Chapter 522 Bai Yuhan also wants to escape
Jiang Fenghua turned around and saw her figure appear in the mirror. She had a proper smile on her lips, and her temperament was dignified and quiet. Wearing a phoenix robe, she looked even more elegant and noble.
Xie Shang's emotions did not affect her.
Jiang Fenghua tidied her hair before going out, only to find Xie Shang waiting outside. Seeing the beautiful Jiang Fenghua, he felt pleasing to the eye.
The smile on her lips didn't fade. Xie Shang reached out his hand to her. He didn't need to teach Jiang Fenghua; she could act better than anyone else. Her acting skills were top-notch.
Jiang Fenghua also took his hand without hesitation, and the two appeared before everyone as a loving couple.
She also saw Bai Yuhan in the garden, but then she didn't look at Bai Yuhan. The main character of today's banquet was definitely the emperor, and as the empress, she naturally had to greet the guests with the emperor.
-
Bai Yuhan was strolling aimlessly in the garden. She hadn't been out since entering the palace, but she knew the palace was bustling today, so she came to join in the fun.
If the emperor truly loved her, she would have given in to him. Unfortunately, the emperor didn't truly love her, so she felt it was meaningless.
Lin Yu suddenly appeared in front of Bai Yuhan, who smiled slightly, "Isn't this Miss Bai?"
Bai Yuhan stared at her, looking her up and down. She felt incredibly warm to run into an acquaintance in the palace. "Manager Lin?"
Lin Yu was not wearing the guard's uniform today, but had changed back into women's clothing. She came to see Bai Yuhan, whom she had dealt with in business before.
Bai Yuhan asked in confusion, "How did you end up in the palace?"
Lin Yu is considered a rare beauty, and many people like her, but she doesn't like any of them. Her second brother also likes Lin Yu and admires her.
However, it seems that Lin Yu's favorite person is Young Master Ruan, who is with her. Young Master Ruan always wears a mask, so no one knows what he looks like. They only know that he is very talented in literature and has a great understanding of jade and gemstones. He can tell the real jade from the fake at a glance, and they have made a lot of money from this.
"Naturally, I'm here to attend the palace banquet," Lin Yu added. "My relative is an official in the capital, and I just happened to be here to broaden my horizons."
Bai Yuhan knew that those who could enter the palace to attend the emperor's birthday banquet were all people of high status. Lin Yu was also a merchant, and merchants were considered low-class in the eyes of nobles. The fact that she and her relatives entered the palace meant that her relatives held very high official positions.
Lin Yu then asked, "Why is Miss Bai also in the palace?"
"It's a long story," Bai Yuhan whispered. "Actually, I was tricked into coming to the palace."
Lin Yu was stunned. "With the reputation of Bai's Trading Company, who would dare to deceive Miss Bai? Besides, Miss Bai is so smart, how could she be deceived?"
Bai Yuhan dared not say it was the Empress Dowager, and it was also her own fault for believing the Empress Dowager's words that she could be sent out of the palace. When she saw the Emperor, she was almost infatuated. Later, she realized that the Emperor was not someone she could afford to offend.
The Emperor threatened her with her third uncle to keep her in the palace and nominally bestowed upon her the title of Consort Han. In reality, the Emperor was merely using her to deal with the Empress.
She was nominally favored by the emperor, so she should have obediently gone to the empress to show off and deliberately annoy her. But she didn't do that because she didn't want to become a victim of their marital squabbles.
The Emperor didn't seem to be in a hurry for her to anger the Empress. The Empress wasn't even angry at all. She never went to the Empress's palace to chat with the concubines. If she went, she would only hear people gossiping about her. She wasn't foolish enough to humiliate herself.
So she was left hanging.
Bai Yuhan didn't tell Lin Yu these things. She said lightly, "Sigh, it's all in the past." Now, it's harder for her to leave the palace than to climb to heaven, unless someone is willing to help her.
Bai Yuhan then asked, "Could you send a letter to the Bai family for me?"
