CH 48.2

“Mother Consort.” Sun Caiyao saw Ning Fei still kneeling in front of Mingyue Palace’s main hall, and reached out to help. However, she was stopped by a palace maid with a cold expression.

“Qi Junwangfei.” The palace maid bowed to her, “Ning Fei niangniang sincerely wishes to see our niangniang. It wouldn’t be a big deal if you were to help her up. But this slave is afraid that doing so would lead to Guifei niangniang not getting to know Ning Fei niangniang’s sincerity.”

Sun Caiyao knew that this was Su Guifei deliberately making things difficult for Mother Consort, so she said: “Mother Consort’s body is delicate. I am willing to kneel in her place and show sincerity.”

“Junwangfei’s sense of filial piety is commendable. However, this slave is just a lowly little palace maid of Mingyue Palace. How can this slave surmise Guifei niangniang’s thoughts?” The palace maid immediately knelt down in front of Sun Caiyao: “Qi Junwangfei, please don’t make it difficult for this slave.”

“Qi Junwangfei, please do not make things difficult for this slave.” The other palace maids and eunuchs guarding outside the hall also knelt down and echoed.

Sun Caiyao looked at these servants, and then looked at Ning Fei, who was clearly physically exhausted. She gritted her teeth and knelt down next to Ning Fei, saying: “Begging Guifei niangniang to meet us.”

Ning Fei’s body swayed as she looked at her: “Why did you come? Quick, go back.”

“Mother Consort is suffering. How can your daughter-in-law just watch?” Sun Caiyao supported her: “Mother Consort, you can lean on me in case you feel uncomfortable.”

At this moment, Ning Fei hated that she couldn’t push her away.

She had already been kneeling here for several hours, hoping to faint from exhaustion. But now that Sun Caiyao came, her plan was ruined.

“You go back and take care of Yanze. I’m fine…” 

The door slowly opened. Ning Fei raised her head and saw Su Meidai, adorning an elaborate palace attire, stepping out and looking down at her.

Back then, during Su Meidai’s appointment ceremony as the guifei, she knelt below, while Su Meidai sat high on the Qingluan chair, looking at her with the same look in her eyes.

“Greetings, niangniang.” Sun Caiyao bowed deeply.

“What’s wrong with all of you? How can you let Qi Junwangfei kneel here?” Xiangjuan pretended to scold the palace maids: “Quickly help her up.”

“Is Junwangfei here to look for Jiuzhu?” Su Guifei looked at Sun Caiyao, who was being ‘helped’ up by the palace maids, and nodded with a smile: “Go and inform Xianzhu that Junwangfei is here to see her.”

“Guifei niangniang, I am not…” 

“Qi Junwangfei, Ben Gong is your elder.” Su Guifei’s phoenix eyes shone a little, her words carrying a hint of laughter: “It’s so late. If you are not here for Xianzhu, could it be that you are looking for Ben Gong? Ben Gong is old and weak, and dislikes being disturbed at night. Yanze has always been respectful and filial, and as his legitimate wife, I think you should be as respectful as him.” 

Sun Caiyao inwardly grumbled but couldn’t refute Su Guifei’s words. 

Since there was no Empress in the Palace, the highest-ranking Su Guifei held the same position as the deputy Empress. In fact, if one looked closely, it wouldn’t be wrong if all the princes and princesses called her ‘Mother Consort Su’. 

“Take Junwangfei to the side hall and wait for Xianzhu to arrive.” Su Guifei raised her hand and took unhurried steps toward Ning Fei, who was still kneeling on the ground. “Ben Gong recalls that eight years ago, when His Majesty went south, you were sick. Isn’t that right?” 

Ning Fei lowered her head. “This concubine doesn’t get what niangniang means.” 

“It doesn’t matter if you understand or not.” Su Guifei grabbed Ning Fei’s hair and forced her to look into her eyes. “Zheng Lanyin, look at Ben Gong!” 

Ning Fei struggled a bit, gritting her teeth to suppress all her anger. “Niangniang, what are you trying to do?” 

“Heh.” Su Guifei sneered: “Just letting you know that from today on, Ben Gong will make you understand what it means to be an arrogant and domineering favored consort.” 

