Chapter 341 The Crown Princess Invites You
Jiang Fenghua knew that she was the daughter of the prefect of Yuzhou. She also had Jiang Jinyan investigate the prefect of Yuzhou. He was an honest official who had done some good things for the people. Zhang Jingjing was eliminated by the Empress in the first round. In the second round, Jiang Fenghua did not care too much about appearance and just picked Zhang Jingjing.
She looks quite pretty when she's dressed up; the portrait she gave her doesn't do her justice.
Jiang Fenghua walked up to Zhang Jingjing and asked, "What are you thinking about, Miss Zhang?"
Zhang Jingjing suddenly looked up and saw the Crown Princess standing in front of her. She felt that the Crown Princess's appearance was even more radiant and beautiful when she looked at her up close. Her big eyes were bright and clear, and her lips were adorned with a gentle and tender smile.
Zhang Jingjing quickly stood up and bowed, "This concubine greets the Crown Princess." She had already learned all the palace etiquette after entering the palace.
"No need for formalities," Jiang Fenghua said again. "Why doesn't Your Highness go and ask the imperial physician to take your pulse?"
"I haven't been favored by His Highness the Crown Prince yet, and the imperial physicians often come to the palace to take my pulse, so there's nothing much to ask for," she said frankly.
Jiang Fenghua thought to herself, "He's quite a perceptive person."
She didn't linger and was about to leave when Zhang Jingjing stopped her. "Your Highness, please wait. I have something I'd like to ask for your help with. Is that alright?"
Jiang Fenghua was not an arrogant person who liked to refuse people; she wouldn't do anything that crossed her bottom line. "What favors does Consort Zhang wish to ask of me?"
Zhang Jingjing glanced around, unsure how to begin. "No...it's nothing."
Jiang Fenghua was stunned, so she didn't insist that she say anything and turned to leave.
Zhang Jingjing was also afraid that the rumors she heard were wrong. The Crown Princess was just a woman, and she might not be able to help her. However, when she went to the capital to attend the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet last time, she made a point of inquiring about the Crown Princess outside the palace.
Everyone thought the Crown Princess was kind and a good person, and she had a very good reputation outside the palace.
But she was also afraid that once the Crown Princess entered the palace, everything would change and the news she had heard would not be the same. Instead, the Crown Princess would find out that her purpose in entering the palace was not to become the Eastern Palace Consort.
In fact, she never expected to enter the palace. If the invitation to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet hadn't been sent to her home, she wouldn't have had the chance to enter the palace.
She thought: Even though His Highness the Crown Prince is outstanding in demeanor and handsome, she is of ordinary appearance and will certainly not win his favor. There are already more than ten concubines in the palace. After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, there will be countless concubines. She can't compete with him, so she might as well not compete and just let nature take its course!
But seeing how kind the Crown Princess was and how considerate she was of the ladies, the rumors outside the palace were probably true.
She was also afraid that the Crown Princess wouldn't intervene, since interference in politics by the harem was a major taboo, and it was possible that the Crown Princess would choose to protect herself.
But the Crown Prince dotes on the Crown Princess so much, and he has done a lot for the people. He is a benevolent Crown Prince. What if the Crown Princess listens to her request and agrees?
Just as Zhang Jingjing was struggling with this problem, Jiang Fenghua had already left.
Then, Granny Wang said to Jiang Fenghua, "The Crown Princess has asked the imperial physician to take the pulses of the young ladies. The Crown Princess is truly kind. This servant did not know that Consort Gao and Consort Tang were already pregnant. However, why is Consort Zhu getting involved? She hasn't even served the Emperor. If she's pregnant at this time, it certainly can't be the Crown Prince's..."
Jiang Fenghua's mind wasn't on Granny Wang; she was thinking about Zhang Jingjing. Because her elder brother had specifically asked her to investigate the prefect of Yuzhou, she had a deep impression of him. In the end, her elder brother seemed to have mentioned that Yuzhou had been very poor in recent years, but she didn't pay much attention to that afterward.
