As the Empress's older brother, Ma Qi was highly regarded by the Emperor. Moreover, Ma Qi was still young and had already risen through the ranks quite quickly, which made many people envious.
Now that Ma Qi has been reprimanded by the emperor and stripped of his official position to go home and "rest," many people feel that he deserves it.
At the same time, Yinzhen also gained a lot of good reputation. No one knows how it spread, but everyone said that the emperor was a rare wise ruler who would not be blinded by right and wrong even if he favored the empress.
When Yinzhen heard these rumors, he sneered inwardly. Did he think that if he dared to use people from the Fucha family, he wouldn't be a wise ruler? The intentions of the people behind this were as clear as day!
The person behind this is using an open strategy. Now that the army is about to be dispatched, it would not be worth it for the emperor to lose the hearts of the people because of Ma Qi.
Some people in the imperial court saw through the scheme, but they mostly acted as if nothing had happened.
They were already envious of the Fucha family's current glory, so naturally they wouldn't speak up for Ma Qi. Everyone wanted to confirm Ma Qi's "crime" and make the Fucha family suffer a setback, and it would be best if the emperor would dislike the empress because of it.
All the ministers knew that the current emperor was the one who could not stand people being greedy.
When Tong Guowei learned that Ma Qi had been ordered to "rest" at home, he was very happy. His daughter, Tong Yuntong, came over to pay her respects. Seeing her father so happy, she asked with a smile, "Father, did something interesting happen? Your daughter sees that you are in a good mood today."
Looking at his beautiful youngest daughter, Tong Guowei imagined her entering the palace as empress and said, "Tong'er, I am already happy to see you today. I heard from your mother that my daughter is praised by the governess every day. With such a beautiful daughter, she is bound to be rich and noble."
Upon hearing this, Tong Yuntong couldn't help but blush.
"My daughter is not as good as Father says. I am just an ordinary girl. I heard from the palace maids that Her Majesty the Empress is truly a beauty that could topple kingdoms!"
Tong Guowei had also met Empress Yunrong and knew that she was indeed no less beautiful than his daughter.
But after all, he was getting old, so Tong Guowei said with a very disdainful tone: "That's just the old nanny exaggerating. The Empress and Father have seen her, and she is not as beautiful as my son. It's just that the Emperor favors her, so people compare her appearance to others. If she weren't the Empress, her appearance would be just so-so."
Tong Guowei dared to say that because there were no outsiders in the room.
Tong Yuntong was also a thoughtful person. Hearing her father say this, she smiled knowingly.
The news has been spreading like wildfire lately, so how could she not have heard about it? However, as a woman who has been "highly anticipated" since childhood, Tong Yuntong naturally knows what she needs to do, and the current situation is just right.
"I have something to tell you. You've come at the perfect time. Your father was going to send someone to look for you! Your father found two palace maids who used to work in Yongshou Palace. Although they weren't the Empress's personal maids, they were still somewhat familiar with the Empress's every move. Your father has assigned these two to you. As for how to use them, you can decide for yourself."
Tong Yuntong understood immediately: "Daughter understands, thank you for your trouble, Father."
Tong Guowei spent some time talking with his daughter before letting Tong Yuntong go back. However, Tong Guowei's wife, Hesheli, felt a little sorry for her husband's arrangement.
As her husband, Hesheli knew exactly what Tong Guowei was thinking. But even if she knew, she was a woman who depended on Tong Guowei in everything. How could she stop him?
Hesheli looked at Tong Guowei and said, "Master, isn't Tong'er working too hard?"
Tong Guowei glanced at Hesheli and knew what she was thinking, saying, "Womanly compassion."
After saying that, he made a move to leave.
Hesheli hurriedly said, "Your Majesty has not yet eaten. I will have the kitchen prepare your favorite dishes. Please eat before you leave!"
Tong Guowei waved his hand and said, "No need," before leaving.
As soon as Tong Guowei left Hesheli, he summoned his nanny: "Go and find out where the master went after he left."
The old woman's eyes stiffened for a moment, but she still said, "This servant will go right away."
The moment she stepped outside, the old woman's face turned troubled. Then she summoned a maid and said, "Go and ask where the master has gone."
The maidservant said "Yes," then muttered under her breath, "Master is definitely with Consort Chun, what else do we need to ask about!"
The old woman knew the answer, but since her master had asked her to inquire, how could she dare to disobey?
Sigh! If they find out the result, their master will probably get angry, and in the end, it will be those of them who serve others who suffer.
Sure enough, upon inquiring, Hesheli learned that Tong Guowei was with Aunt Chun again, which made Hesheli so angry that her lungs ached.
"You little vixen, you're just a seductress."
The old nanny quickly tried to persuade her, saying that when the Fujin (principal wife) and Concubine Chun (mistress Chun) clashed, the Fujin never won. The master's mind was always on Concubine Chun, and the Fujin was no match for her.
“Please calm down, Master. Concubine Chun has no children and her life will be the same. You can wait and see. One day, Master will get tired of Concubine Chun. Then you can punish her however you want. It's not worth ruining your health for such a vile woman.”
“I know, but why can’t you see that person’s evil intentions! If it weren’t for that little bitch’s actions when I gave birth to Tong’er, I wouldn’t be unable to have children now.”
The old woman continued to advise, "My lady, think positively. Although Concubine Chun had malicious intentions, she still suffered the consequences, didn't she?"
Thinking of the stillborn child born to Concubine Chun, Hesheli said bitterly, "She deserved it. She did evil things and deserved to be childless for the rest of her life."
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