I'm afraid that as soon as the emperor and empress die, that old hag will support her daughter to become emperor. At that time, let alone eating meat, there won't even be any soup to drink.
She was the Empress Dowager's pawn, but if you look at it from another angle, wasn't the Empress Dowager also her pawn?
If used properly.
Ji Qingyao pretended to be a fool for eighteen years, and it was a very difficult act. The more difficult it was, the more she coveted the throne.
She walked slowly.
"Yao'er".
On New Year's Eve, His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty leisurely strolled around the back garden.
Upon seeing him, Ji Qingyao was first startled, then her eyes lit up and she ran over: "Father!"
She clung to Ji Ying's arm: "Father! I apologize to you. My grandmother is in a bad mood, and I cannot leave. But my heart is with my mother and with my father..."
Ji Ying patted the back of her hand, noticing that she was slightly cold, and called a palace servant to bring a cloak for her to wear.
"It's cold. How can you, as a young lady, not take care of yourself? Your father knows your feelings and your predicament. There's no need for explanation."
"What about the Empress Dowager..."
"Although your mother is unhappy, how could she bear to blame you?"
"I must ask Father Emperor to speak well of me to Mother Empress. I feel deeply guilty for not being able to enjoy the family banquet with Father Emperor and Mother Empress."
"No problem."
"Where is the imperial brother?"
"He went to release river lanterns with the palace maids to pray for blessings."
"Pray for blessings? Your son wants to pray for Father and Mother, and for the millions of people of the Great Yan Dynasty. Father, would you like to come along?"
Ji Ying stopped and looked at her: "You lazy bum, you finally remembered your princess status? You never go to the snow-sweeping street on weekdays. You're being foolish for the sake of small things."
"But I really don't want to go. Father, Mother, and my brother can handle the winning people over. I'm a princess, can't I just have fun and be happy?"
Ji Ying shook her head: "You only dare to talk nonsense in front of the Emperor. Would you dare to say such things to your mother?"
Ji Qingyao shrank back and chuckled, "This child wouldn't dare."
"Dare not? I see you have quite the nerve."
The royal father and daughter headed to the "River of Lanterns" inside the palace. Princess Jiaorong walked happily ahead, unaware of the Emperor's sudden, deep gaze.
Blood relatives, bound by an unbreakable bond, always share an innate connection.
This feeling is very mysterious, and blood ties are inherently mysterious and ineffable.
When the child he and Ah Xiu had been waiting for was born, the first thing that came to his mind was not emotion or ecstasy, but rather a deep sense of bewilderment.
That day, the palace was in chaos, with assassins and thieves appearing. In addition, the midwife who delivered the empress that day mysteriously disappeared. Given the emperor's caution and paternal heart, the seeds of suspicion were sown early on.
After eighteen years of honing its skills, it's finally ready to be unsheathed.
Chapter 58 Separated by a Wall
At the beginning of the new year, the capital was filled with joy. The common people had their own celebrations, and the emperor and his officials had theirs.
North of Xuanwu Street, the Marquis's residence, Jingzhe Courtyard.
As dawn broke in the east, the courtyard was quiet. It had snowed last night, and servants slowly got up and began to tidy up in an orderly fashion, moving quietly so as not to wake their master who was still asleep.
The plain-colored gauze curtains veiled the bed. Wei Pingxi woke up refreshed and invigorated, with no backache or leg pain. She looked like a fairy in a storybook, with a beautiful face and clear, moist skin.
Her long hair was scattered on the side of the pillow, and the last bit of sleepiness dissipated. She turned to tease the beauty beside her—kissing her eyelids and cheeks, and then rubbing them a couple of times.
Yu Zhi, like a cat that hadn't had enough sleep, was woken up by her owner's teasing. She purred and nestled into the Fourth Miss's arms, whimpering, "Stop it..."
She was exhausted at night. If Wei Pingxi was a fairy who had achieved perfect merit, Yu Zhi was more like a demon who had been over-extracted from her body, and she had no energy left.
Wei Pingxi stomped on her foot: "Get up."
Relying on the courage borrowed from her dream, Yu Zhi kicked back.
The fourth young lady's expression shifted dramatically, her myriad emotions culminating in one sentence: "I've spoiled you rotten. Fine, I won't stoop to your level."
She rubbed her sore calf, wondering what sins she had committed. What concubine would dare kick her master?
She gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger, but then she noticed suspicious marks on the back of the beauty's neck and back. After the passionate lovemaking of the previous night, she had completely lost her temper.
Anyway, it's not the first time I've been kicked!
Lying obediently on the bed, listening to Yu Zhi's light breathing, I felt a little drowsy.
Wei Pingxi yawned and closed his eyes for a light nap.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, officials and their families would visit the palace to offer New Year's greetings and attend the first large-scale palace banquet of the new year. Everyone of high status had to attend, and each family considered it an honor to be present at the banquet, as it was an opportunity to show their face in front of the Emperor.
Unlike the quiet Jingzhe Courtyard, Wei San got up early to burn incense and bathe, then changed into his most presentable brocade clothes, dressing in a noble yet flamboyant manner.
