Chapter 916 Making him wary of the Jiang family
Xie Shang also boarded the carriage.
Jiang Fenghua sat calmly in the carriage, which was dimly lit by only a lantern. Her face was indifferent and expressionless.
Xie Shang suddenly pulled Jiang Fenghua onto his lap and hugged her waist, "How did Ruan Ruan figure out that Chang Mingxiu's death was suspicious?"
Jiang Fenghua wanted to get off his lap because he reeked of alcohol and had a strong, unpleasant smell of perfume that she had smelled on Qin Yunyan.
Xie Shang suddenly tightened his grip on her waist, his magnetic and suggestive voice ringing in her ear: "Does Ruan Ruan know something?"
Jiang Fenghua paused for a moment, "This concubine is just guessing. I thought that since the Fourth Prince respected his mother so much, how could he be so impulsive as to kill her with his own hands?"
"Did Consort Chang from your previous life die?" Xie Shang asked.
Upon hearing the words "past life," Jiang Fenghua felt a chill run down her spine. Even though Xie Shang knew she might have regained her memories, he hadn't asked her directly. It seemed he didn't want to face her past life and preferred to pretend he knew nothing.
His lips brushed against her earlobe, the smell of alcohol spraying onto her face, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Jiang Fenghua was not familiar with Consort Chang from her previous life. One lived in the cold and desolate West Palace, while she lived in the Morning Light Palace. Neither of them went out often, so they had no interaction.
Xie Yang didn't rebel at this time, the timing doesn't match up, and many things don't match up with his previous life.
She remembered that after Xie Yang rebelled and was arrested, Consort Chang seemed to have disappeared, but she didn't know what had happened.
If she says that, she is directly admitting that she has regained her memories.
No matter how quick-witted Jiang Fenghua is, she can't escape this question.
She countered with, "Did Uncle Kang and His Majesty say something?"
Xie Shang recalled Xie Kang's words. He realized that Ruan Ruan was different from others and even called her a witch who would harm the Great Zhou Kingdom.
Xie Kang and Xiao Shang are in cahoots; they each have their own schemes.
Xie Kang was worried that Jiang Fenghua was really the reincarnation of the Queen of Yinchuan, and that the world would change hands, jeopardizing the Xie family's rule. He told him to be wary of the Jiang family.
He clearly remembered his father appearing to him in a dream, saying that only Jiang Fenghua could change the fate of the Great Zhou Dynasty. She was a benefactor of the Great Zhou, and Master Wu had also calculated Jiang Fenghua's destiny.
Because the Northern Owl Kingdom harbored wolfish ambitions and wanted to conquer the Great Zhou, Xiao Shang fabricated a series of slanderous words against Jiang Fenghua.
He hugged Jiang Fenghua tightly and whispered, "I don't believe anyone else, I only believe the Empress. Does Ruan Ruan believe me?"
He wanted to know if Jiang Fenghua, who had memories of two lifetimes, was truly only after the position of Empress, and whether she had him in her heart.
Jiang Fenghua knew he was suspicious of her, after all, he knew she was a reincarnated person, which was too strange, and she herself did not understand why she had been born again.
She wouldn't completely trust him; she only trusted herself.
She said gently, "Your Majesty and I are husband and wife. Of course I trust Your Majesty. Whatever decision Your Majesty makes, I will support you. The past is the past. I have long forgotten it. Now I only remember the good Your Majesty has done for me. I only want to protect the people of Great Zhou with Your Majesty."
She looked up into his eyes. "Even Your Majesty didn't believe what Xiao Shang said, did he?"
Xie Shang smiled, his eyes full of doting affection. "Of course I don't believe his nonsense. Regardless of whether the Lady of Yinchuan exists or not, Ruan Ruan is only my Empress. I will always believe that Ruan Ruan would never do anything to harm the Great Zhou."
The implication is that even if Jiang Fenghua is the descendant of the Queen of Yinchuan, he believes that Jiang Fenghua has nothing to do with the demise of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
But at a moment when Jiang Fenghua couldn't see it, a barely perceptible glint of fierceness flashed in Xie Shang's deep, unfathomable eyes.
