Chapter 462 Zhu Yiyi Enters the Palace

Meanwhile, upon hearing that another region had been hit by disaster, the emperor assembled his ministers to discuss countermeasures day and night, and truly had no time to summon his concubines. In the past few days, he had not even visited the Morning Light Palace.

The Lantern Festival arrived quickly, and Jiang Fenghua had some free time. The Empress Dowager granted her permission not to pay her respects on this day, and Jiang Fenghua slept until she naturally woke up. Since returning to the palace, she had been quietly recuperating for half a month, and her appetite had improved, and she was in a good mood.

Xie Ziyan and Xie Hongyou have already learned to speak. The son doesn't talk much and his pronunciation isn't very clear, but when the daughter opens her mouth and can recite a line of poetry, Jiang Fenghua is still surprised.

Granny Wang said, "It's all thanks to Her Majesty the Empress's excellent teaching. Her Majesty loves reading and enjoys reading to them, so they've been influenced by her since they were little."

"Mother, Hong'er wants a hug too." Xie Hongyou started vying for the Empress's favor after seeing his younger sister being held and kissed by her.

Jiang Fenghua was heavily pregnant and couldn't carry both children. She handed Xie Ziyan to Granny Wang, then went to hold her son and kissed his cheek. Xie Hongyou immediately became happy and kissed Jiang Fenghua's face in return.

At this moment, Xie Ziyan saw this and also moved closer to her, saying, "Mother, Yanyan wants a kiss too."

Jiang Fenghua leaned in and kissed her rosy little face, and Xie Ziyan kissed her face again.

Granny Wang hurriedly said, "Quickly bring the eldest prince over. Her Majesty the Empress is ill and cannot be tired."

Xie Hongyou didn't insist on being held by his mother. Instead, he sensibly patted Jiang Fenghua's belly and said, "Good boy."

Jiang Fenghua smiled too. With two adorable children by her side, she was happy every day.

At this moment, Song Qing and Gao Qingtong also arrived with their children. They were followed by a group of palace maids and eunuchs, so they didn't need to take care of the children themselves.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Jiang Fenghua said, "No need for such formalities."

She then looked at their child, "With her big, bright eyes and festive clothes, Xiao Yanhuan will definitely grow up to be a great beauty."

Gao Qingtong said, "She's not even half a year old yet. How could Your Majesty tell that she's a great beauty? I think babies who are only a few months old all look pretty much the same."

“Who said that sons and daughters are so different? Sons are robust and chubby, while daughters are clever and cute.” Jiang Fenghua said, “Just look at Consort Song’s son. He’s only a little over six months old, looks like he’s eight or nine months old. He’s very energetic, with a chubby little face. You can tell that his mother fed him so much that she was afraid he would go hungry. Oh dear, what can you do when his mother is such a glutton?”

Song Qing smiled and said, "I think it's always good to have a good appetite. It means you'll grow strong and healthy, unlike Consort Tang's child, who is thin and weak. She has to call the imperial physician every few days, and he doesn't seem to have any energy. I'm just worried that the Second Prince isn't energetic."

Jiang Fenghua thought of Tang Qianran's child again. It should be similar to Gao Qingtong's child, but she always felt that the child was listless, even though the child's voice was very loud when the child was born.

These children are all healthy. Xie Ziyan and Xie Hongyou often had minor illnesses when they were young, but they would recover after a few days of rest. The older they get, the easier they are to raise.

Jiang Fenghua's two children were raised with great care from a young age, and they grew up to be as cute as elves. Her daughter inherited Jiang Fenghua's face shape, which is very pleasing to the eye and the more you look at her, the more you like her. She has big eyes and a small, pointed chin. When she smiles, she is even more soft, cute, and sweet, making her very lovable.

Jiang Fenghua said to Song Qing, "The Empress Dowager asked you and Consort Tang to assist the Imperial Household Department in preparing for the Lantern Festival banquet. If you don't go to help, you'll be punished."

