Chapter 196 A Foolish Method
When Jiang Fenghua arrived at Qianqing Palace, most of the concubines in the palace had already arrived.
Consort Yan, who loved to join in the fun, got drunk and squeezed into the front row. Not wanting to miss a chance to stir up trouble, she mocked, "Consort Wang is really something, daring to cuckold His Majesty. She's only been in the palace for two years, and she can't even stand it anymore. The deep palace is so lonely, no wonder, no wonder!"
"The long night stretches deep within the palace walls, a lonely woman in her empty room sings her lament..."
"The red makeup fades, the face grows old, the palace locks away the heart of a resentful woman..."
"Tears wet my handkerchief, I cannot dream; in the deep of night, the sound of singing echoes in the front hall..."
"..."
Consort Yan began to chant and sing in front of everyone, as if she were feeling very relieved.
Soon, Chief Steward Cao, disregarding rank, ordered his men to drag Consort Yan away. "Consort Yan, please calm down. If you anger the Emperor, you will not only harm yourself, but also Prince Yu!"
Consort Yan struggled, stammering, "Consort Wang dared to have an affair, that's courageous of her, but I've wasted decades in the palace. What happened to my youth? If I had known my life would end like this, I should have followed Consort Wang's example and lived a carefree life..."
The next second, Chief Steward Cao didn't care anymore. He grabbed his handkerchief and stuffed it into Consort Yan's mouth. The stench made Consort Yan feel nauseous and want to vomit.
Jiang Fenghua had just passed by Consort Yan when she heard her regret for not having been happy. Consort Yan must have been lonely for too long and gone mad. How dare she say such things?
She hurriedly went to Empress Cheng's side, and Granny Wang and the others knelt down to the side. How did Granny Wang get involved?
She pretended to ask, "Mother, what happened?"
Empress Cheng glanced at her, her face turning pale with anger. "Wang Zhaoyi was caught red-handed cheating. The Emperor ordered me to handle the matter. It was perfectly reasonable for me to have her and her lover beaten to death. What wrong did I do by acting in accordance with palace rules?"
Xie Ling'er ran to the Emperor to complain, saying, "I am not human. If I am not human, what am I? Am I a ghost?"
The Emperor believed everything he heard, saying that I mistreated her. When have I ever mistreated Xie Ling'er? I simply asked Granny Wang to teach her manners. She's been with Su Qingqing since she was little, and she's become like this. She doesn't have the slightest bit of a princess's demeanor. Since she doesn't study properly, Granny Wang naturally had to give her a few slaps. She was just a little heavy-handed, but she wanted her to learn better.
She's almost fourteen, and fifteen in a year. What fifteen-year-old daughter is still like that? Where's the princess's demeanor? I tried to discipline her with good intentions, but now I'm caught in the middle, and she's even complaining to me. It's all my fault now.
Empress Cheng's words were meant for the Emperor inside. Jiang Fenghua was speechless after hearing them. The Empress was still so stubborn! She had suffered so much at Xie Ling'er's hands, so naturally she wanted to get revenge on Xie Ling'er. It probably wouldn't be as simple as just giving her a few lashes!
However, Granny Wang was not stupid. Since she had been ordered to teach the princess the rules, she naturally wouldn't dare to actually lay a hand on the princess. If she were to do so, she would do so with finesse.
Granny Wang also looked at Jiang Fenghua with a wronged expression. In just one glance, Jiang Fenghua knew what was going on.
She nodded to Granny Wang, signaling her not to rush.
If the Empress is truly punished for such an incident, the worst-case scenario is that she will push Granny Wang to take the blame. In that case, the Emperor might punish Granny Wang without distinguishing right from wrong to quell the matter.
She didn't need to be in such a hurry for the sake of the Empress, but it was different when it involved Granny Wang. Back in the Jiang family, Granny Wang had taught her etiquette and manners with all her heart and never criticized her.
Over the years, the Empress and the Emperor have had countless arguments, yet her position as Empress remains as secure as a mountain. It's pitiful that those around her are implicated for no reason.
Just then, Wuxin suddenly appeared in front of Jiang Fenghua and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence."
He was also worried that she would be implicated by the Empress, since today's matter had nothing to do with Princess Heng, so he did not send anyone to explain the situation in advance to avoid any complications.
Jiang Fenghua straightened her clothes and respectfully entered the Qianqing Hall.
Xie Ling'er was kneeling inside, her face covered in tears, sobbing as if she were very wronged. Her arms were also exposed, her sleeves rolled up, covered with whip marks, bloody and visible, as if her skin was bleeding.
She wondered to herself: Did Granny Wang inflict these injuries, or did she inflict them herself? Granny Wang would at most hit the palm of the hand, she would never hit the arm.
Jiang Fenghua stepped forward and respectfully bowed, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Just as she was about to kneel, the Emperor said, "No need for formalities, no need to kneel. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
Jiang Fenghua tentatively began, "It's cold outside, and Mother is still kneeling in the snow. Your daughter-in-law is worried about you..."
"She's made such a mess of things. Does she still act like an empress? She's a mother too. How could she be so cruel to her child? Look at the state she's in! Let her kneel. She's not allowed to get up without my permission, and those around her..."
Jiang Fenghua quickly said, "I believe that Mother Empress has absolutely no intention of harming anyone. She just doesn't know how to raise the Ninth Princess." Xie Ling'er was indeed spoiled by Consort Su.
"She doesn't know, but I think she knows quite a lot. She's driven by personal vendettas, narrow-minded, and utterly intolerant. Is this the demeanor and character of an empress? Make her kneel!"
The Emperor was truly enraged. Consort Wang had an affair and died, but instead, she made a big show of beating him to death, making it known throughout the palace. Did she not feel ashamed?
Before tomorrow, the whole city will know that last time Consort Su cheated on her husband, and now Consort Wang has been caught cheating again. It's all in chaos. Where is the imperial dignity? The emperor was so angry that he had a headache. He yelled at the outside world, "Stupid as a pig! Does she deserve to be the mother of the nation? This is the kind of daughter the Cheng family raised."
Jiang Fenghua stood there obediently. If it weren't for Xie Shang's involvement, she wouldn't have bothered with the Empress's affairs.
Why are you still acting like a child? Why are you involved with the Cheng family again?
At this moment, all she wanted to do was complain along with Ao Xue: if the emperor can't take care of so many women, he shouldn't marry so many people into the palace; it's really harming himself and others.
If you're going to marry, at least treat everyone equally, so that no one harbors resentment.
Xie Shang had already figured out how to handle her harem in the future. To ensure fairness and to demonstrate her magnanimity, the concubines would take turns serving the emperor, or the order would be decided by drawing lots, and no one should harbor any resentment.
Xie Ling'er was still sobbing, looking pitiful. "Father, I'm in pain, my whole body aches."
Jiang Fenghua looked at her. If she wanted to harm someone, she didn't even know how to do it properly. The story of a legitimate mother abusing her illegitimate daughter might be judged by the common people, but she was the empress. The emperor wouldn't depose her for such a crime. At most, he would punish her and make her kneel down, which would be insignificant and would only offend people.
She walked up to Xie Ling'er, her eyes full of concern, and said softly, "Why don't we ask the imperial physician to treat the Ninth Princess first? Princess, please don't kneel down. The ground is cold, and in this cold weather, you might catch a cold. Please ask the imperial physician to check where it hurts and then apply some medicine."
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