The Phoenix Palace is magnificent and splendid.
The Empress's father was the current Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister played a crucial role in the old emperor's ascension to the throne.
In addition, the prime minister is extremely good at interpersonal relationships. Although he is 64 years old this year, his prestige in the court is not diminished at all.
The Empress's daughter was also quite capable, managing the harem very well.
With both sons and daughters, the Empress's position was quite secure.
The life of the empress
So far, it's been perfect, to the point that Shang Changge, her unremarkable daughter, has become the only flaw in her life.
Now,
The empress, whose life was perfect and elegant, was coldly reprimanding her daughter, Shang Changge.
"I heard that last night at the poetry gathering, you threw the bodies of two maids in front of the Wen family's youngest daughter in full view of everyone."
Your mother has told you countless times not to act too eccentrically. Although the Wen family is not a prominent or wealthy household...
Wen Shi'an is at least a fifth-rank official in the court; you can easily settle this privately, and he will give you an explanation.
Bringing things out into the open like that only brings embarrassment and frustration to others; it only breeds resentment!
Shang Changge took a sip of tea, unhurriedly saying, "So what if they hold a grudge? They'll all be dead soon anyway."
The Empress's expression changed; her well-preserved face, which showed few signs of aging, now displayed an unpleasant expression. She patiently asked:
What do you mean by that?
Shang Changge shrugged and casually stated the truth: "Before I came here, I went to complain to my father that the Wen family was about to be wiped out."
"Pa—!!"
The teacup shattered at Shang Changge's feet, splashing steaming tea all over the floor, with a few drops seeping into her embroidered shoes.
Shang Changge's meticulously trimmed eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly, her otherwise pleasant mood turning sour.
The Empress was furious, but suppressed her anger to maintain the composure of the head of the six palaces.
"Do you know the consequences of what you're doing? Who told you to do this?"
"Why didn't you come and discuss this with me before going to see your father!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!"
Immediately, everyone in Fengyi Palace knelt down, while Shang Changge, the culprit, remained unmoved and indifferent.
He set down the blue-and-white porcelain teacup, its aroma filling the air with a delightful fragrance, and looked at the Empress, retorting sharply:
"Doesn't the Empress Dowager care at all whether I live or die? Yesterday she tried to poison me and assassinate me."
If I hadn't been lucky enough to escape, my mother would be holding a funeral for me today.
Ever since she entered Fengyi Palace, she's been constantly scolded by the Empress like a grandson. She has a temper too, you know?
The Empress was taken aback, her eyebrows furrowing as she scrutinized Shang Changge: "Aren't you sitting here perfectly fine?"
Shang Changge: ...
What, do I have to do something to deserve your concern?
No wonder in the original owner's memories, her feelings toward the Empress were nothing more than awe and a little resentment.
There's no such thing as maternal love; there's only weighing the pros and cons and considering various factors.
Since there was no real mother-daughter relationship, she didn't need to maintain any pretense of a relationship and simply stated her position directly.
"Doesn't Mother consider why the Wen family would try to kill me?"
Without a second thought, the Empress blurted out, "Isn't that because you've always acted recklessly and incurred people's hatred!"
Shang Changge really wanted to draw his sword.
While there's some truth to what she said, is this something a mother should say after her daughter survived a disaster?
Shang Changge suppressed the urge to draw his sword, turned his head and ordered the servants from Fengyi Palace to leave.
The Empress guessed something, but without saying anything unpleasant, she waved her hand, telling everyone who had been listening to Shang Changge to go outside and wait.
Only the mother and daughter remained in the spacious main hall.
Shang Changge asked bluntly, "Mother, how much sincerity do you think Father truly has for you?"
"Someone as intelligent as you should understand the principle that great achievements can overshadow one's master, and a tall tree can attract the wind, right?"
"Where do you think the Wen family got the audacity to harm a princess of a nation? Where did their confidence come from, and who gave them that confidence?"
"Changze is the crown prince, yet the emperor sent him to Xiangyang to manage the floods and comfort the victims."
After a flood, an epidemic is likely to break out, and if the victims are not treated promptly and properly, riots are highly probable.
I don't need to go into the details of the pros and cons, do I? What,
Is there no one else in the court capable of handling this? Must the future crown prince, Changze, go personally?
Shang Changge uttered one hurtful word after another, showing absolutely no regard for the Empress's life or death.
After taking a sip of tea to soothe his throat, he delivered the final and most fatal blow to the Empress.
"If I remember correctly, before my father married you, he had a childhood sweetheart with whom he was deeply in love and had secretly pledged his life to you."
You should know better than anyone who this beautiful woman is, but in the end, it was you who was chosen by the Emperor as his principal wife.
The positions of the eldest legitimate daughter, eldest legitimate son, eldest legitimate princess, and crown prince were all taken by Changze and me.
I imagine my father must feel utterly indebted to this beautiful woman and their child.
The Empress gripped the armrests of her chair tightly, her face more pale than ever before.
Looking at Shang Changge's smiling face, I was shocked by her words and realized that I had never truly understood this daughter.
Shang Changge didn't care what her stepmother was thinking and continued to add insult to injury:
"As for who I might be in trouble by suddenly being alive, I have no idea. Do you know, Mother?"
The Empress isn't stupid; how could the daughter of a powerful minister like the Prime Minister be stupid?
The first thing that came to mind was that he had mentioned to the emperor a few nights ago that he wanted to marry his daughter to Xiao Ji, and his chest heaved.
"Alright, you can go back now."
Despite the turmoil in my heart, I still couldn't help but remind the educator Shang Changge of a sentence:
"Don't mention those words to anyone again, no one is allowed!"
You don't need to worry about these things; your mother and grandfather will figure out how to handle them.
Shang Changge, at this moment, acted like a sweet and considerate daughter, obediently replying, "Okay."
She should only do what she is capable of; she's just a princess in name only, what can she actually do?
Such important matters should naturally be left to important figures to deal with, such as her powerful maternal grandfather.
Perhaps out of guilt, the Empress looked at Shang Changge with a complicated expression and said:
"Your mother will have your uncle send people to protect you. Just do what you need to do and don't be afraid."
Shang Changge wasn't ungrateful; she continued her obedient daughter act.
She naturally accepted the "mother's kindness and daughter's filial piety" act, and her obedient smile and performance were skillful: "Thank you, Mother. Your daughter takes her leave."
Shang Changge left with Qingyao. After Shang Changge left, the Empress sat alone for a long time.
Finally, he summoned his trusted personal nanny, Rong Mama, and, looking grave and exhausted, gave her the following instructions:
"Go, go prepare pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. I need to write a letter to my father."
After you finish writing it, Granny, please take some tonics and slip the letter inside with you as you leave the palace. Make sure you personally deliver it to Father.”
Seeing her mistress's expression, Rong Momo didn't dare to ask any more questions and hurriedly went to prepare.
The Empress loved peonies.
They especially loved bright red peonies, and many bright red peonies were planted in the Fengyi Palace.
As the autumn wind blows, the beautifully blooming peonies sway gently in the breeze.
The Empress gazed at the peony and felt a chill run through her heart. Lost in thought, she murmured to herself:
"Decades have passed, decades have passed. Even a stone would have warmed up by now. My husband, you are so heartless."
How could she not understand the dangers of having merit that overshadows the emperor? She simply thought of how her father and brothers had served the court diligently for so many years.
Her husband saw all this and should have some trust in the Murong family.
But now it seems that it was just wishful thinking on her part.
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