Chapter 190 Easily Controlling the Empress
Empress Cheng lifted her eyelids and said calmly, "You've arrived. Have you finished dealing with everything outside the palace? It must have been half a month since you left!"
Jiang Fenghua replied neither servilely nor arrogantly, "Reporting to Mother, everything has been arranged."
"I heard that the supplies were sent out ten days ago." She also put on her mother-in-law's airs, as if she were about to lecture her, just like in her previous life.
"Yes, but the first batch was sent away ten days ago. Because the number was too large, the rest were sent away one after another." Jiang Fenghua said in detail. She looked docile, obedient, dignified and skillful, so much so that Empress Cheng couldn't even find a spark to start a fire.
"Get up and sit down." Empress Cheng's tone softened. "Shang'er has the Su family's support. Right now, the child in your belly is more important. Spend less time outside and less time with court officials and their wives. Don't put the cart before the horse for the sake of personal gain."
Jiang Fenghua wondered to herself, how did Su Tingwan brainwash her in the palace? Did she really think that only the Su family could help Xie Shang? She didn't believe at all that her son could win on his own.
She took the initiative to explain, "Jishantang was founded by Your Highness in Shengjing. In my spare time, I also helped with some internal affairs. Your Highness's trip north to fight against the Hu tribe was extremely dangerous. Jishantang is the result of Your Highness's hard work, and I did not want to entrust it to others, so I stayed a few more days."
"I feel more at ease having you personally oversee things. I don't know how long this battle will last. I just want Your Highness to fight without worry. Everything Your Highness has done is a contribution to the country, and your kindness will be remembered for generations to come." She was trying to build a good reputation for Xie Shang outside, which made the Empress resentful in the palace.
The Empress's biggest concern is still her son. As long as this is grasped, Empress Cheng will never use this as an excuse to cause trouble. Besides, she already has the upper hand. Now, dealing with Empress Cheng is just a matter of wasting her breath and being insincere.
After hearing this, the Empress felt that she could not refute Jiang Fenghua's words.
Seeing that the Empress remained silent, Jiang Fenghua continued, "In this battle, the Prince and the soldiers on the front lines risked their own safety to resist the enemy and protect their country. Moreover, it wasn't just the Su family who helped them; we also tried our best to prepare sufficient support for them. Not only did the aristocratic families participate, but merchants also contributed their efforts. The Cheng family was also not to be outdone, contributing money and strength as they did."
The Empress was good at picking up on words, and her eyes lit up. "The Cheng family, which Cheng family is Ruan Ruan referring to?" Xie Shang hadn't told her anything when he left.
Jiang Fenghua sneered, then affectionately addressed the person she cared about as "Ruan Ruan," and said with a smile, "Naturally, it's the Empress Dowager's maternal uncle's family. I've even met the Empress Dowager's mother."
"Mother?" Empress Cheng's eyes were filled with tears. She felt guilty when she mentioned the Cheng family.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I sent some warm clothes to my maternal grandmother, saying they were from the Empress Dowager. She was very happy."
Empress Cheng stepped forward and took her hand. "How is my mother?" Even knowing that she was going to die, Empress Cheng did not dare to ask the emperor for permission to leave the palace to visit her mother.
"This is bad. Is Mother going to leave the palace to visit Grandmother?" Jiang Fenghua asked her.
Empress Cheng shook her head, "It is my fault for being unfilial. I only wish that in her next life she will not have a daughter like me. Women who marry into the royal family have no family of their own. We are trapped inside these high walls and red tiles, and we can never get out."
"Go and rest. I'm tired and need to rest," Empress Cheng said.
Jiang Fenghua didn't say much and left directly. The Emperor seemed to really hate the Cheng family, so the Empress didn't want to touch that sore spot. Old Madam Cheng never saw her daughter again before she died, which became a lifelong pain for Empress Cheng.
Jiang Fenghua left Kunning Palace and went straight to Chenxi Palace. At this moment, she saw a palace maid acting suspiciously and asked without thinking, "Who is it?"
Ao Xue reached out directly, and before she could get close, Yun Fang walked shakily to Jiang Fenghua and said, "This servant greets Your Highness."
Jiang Fenghua recognized her and thought to herself, "She's quite capable, managing to sneak back into the palace. But given her current situation, Su Tingwan will definitely not let her go. She has nowhere to retreat; only by running into the palace can she avoid being hunted down."
Aoxue and Lianye were also stunned. Yunfang was really bold to run back to the palace. They all thought that after Yunfang left through the back gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture, she would leave Shengjing, or at least stay away from trouble and save her life.
"Come in!" Jiang Fenghua said.
Yunfang followed them into Chenxi Palace, where palace maids had already prepared hot water. The room was warm, and under the dim light of an oil lamp, Yunfang began to bustle about, carrying basins and pouring water. She even diligently served Jiang Fenghua as she washed up.
Lianye and Aoxue naturally dared not let her get close. Only after Jiang Fenghua's jade feet were soaked in the foot bath and the palace maids withdrew did she ask Yunfang, "Speak, what do you want with this princess?"
Yunfang knelt before Jiang Fenghua, pleading, "Please, Your Highness, allow me to stay by your side! I have betrayed the Su family, and I have no way to survive. Didn't Your Highness say that I could continue to stay in the palace?"
Jiang Fenghua knew that she was not a law-abiding person. In her previous life, she had caused trouble and become a beauty. She helped Su Tingwan do many heinous things, and in the end, she died a gruesome death, which was her just punishment.
She could never accept Yunfang by her side in this lifetime.
She kindly reminded him, "You can go back to your hometown, find an honest man to marry, and live a peaceful life. You are still young, and you still have a chance to start your life over. Perhaps one day, after you have a sudden realization, you will find that the glitz and glamour before you are not as good as the freedom of your true self. Yunfang, I will not keep you by my side."
“I never want to live that kind of life for even a moment longer,” Yunfang continued. “The princess has lived a life of luxury since childhood, never worrying about food or clothing. You don’t know what it’s like to be poorly clothed, hungry, and cold since childhood. You don’t know that to survive in this world, I have tried my best. Those who pursue their true selves are all bullshit. Only those who have the right to live a life of luxury are qualified to choose to pursue their true selves.”
Jiang Fenghua paused, then said in a deep voice, "You can leave now. Just pretend I never saw you tonight."
Yunfang stared at Jiang Fenghua, wondering if she was truly so heartless.
After seeing Yunfang off, Aoxue said, "I have experienced the kind of life she described. When faced with basic needs, no one will stick to their principles; it's all about the survival of the fittest."
Jiang Fenghua said calmly, "You mean to say that you shouldn't advise others to be kind if you haven't experienced their suffering yourself?"
Ao Xue was stunned.
Jiang Fenghua said, "Although what she said makes sense, it is not a reason for Yunfang to help bad people do evil. You have to learn from your mistakes and keep this principle in mind so that you won't make the same mistake again." She would not keep any factors that might ruin her plans around her, especially an egoist like Yunfang.
She has the ability to enter the palace, and she naturally has the ability to leave. A woman like Yunfang will not die. If she is smart, she will take the initiative to leave the Su family, and perhaps she can live a little longer.
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