He will not allow anyone to do anything to harm the Great Zhou.
After returning to the palace, Xie Shang did not stay overnight in Kunning Palace, but went directly to Chengqian Palace, where he chose Consort Fang's nameplate.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Fenghua smiled faintly and said, "The imperial heirs are few, and His Majesty cannot allow the palace to be filled only with my children." To be precise, it cannot be filled only with children from the Jiang family.
Hongxiu was puzzled. When the Emperor escorted the Empress back to the palace, he was clearly very affectionate. Why had he now chosen Consort Fang?
Hongxiu asked, "Will the Emperor choose another concubine for Bai Zhiyan?"
She was really furious on the ship today. Qin Yunyan was obviously seducing her on purpose, and the Emperor actually cooperated with her, making the Empress lose all face.
Jiang Fenghua put down her teacup and looked at Hongxiu, saying in a deep voice, "That's possible. Even I can't fathom His Majesty's thoughts right now."
He made her trust him, but did he really deserve her complete trust?
She truly couldn't fathom Xie Shang's thoughts. In his past life, he was ruthless and had countless concubines. For the sake of his empire, he didn't love any woman at all, including Su Tingwan, who was merely a tool for him to consolidate his power.
The Su family was eventually wiped out and their entire clan exterminated.
Hongxiu muttered, "It really proves the saying, 'Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger.'"
Jiang Fenghua's eyes turned slightly cold. "Some things can only be kept in your heart."
"Yes," Hongxiu replied quickly.
Even the empress lives on thin ice in the palace, let alone the servants.
The following day was another day for the concubines to pay their respects to the Empress at Kunning Palace.
Led by Gao Qingtong, everyone bowed and paid their respects to the Empress. Except for Consort Song, who was staying in the palace to recuperate due to serious injuries, everyone else was present.
Jiang Fenghua glanced at Fang Changzai's face and saw that she was as beautiful as a flower, and her attitude was very humble and obedient. She stood behind the other concubines and looked very cautious.
Jiang Fenghua smiled gently. She knew that a woman who could deliberately fall in front of the Emperor was definitely not as harmless as she appeared on the surface.
She said calmly, "Everyone, please take your seats. I've had Lianye prepare breakfast. My sisters, please join me for the meal!"
The crowd respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty the Empress."
Standing at the very end, Consort Fang unconsciously clenched her fingers. She had just served the Emperor last night, and today the Empress was going to bestow a meal upon her. She could not eat anything from anyone, especially anything bestowed by the Empress.
Consort Gao then asked, "His Majesty's birthday is just around the corner. Has Your Highness decided how to celebrate it?"
Jiang Fenghua, of course, hadn't forgotten. She said, "His Majesty's birthday banquet this year should naturally be grandly organized. The Ministry of Rites should have a plan by now! Qingtong, please coordinate with the Ministry of Rites regarding who to invite."
Gao Qingtong said, "Your Majesty, I have already received the news. In addition to the ministers and their families who are invited every year, the Ministry of Rites has also submitted a list, which includes the Bai family, a prominent merchant family in Shengjing City."
Gao Qingtong was a smart man. Why would the Ministry of Rites take the initiative to invite a merchant family to the palace to attend the Emperor's birthday banquet? It was probably because the Emperor had already given the order.
Jiang Fenghua thought to herself: The Emperor's birthday banquet must have started preparations a month ago. The Emperor noticed the Bai family's appearance in Shengjing, so he must have thought about inviting the Bai family to the palace long ago. Qin Yunyan's sudden appearance at the polo field was only a few days ago.
She said, "Since you've been invited, tell the others to treat them well and not to neglect the guests."
Gao Qingtong did not believe that the Empress was unaware of the Emperor's intentions. It was already widely known in Shengjing that the Emperor would allow the Bai family's daughter to enter the palace, and some even said that the Bai family's daughter's beauty was no less than that of the Empress.
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