Lin Yu smiled and said, "If I can help Miss Bai, I will do my best."
She added, "It seems that Miss Bai does not want to stay in the palace."
“I’d never want to stay here. I have no freedom at all, and I’m sick of the food in the palace.” Bai Yuhan said directly. The food sent to the concubines’ palaces was naturally provided by the imperial kitchen. The Bai family were wealthy merchants, and Bai Yuhan had never eaten anything like this before. “Entering the palace is like being in prison. If this continues, I’m going crazy.”
"Why don't you leave?" Lin Yu asked.
"Because... well, it's a long story." She stopped talking, as she had been carrying a letter with her. She added, "Give it to my second brother, Bai Hao. Thank you."
Lin Yu nodded. "Don't worry, I'll help you give it to Young Master Bai." Did she really not want to marry Xie Shang and not want to stay in the palace?
At this moment, the palace maid serving Bai Yuhan came over and said, "Your Highness, please take your seat. The banquet has begun."
Lin Yu quickly tucked the letter into her sleeve and deliberately asked, "Consort Han?"
Bai Yuhan said, "It's a long story, I'll be going now." She just wanted to escape as soon as possible. Her third uncle had already gone home, and she thought that leaving quietly wouldn't offend the emperor, since he didn't like her anyway.
After that, she left with the palace maid.
Lin Yu stared blankly at the letter. Did Bai Yuhan really not want to marry the Emperor? If it were her, she wouldn't be willing either. Marrying the Emperor was indeed tantamount to going to jail in a different place.
This place is rife with calculation, devoid of any warmth. Xie Shang's attitude towards Jiang Fenghua is sometimes clear and sometimes ambiguous, and no one knows what he is plotting.
Thinking of this, Lin Yu became even more determined to save Jiang Fenghua and help her escape from the palace.
-
At the banquet, Bai Yuhan was brought before the Emperor and Empress, and she pretended to bow, saying, "Your Majesty and Empress, I pay my respects."
Xie Shang said in a deep voice, "No need for formalities, come and sit down!"
Bai Yuhan sat down in the empty seat that had been reserved for her. The banquet hall was decorated in a magnificent manner, and at this moment, the hall was filled with singing and dancing, and people were having a great time.
Jiang Fenghua knew Xie Shang's meaning; he had sent Bai Yuhan to provoke her. He had even told her to be a good empress in the harem, which meant he would neglect her from now on.
At this moment, Xie Shang handed Jiang Fenghua a cup of wine, saying, "I toast the Empress."
"Your Majesty, please." Jiang Fenghua picked up her wine cup and took a small sip.
He stared at her face, then glanced at the Jiang family members. He noticed that Madam Jiang's eyes showed worry the moment she saw Bai Yuhan appear.
Jiang Fenghua also noticed her mother looking at her, and she smiled to indicate that she was fine.
Xie Shang then said, "I would also like to offer a toast to Consort Han."
Bai Yuhan sat absentmindedly in a seat that wasn't hers. When the emperor suddenly spoke to her, she quickly picked up her wine cup and said, "Happy birthday, Your Majesty! I'll drink this first as a sign of respect."
She glanced furtively at the Empress, who also looked at her. She quickly drank the wine, but perhaps because she drank it too fast, it got into her trachea, and she started coughing repeatedly.
Xie Shang said with concern, "My dear consort, drink slowly."
Bai Yuhan's eyes were full of embarrassment. "Your Majesty, I am not a good drinker."
Watching the emperor and another woman being affectionate, and knowing that Xie Shang was doing it on purpose, Jiang Fenghua didn't know how to react.
At this moment, she only cared about the anxious look in her mother's eyes. Xie Shang's actions were undoubtedly a slap in the face to her. It was said that the emperor and empress had always had a harmonious relationship. He was probably deliberately retaliating against her for saying that she didn't like him!
Now that her eldest brother and fourth brother are both on the frontier, she doesn't want her affairs to reach their ears and affect them.
Of course, there was also a lot of discussion about Consort Han at the banquet.
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