"I haven't been feeling well lately and have already asked the Empress Dowager for leave. I don't want to stand with her." Song Qing has always had a grudge against Tang Qianran. In the past, she only avoided trouble because of the Empress. Now, if Tang Qianran dares to provoke her, she is not afraid.

Jiang Fenghua then remembered that Qin Yunyan and Shu Yan had also colluded together, and instructed, "There will be many people and chaos tonight, so please take good care of yourselves and your children, and be very careful."

The two immediately became cautious. "What might happen tonight?"

Jiang Fenghua said, "I don't know. I just think the child is too young. Everything should be for the child's sake. Don't go and join in the fun."

She already knew that many lanterns had been set up outside the imperial city, and that Xie Shang would lead everyone up to the city tower to view the lanterns tonight, along with various performances.

This idea came from Tang Qianran, and it certainly had the effect of bringing joy to the people. Outside the city were the common people, while inside the city were the emperor, his ministers, and even the concubines of the harem. Many talented men and beautiful women would also join in, and one could imagine the grand spectacle tonight.

Just as Jiang Fenghua received the message and told them to prepare for the banquet, Lianye hurriedly returned, "Your Majesty, Zhu Yiyi has entered the palace. She is hiding, but I can see for sure that it is her."

Hongxiu said, "Imperial Censor Zhu and Madam Zhu entered the palace long ago, and they clearly didn't bring Zhu Yiyi with them."

“That means she entered the palace secretly; Imperial Censor Zhu wouldn’t have allowed her in,” Jiang Fenghua added. “Do you know who brought her into the palace?”

Lianye curled her lips into a smile. She hadn't been going to see Lin Feng every day for nothing. "It's Commander Shang. I've also heard some shocking news. I heard that Commander Shang and Zhu Yiyi are discussing marriage. Commander Shang wants to marry Zhu Yiyi as his second wife. His men are all saying that they want to drink Lord Shang's wedding wine. I found out as soon as I asked around."

Jiang Fenghua felt as if she had swallowed a fly after hearing this. Shang Hong was the commander of the Imperial Guard. He used to be the late emperor's man, and now he was Xie Shang's man.

When Zhu Yiyi was seducing Xie Shang in the Imperial Garden, the Plum Garden, and even the Taihua Hall, Shang Hong must have seen it while he was on duty in the palace!

Now he wants to marry Zhu Yiyi. Isn't that competing with the emperor for a woman?

Lianye added, "Lord Shang is supposed to be maintaining order in the palace today, yet he brought a woman into the palace so suspiciously. Could she be trying to seduce the Emperor again?"

"Does Lin Feng know?" Jiang Fenghua asked.

Lianye said, "I haven't seen Lin Feng yet. He and His Majesty went to entertain the envoys. He probably doesn't know that Lord Shang brought Zhu Yiyi into the palace without permission."

"You should also pretend you don't know anything, and even if you see Lin Feng, you can't tell him," Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice.

“Yes,” Lianye replied.

Jiang Fenghua then said to Granny Wang, "Go and inform Granny Liu to keep a close eye on Zhu Zhenzhen, and also tell her that Zhu Yiyi has entered the palace."

Ever since Liu Mama learned about what happened to Zhu Zhenzhen outside the palace, she ran to Jiang Fenghua and cried about it. She was sure that Zhu Yiyi had harmed her young lady because she hadn't gone to Hengyang with her. Although Zhu Zhenzhen was stupid and not a good person, she was raised by Liu Mama, who was genuinely good to her.

Granny Liu didn't dare tell Madam Zhu the truth, because both the Zhu family and the Emperor had ordered the matter to be kept secret. Madam Zhu was known for her fiery temper and would definitely not be able to keep it a secret. If she made a scene or spread the word, Zhu Zhenzhen would certainly not be able to stay in the palace any longer.

Granny Liu was also clever, but she also wanted to avenge her mistress. Jiang Fenghua sent someone to tell Granny Liu that Zhu Yiyi had entered the palace, which could be considered as fulfilling her desire to protect her mistress.