noble Consort Wei as she did with others. Destroying Noble Consort Wei would weaken the Second Prince’s main force. However, if they did not act against her, the Mu manor would certainly face disaster in the future."Hmm, but how can you be sure that Noble Consort Wei is truly on the Second Prince’s side?" Yueqian smiled slightly as she asked this, causing Fan Yu to pause in surprise.