Ning Fei’s expression changed drastically. 

“Don’t be afraid or anxious.” Su Guifei let go of her hair, stood up, and washed her hands in a copper basin. She wiped her hand and walked to Ning Fei. “Ben Gong feels the title ‘Ning1T/N: Ning (宁) means peaceful.‘ is not suitable for you. Even your rank of a fei is not suitable either.” 

“What do you…” She paused, looking down with a smile, “think about the title ‘Zheng Meiren2T/N: Meiren (美人) can be translated as ‘Beauty’. I’m unsure which dynasty’s harem ranking the novel is using so I cannot exactly point it out. But a meiren is usually a fifth-sixth rank or even lower concubine while a guifei (贵妃 / noble consort) is second or third and a fei (妃 / consort) is just below. Hence, Su Guifei is basically hinting at her demotion and disposal of the ‘Ning’ title bestowed by the Emperor.‘?” 

“No, you cannot do this to me!” Ning Fei finally panicked. “I gave birth to a prince for His Majesty. He wouldn’t treat me like this.” 

“Try me.” Su Guifei handed her handkerchief to a palace maid and said coldly. “Zheng Lanyin, one sows what one reaps. The account between us can be settled slowly.” 

Ning Fei looked at Su Guifei in alarm; what did she know? 

If Su Meidai knows, does it mean His Majesty knows as well? 

As if she knew what Ning Fei was thinking, Su Guifei smiled. “You can try and guess what Ben Gong knows. Oh, and as for His Majesty, do you think he will know what Ben Gong knows?” 

“Su Meidai!” Ning Fei grabbed her skirt hysterically. “Are you not afraid that others will take revenge on you for your impudence?” 

Su Guifei took two steps back as if she had heard a joke. “In this harem, as long as one has His Majesty’s favor, it doesn’t matter whether she is brazen or not. She will always be a thorn in the flesh.”

“You think I care?” Su Guifei said lightly. “Women should not make things difficult for other women. You should have never schemed against my child.” 

“Zheng Lanyin, you are the mother and so is Ben Gong.”

“Su Meidai, you rely on His Majesty’s favor to act so arrogantly. There will inevitably be a day…”

“Shhh.” Su Guifei smiled gently. “Zheng Lanyin, Ben Gong follows a principle, which is that children should not suffer in place of their parents. You must not compel me to disregard it, understand?”

Ning Fei swallowed her words forcefully. She retreated on her stiff legs and knelt again in front of Su Guifei with a kowtow: “How are you to be willing to let me off the hook?”

Su Guifei looked at her expressionlessly.

“His Highness Qi Junwang?”

Upon hearing a palace maid’s voice, Su Guifei raised her head and saw Yun Yanze standing not far away with a deathly pale face.

In the back hall, Chen Wang looked at Jiuzhu. Her hands were placed on her knees as she sat in her place like an obedient and well-behaved baby. Sensing his gaze, she looked at him and blinked. “Your Highness, do you wish to say something?”

Chen Wang didn’t know what to say. He felt like he had a lot to say, but when he looked at her, he felt that whatever he wanted to say wasn’t quite right.

A ridiculous idea even crossed his mind – if he had brought Ming Jiuzhu back to the capital directly and kept her by his side, it would have been pretty good.

“Have you suffered any grievances during the years you were fostered in Lingzhou?” His mind was in a mess, and in the end, he only asked such a dull question.

Jiuzhu shook her head. “My masters treated me well. They are cultivators who do not indulge in worldly desires, but they would still buy chicken and fish for me. They say that cultivators should cultivate their hearts and minds and not bind others. I grew up in the mountains far from the city and rarely went down there. The only time I suffered grievances was when I met Your Highness. Master said that it was called having the good fortune of being helped out by a noble.”

No wonder she had such a naive temperament. She was raised away from human settlement after all. 

“Ming Xiaozhu.” He reached out and gently pinched the tip of her nose. “You ah… You ah…”

A nice little guniang like her shouldn’t have to experience all kinds of conspiracies and darkness in the world after marrying him ah.

