The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

Chapter 459 The Dust-Welcoming Banquet Scandal: A Ploy to Win One's Heart! (1)

"You don't need to comfort me. I know my own situation." Consort Rong's voice rang out slowly. Having experienced a miscarriage and disfigurement, she seemed to have matured a lot in an instant.

Yunxiu frowned, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes. "Your Majesty was carrying the Emperor's child. If the child had been born safely, Your Majesty's lifelong wealth and honor would have been guaranteed. Given the Emperor's favor towards Your Majesty, if Your Majesty had given birth to a prince, perhaps one day the throne would have belonged to the prince. But who would have thought... Alas..."

Unexpectedly, Yunxiu suddenly brought up this matter, and Consort Rong's resentment and anger were instantly stirred up by these words. Thinking of her miscarried child, the wealth and glory that had slipped through her fingers, and then thinking of her face... Consort Rong raised her hand and gently touched her cheek. How smooth and tender that place used to be. The Emperor loved to stroke her cheek the most. But now... even with this light touch, she could imagine what that face looked like.

With a face like that, even if someone saw it at night, they'd probably be scared!

All of this is because of that vile Empress Feng!

The image of Empress Feng's smug face flashed through her mind, and the hatred in her heart surged like a tidal wave. She could never forget that it was Empress Feng who had harmed her child and caused her to end up like this!

"I hate it so much, I hate it so much!" Consort Rong seemed unable to control her emotions, tightly gripping the steamed bun in her hand, muttering to herself, her teeth clenched, her expression one of extreme pain.

Yunxiu saw Consort Rong's reaction and a glint of light flashed in her eyes, but her face showed pity. "Your Highness, don't be like this. Some things are useless to think about. On the contrary, they will only make you feel heartbroken. Some hatred should be eliminated in order to be free."

"Eliminate?" Consort Rong frowned, looked up at Yunxiu, and after a moment, laughed and said, "How can it be eliminated? Empress Feng is still the Empress. I couldn't defeat her before, and now that I'm living in this cold palace, where do I have the capital to fight her!"

She did want revenge, she wanted to end this hatred, but how could it be such an easy thing?

"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but how could Yunxiu not hate Her Majesty the Empress?" Yunxiu suddenly spoke, her eyes filled with hatred, leaving no doubt that her hatred was entirely genuine.

Consort Rong was slightly taken aback, and her gaze towards Yunxiu became more inquisitive. Since she had known Yunxiu, she had only cared for her in terms of daily life. Yunxiu had never confided in her. Thinking that Yunxiu was once a woman given to the Emperor by Empress Feng, Consort Rong's doubts deepened. "I once thought that you and Empress Feng were of the same ilk, but I don't know what happened that made you stay in that place, the laundry department, for so long."

"Ha!" Yunxiu's eyes narrowed, and she coldly snorted, "Your Majesty, you and I are on the same path. I am not a pawn for her to be discarded when I am no longer of use. I am in the prime of my life, and I am to spend it in obscurity in this harem. Just think about it, who would be willing to accept that?"

Consort Rong scrutinized Yunxiu, watching silently without saying anything. Suddenly, a smile appeared on her lips, and her gaze towards Yunxiu became even more radiant. "With your looks, as long as you have the will and some scheming, it wouldn't be difficult for you to gain a place in this palace."

Consort Rong felt increasingly delighted. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, isn't he? Besides, she and Yunxiu had some connection; if they could join forces…

The more Consort Rong thought about it, the more excited she became. However, having experienced many things, her personality had become much more reserved. No matter how excited she was, she kept it to herself and tentatively asked, "Does Yunxiu have any connections?"

Having interacted with her for some time, Yunxiu was not a rash person. Since she had told her all this today, she must have had some plans.

“I have some plans. I was originally sent here by Old Master Feng. He hoped that I could serve by the Emperor’s side, but unfortunately…” Yunxiu frowned, but in an instant, the light in her eyes reappeared. “Recently, Old Master Feng will be arriving in the capital. The Emperor will also hold a welcome banquet for him. Many officials will be there. Perhaps, when Old Master Feng arrives, I will have a chance to turn things around.”

"Really?!" Consort Rong couldn't contain her joy. "That's wonderful! If you can turn your life around, I'll be happy for you too!"

"Your Majesty, I dare to speak these rebellious words to you because I consider you a good sister. These are my true feelings, and I can only say them to Your Majesty. But if there is ever a chance to turn things around, I will never forget the suffering Your Majesty has endured here," Yunxiu said affectionately.

Consort Rong jumped up in delight, grasping Yunxiu's hand. "Really? You really will remember me and help me out of this predicament?"

“Of course, in this palace, Your Highness is my only friend, isn’t she? There are many things I need Your Highness to help me with.” Yunxiu smiled and met Rongfei’s eyes, speaking meaningfully. Rongfei was not stupid; after a slight pause, she understood after careful consideration.

Without the slightest hesitation, Consort Rong's smile widened, and she even tightened her grip on Yunxiu's hand. "Since we are friends, I will naturally do my duty if there is anything I can do to help you."

Rather than friends or a promise, I feel more confident in getting involved and contributing myself to help her out of this predicament than by being involved in the process.

Inside the room, the two women locked eyes, each plotting their own schemes. They formed an alliance, an alliance that would later add considerable strength to the turbulent events that would ensue in the harem.

Time passed quickly. As per Emperor Mingde's orders, Feng Yu's body was moved from the imperial prison and a mourning hall was set up in his temporary residence. The ceremony was quite grand.

However, not long ago, this place, which had hosted a grand wedding and attracted many guests, turned into a funeral in the blink of an eye. The guests who had come to curry favor with the guests now avoided each other. In the huge mansion, there were only a few servants and maids guarding the mourning hall, and no one came to pay their respects.

Many people were secretly watching and planning what to do once the old master of the Feng family arrived and they saw the situation.

On the day that Old Master Feng was scheduled to arrive, ten miles outside the capital, a deep, authoritative voice suddenly rang out from the carriage, "Stop!"

With that deep, resonant voice after the wedding, the procession of about a hundred people immediately stopped. A middle-aged man hurriedly alighted from one of the carriages ahead, walked to another carriage, and bowed slightly, saying to the person inside, "Grandpa, are you tired? We should reach the capital in about ten li. There's nowhere to rest along the way, you see…"