She had been to Yuzhou with her older brother before, because Yuzhou was adjacent to their hometown, Yuxian, and at that time Yuzhou was not considered poor.
In fact, Jiang Fenghua was someone who had seen a lot of storms outside. She knew that there were many poor places in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, and even in the whole world. Poverty was the norm.
In fact, Prefect Zhang only took office as the Prefect of Yuzhou later. Over the years, he had been cleaning up the mess left by the previous Prefect, who had embezzled funds and fled. Later, Yuzhou was hit by natural disasters, which made Yuzhou poorer and poorer, adding insult to injury.
Granny Wang continued, "Judging by the days, the young lady in the Cold Palace has given birth..."
Jiang Fenghua snapped out of her daze and just then heard the next sentence, "Is she about to give birth?" Her actual due date was supposed to be a month later, so she went to see how Ye Susu would cover up this lie.
There was no word from the Su family either. It seems they were also waiting for Ye Susu to give birth, but they didn't know if it would be a boy or a girl. Jiang Fenghua, on the other hand, hoped for a boy, so that Su Xuan's ambition could be stimulated.
Granny Wang said, "The full-term delivery is exactly half a month away, I remember it all."
Jiang Fenghua stared at Granny Wang and said, "Prepare the midwife and wet nurse. I will personally watch her give birth." She absolutely cannot let them switch the bastard child with the illegitimate one; she must hold Su Xuan's child firmly in her grasp.
Next, Jiang Fenghua kept a close eye on the situation of the pregnant concubines in the Eastern Palace, and she also found the source of Song Qing's gluttony.
On this day, Jiang Fenghua ordered the kitchen to prepare delicacies and personally delivered them to Tang Qianran's palace. Accompanying her was Consort Song, and she also sent someone to invite another pregnant concubine to join them.
When the palace maid came to Yuling Palace to invite Consort Gao, Gao Qingtong was chatting in Zhu Zhenzhen's room.
Zhu Zhenzhen asked, "What does the Crown Princess want with Consort Gao?"
The palace maid shook her head. "This servant does not know. The Crown Princess only instructed this servant to invite Consort Gao to the Jade Pavilion."
The two exchanged a glance, puzzled. Avoiding the palace maids, Zhu Zhenzhen glanced at Gao Qingtong's belly and said to her, "Gao sister, be careful. Don't eat anything you shouldn't."
Gao Qingtong nodded. She felt that the Crown Princess wouldn't be so foolish as to openly harm her, especially since they were going to Yuxiu Palace, not Chenxi Palace where the Crown Princess resided.
After Gao Qingtong left, Zhu Zhenzhen paced back and forth in the room, wondering to herself: What did the Crown Princess want Gao Qingtong to do at Yuxiu Palace? Yuxiu Palace is Tang Qianran's palace, and Tang Qianran is now pregnant.
She couldn't understand what Jiang Fenghua was up to, so she asked Meixiang to secretly follow her to see.
Inside the Jade Beauty Palace.
When Tang Qianran saw that the Crown Princess had come in person, she hurriedly came out of the room to greet her, saying, "This concubine greets the Crown Princess."
Jiang Fenghua's face was not good, and she had an imposing manner. She glared coldly at Tang Qianran, then entered the main hall alone and sat down calmly in the main seat.
She wore an exquisite updo and impeccable makeup, exuding an aura of authority and solemnity that inspired awe.
Normally she is always amiable and has a smile on her face that never fades, but today no one saw a smile on her face. She seemed like a god who looked down on all living beings, and nothing in the world could move her in the slightest.
Tang Qianran trembled with fright upon seeing this, not understanding why the Crown Princess had come in such a menacing manner today.
Jiang Fenghua swept her cold gaze across the crowd in the hall. Her imposing aura made people even more hesitant to approach. Soon, Hongxiu ordered the palace maids and eunuchs who had followed her to open the food boxes and place them in front of everyone.
Everyone was puzzled. Song Qing was invited by Jiang Fenghua herself. When she arrived at Hanzhang Palace, Song Qing was still eating, seemingly unable to stop.
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