“Your Highness.” Jiuzhu grabbed his wrist. “A girl’s nose should not be pinched frequently. Doing so will make it ugly.”

“It’s okay, even if your nose turns into a pig’s nose, Ben Wang will not dislike you.” He let go of her nose. “Ben Wang is not someone who cares only about appearance.”

“But that won’t do.” Jiuzhu shook her head. “I can’t let others see you and say that you married a pig-nosed Wangfei. It’s too embarrassing ah.”

“Ben Wang never cared about other people’s words.” Chen Wang really wanted to pinch this little guniang’s cheeks, but thinking that she had not married him yet, he had to forcefully resist it. “As long as Ben Wang thinks you’re good, you are good. Got it?”

“So chennu is very good in Your Highness’s eyes, right?” She looked at him expectantly.

Chen Wang chuckled and beckoned her with his fingers.

Jiuzhu leaned her head over.

He flicked her forehead. “Guess?”

Jiuzhu covered her forehead and looked at him in disbelief, her eyes wide open in surprise.

Cough. Feeling a little flustered by her gaze, Chen Wang quickly nodded his head twice. “En.”

“Does Your Highness mean that you think I’m good?” Jiuzhu immediately became happy again.

Tsk. Chen Wang suddenly noticed that her forehead was slightly red from his flick. He reached out and rubbed it with his fingertip. “Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Jiuzhu shook her head and held onto his sleeve. “Your Highness, please say more.”

“You are intelligent, competent, and beautiful.” He watched her small hand holding onto his sleeve as it swayed back and forth. “And your painting skills are exceptional.”

“Aiya.” Jiuzhu held her slightly blushing cheeks. “Your Highness, you are exaggerating.”

Chen Wang: “……”

She said he was exaggerating but she smiled so happily.

Hmph, dishonest woman.

“Your Highness, you’re not deceiving me, right?”

“Would Ben Wang deceive you?”

“No.” Jiuzhu shook her head.

Chen Wang gently rubbed her forehead. “It’s getting late, I should return to the Zhangliu Palace.”

Or else, those imperial concubines would start gossiping about her.

“Then I’ll escort Your Highness to the main entrance.” Jiuzhu stood up excitedly and bounced around. She was filled with joy.

“Be careful of the threshold.” He pulled her back and just like before, held Jiuzhu’s hand over the sleeve.

“Your Highness.” With her hand wrapped in his sleeve, Jiuzhu felt particularly safe. She even had a thought that if she closed her eyes and walked, he wouldn’t let her fall. “Can I go visit you in the Zhangliu Palace tomorrow?”

Chen Wang really wanted to say that her father had given him a thick box of books to transcribe, but what came out of his mouth was: “Sure.”

The little guniang had just come to the Palace and might not be used to it yet, so he would accompany her for two days.

Only two days, definitely not more.

“Greetings, Guifei niangniang.” Yun Yanze looked at his Mother Consort kneeling humbly in front of Su Guifei, walked over to the two, and lifted the corner of his robe before kneeling down.

“If Mother Consort has been thoughtless, erchen is willing to take the punishment on her behalf.” He knocked his head against the ground in front of Su Guifei. “Please have mercy on Mother Consort, Guifei niangniang.”

The lanterns at the Palace’s gate swayed as the night wind blew, casting flickering shadows on Yun Yanze’s face.

Thud, thud.

Yun Yanze kept knocking his head on the ground.

At the entrance of Mingyue Palace, silence enveloped everyone. No one dared to even breathe.

Just then, the sound of a girl’s laughter reached their ears.

Jiuzhu walked to the entrance and saw Yun Yanze kneeling and knocking his head on the ground. Startled, she turned to ask Chen Wang: “Wouldn’t Qi Junwang’s wounds reopen if he kowtows like this after being caned?”

Everyone turned their heads to look at Ming Xianzhu, who seemed incompatible with the solemn atmosphere.

Chen Wang took a step forward and stood in front of her, shielding her from view.

Everyone quickly averted their gaze.

As a prince, being punished was a pain that Qi Junwang couldn’t speak of. Ming Xianzhu’s words were like a knife thrust straight into Qi Junwang’s chest ah. 

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