Chapter 181 The Scene of Catching Adultery
Jiang Fenghua made a beautiful lotus lantern by hand. The petals were shaped like peaches, with a delicate and bright pink color. The petals were covered with blessings, but she did not name anyone to celebrate their birthday. The clever thing about the lotus lantern was that when it was closed, it became an exquisite peach.
The opposite bank was brightly lit and adorned with dazzling fireworks.
She was not worthy to attend the birthday banquet tonight, and of course she didn't want to join in the fun. Her gifts had already been sent to the Qianqing Palace, and her dowry had been almost entirely sold off. She had bought a fine silk garment and made a men's undergarment to send to the Qianqing Palace.
Lianye said, "Your Highness, you are dressed too plainly today. We can take this opportunity to..."
She gazed at the distant, dimly lit area, thinking, "There lies the person Your Majesty most desires to see. Your Majesty can also learn from those vixens and vie for favor."
"Your Majesty is quite beautiful when you dress up. What's wrong with learning some seductive arts? Can you be any less beautiful than others? It's a pity that Your Majesty always remembers propriety and shame."
Jiang Fenghua seemed not to hear her words, "I don't want anything, and I don't want to fight for anything. I only wish him to be healthy and at ease year after year."
She was still grateful to him for giving her two children, and for that reason alone, she wouldn't hate him. Perhaps one day he would look back at her for the sake of the children. She didn't realize how foolish her idea was, trying to use children to trap a man's heart. She would be tormented for half her life by these two children, and her life would be even more miserable.
She held the lotus lanterns in her hands, looking very fond of them. There were two lotus lanterns, one male and one female, both lifelike. They fell into the water and gradually drifted away with the current, getting farther and farther away. She smiled and prepared to let Lianye and Hongxiu take the child back. She wanted to sit here alone for a while.
Lianye and Hongxiu wouldn't leave her alone here, heartbroken; at least they could keep her company.
"Tears wet my handkerchief, I cannot dream, in the deep of night, the sound of singing echoes in the front hall. My beauty has not faded, yet my favor has already ended, I lean against the incense burner and sit until dawn." Lianye also recited a poem, and then said, "Does Your Majesty intend to live like this forever?" She wanted to try to persuade her.
Her tone was calm, as if she were used to it, "Where did you learn these poems from? You're just worrying about nothing."
Lianye shed tears alone. Why was her young lady so unlucky? What had she done to deserve this? Why did the late emperor bestow this marriage upon her, only to treat her like this afterward?
Seeing that her nose was red from crying, Jiang Fenghua explained, "Don't be sad about this kind of thing anymore. I didn't ask you to study and write so that you could read these poems of resentful women in the deep palace. Besides, I have no favor with the Emperor, so there's no question of losing his favor."
She only missed this one line, but she filled all three other lines. If she didn't like the Emperor, why did she pray for his well-being and make longevity peach and lotus lanterns every year?
Just then, Ji Chen suddenly emerged from the shadows and feigned a bow to Jiang Fenghua, saying, "This humble prince greets Your Highness, the Virtuous Consort."
Seeing a man from outside the palace intrude into the forbidden area, Jiang Fenghua stepped back slightly to avoid his direct gaze and said in a deep voice, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
"My name is Ji Chen. I am the Emperor's sworn brother. When Your Majesty was still the Princess Consort of Heng, we met at the Heng Prince's residence. We had a brief encounter. Does Your Majesty not remember me?" Ji Chen introduced himself and then went a step further, saying, "Today, I came to the palace to wish the Emperor a happy birthday. I saw a faint light shining here, so I came to take a look. Why is Your Majesty not going to the main hall to wish the Emperor a happy birthday, but instead releasing lanterns here?"
Jiang Fenghua turned around and walked to the child's side, taking her daughter from Hongxiu's arms and holding her in her arms. "Let's go! Let's go back."
She didn't know him, and his presence in the harem at this time was against the rules. She should leave as soon as possible to avoid any complications.
But Ji Chen wouldn't let her leave, blocking her way. "She's the little princess, isn't she? She's so cute, just as beautiful as Her Majesty. May I hold the little princess?"
Ji Chen disregarded etiquette and touched Jiang Fenghua's hand directly. Jiang Fenghua immediately pulled away and said in a deep voice, "Prince Ji, please have some self-respect."
Lianye suddenly rushed over and blocked Jiang Fenghua's way, saying fiercely to Ji Chenqi, "This is the inner palace. It's probably inappropriate for Prince Ji to appear here so abruptly. Besides, since you are the Emperor's sworn brother, you should know that this is not a place for you. Please leave Chenxi Palace immediately!" Her lady was supposed to be praying for the Emperor, what a spoilsport.
Annoyed that her view was blocked, Ji Chen shoved her aside, almost causing her to fall. Hongxiu, carrying the little prince, stepped forward to support Lianye, asking, "Are you alright?"
Seeing this, Jiang Fenghua's eyes flashed with disgust. "If the Prince continues to be so rude, I will have to call for help."
Ji Chen decided to stop pretending. "When the Empress called, she sent someone. I then said that the Empress had invited me here for a secret rendezvous."
Suddenly, a handkerchief appeared in his hand. "The handkerchief embroidered by Your Majesty is so lifelike that I linger here, reluctant to leave."
"You..." Jiang Fenghua wanted to curse, but she glanced at her daughter and, fearing she would frighten her, avoided him.
A bad feeling suddenly rose in her heart. "Lianye, Hongxiu, let's go quickly."
Before they could leave, a group of people approached from a distance. They couldn't see their figures clearly, but they could hear a lot of hurried footsteps coming towards them.
Jiang Fenghua knew that it was too late to leave now, and the further she went, the more unclear things would become, so she might as well face it honestly.
Soon, the Empress, the Emperor, and the others all squeezed into the crowded garden. The Emperor roared, "What are you all doing here?"
Jiang Fenghua stared at Xie Shang, somewhat lost in thought. Holding the child, she knelt down on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Hongxiu and Lianye also knelt down to pay their respects.
Before the emperor could see the kneeling figures clearly, the empress suddenly said, "So it's Consort Xian and Prince Ji here! Why are you bringing the little prince and young master to the lakeside so late?"
"Your Majesty, your concubine and child have come to..."
"Although it's already spring, it's still chilly at night. Why did Consort Xian let the princes and princesses wear so little? They must be cold." The Empress stepped forward and took the initiative to pick up the children. The children, who were just over a year old, couldn't speak or walk yet. As soon as Su Tingwan picked them up, the two children started crying loudly.
Hearing the child cry, Jiang Fenghua became anxious and didn't bother to explain. The Emperor's gaze also fell on the child, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes, and he said coldly, "Take the child away."
Jiang Fenghua watched helplessly as the child was taken away. Su Tingwan stared at her coldly, as if warning her to behave herself if she wanted the child. If she dared to seduce the Emperor again, it was hard to say whether the child would ever return to her side.
Yunfang, now a concubine of the emperor, began to speak sarcastically, "What are Consort Xian and Prince Ji doing here alone? Are they just admiring the lanterns and flowers?"
Jiang Fenghua explained, "I was taking a walk by the lake when Prince Ji suddenly barged in. I was just about to leave."
Xie Shang stared at her face, which looked malnourished, then turned to Ji Chen, "Why is the Prince Ji here when he wasn't at the banquet?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