After all the courtyards were tidied up, Wei Pingxi then put on his clothes while embracing his concubine who hadn't had enough sleep.
Yu Zhi was weak and limp, and barely managed to sleep for less than three hours. She listened with half-asleep eyes to the instructions in her ear—stretch your arms and lift your legs.
Wearing a crimson dress embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water, she lazily leaned on the fourth young lady's shoulder: "So tired..."
Wei Pingxi clicked his tongue: "You'll get used to it. After you come back from paying your New Year's visits, you can sleep as long as you want."
"You're bullying me..." Yu Zhi wasn't fully awake yet: "My back aches, and my knees hurt too..."
She spoke in a hoarse voice, and Wei Pingxi couldn't help but recall the recklessness and arrogance of the previous night.
He lifted her two thin legs and examined them closely. Her knees were indeed red from kneeling. She blushed and said, "You're too fragile."
"No, that's not it."
Yu Zhi's eyes were moist: "Can you come back after paying New Year's visits?"
"That's hard to say, what if we have to stay there for the dinner?"
"This is so troublesome."
"It is troublesome, but what is not troublesome during the New Year? However, when we enter the palace to say some auspicious words, we will receive lucky money to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune, and live a long and healthy life."
The words "suppressing evil" swirled in Yu Zhi's mind, and she pouted, "I'm not a child."
As she regained consciousness, she abruptly pressed down on the hand of the fourth young lady who was helping her put on her underwear, her face as red as the sunset: "I can do it myself."
Wei Pingxi did not insist and got up to walk towards the bathroom in the adjacent room.
Long legs, slender waist, and fair, delicate feet. Yu Zhi glanced at them twice and quickly lowered her head, her heart pounding like a deer.
After a while, she let out a long sigh, rubbed her burning face, and cursed herself for being so weak: Xi Xi had treated her like this and that, what was there for her not to see?
As I got up from my bed, I almost fell to the ground without realizing it.
Yu Zhi rubbed her sore legs, looking at the bathroom with a face full of shame and indignation.
At 1:15 AM, the entire Wei family, led by the patriarch, went to the palace to offer New Year's greetings.
Passing through Zhiyang Gate to Fengyuntai, one must dismount and remove one's sword, regardless of rank, upon arriving at Fengyuntai.
The women went to Fushou Palace and Ganning Palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress, while the ministers lined up to pay their respects to His Majesty.
Wei Pingxi held his favorite concubine's hand and walked slowly behind his mother.
The two women received amulets from Madam Wei early that morning, along with two thick red envelopes containing several silver notes of considerable value.
Yu Zhi's small face was hidden in a large silver hood, wearing a crimson jacket and a snow-white cloak, with a flower hairpin on her chest.
Wearing flowers in one's hair is a unique New Year custom of the Great Yan Dynasty, symbolizing a happy and harmonious new year.
The wife of the Minister of War and Madam Wei were having a lively conversation. Eventually, the topic turned to Wei Pingxi. The woman glanced at the beautiful fourth young lady, then noticed the beauty beside her and awkwardly looked away.
"This is your family's fourth young lady? She is very beautiful."
Madam Wei chuckled softly twice, but did not respond.
If you were to wake up from a nap, who would be the most sought-after person in the entire capital?
The Minister's wife thought to herself: It must be this beautiful fourth young lady.
The Empress bestowed dishes upon the Emperor, an immense favor indeed. It is said that the two dishes and one soup were even prepared by the Empress herself.
Nowadays, when people look at this fourth young lady from Lingnan, their fiery gazes seem less like they're looking at a person and more like they're looking at a walking embodiment of immense wealth.
With the Empress's favor to such an extent, whoever marries her would be no different from becoming a prince consort.
What's wrong with liking women?
Bringing her home and displaying her as a vase would be very pleasing to the eye, but bringing a bright future to her husband's family is the real deal.
Several ladies got the idea and started praising the notorious Miss Wei as an unparalleled fairy. Yu Zhi was initially pleased to hear this, but gradually she felt more and more uncomfortable.
Could it be that these people have their eyes on Xi Xi as their daughter-in-law?
Even when Lady Wei went to the palace to pay New Year's respects, she never forgot to twirl the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, and no matter how much the people around her tried to persuade her, she just pretended to be confused.
Unable to gain any favor from her, and seeing that the Palace of Longevity was just ahead, the crowd immediately shut their mouths.
The women, having tidied their appearance, entered Fushou Palace one after another. A palace maid standing guard at the door suddenly stretched out her hand: "Aunt Yu, stop."
One of the wives from an official family made no attempt to hide her sneer: "A mere concubine, how dare she face the Empress Dowager?"
Wei Pingxi fiddled with the flower hairpin on her chest, not even looking up: "So you're the only one with a mouth?"
The lady was publicly humiliated by her, her face flushed red, and she was unable to save face.
Madam Wei scolded playfully, "Xi Xi."
"At daybreak, Fushou Palace sent someone to the Wei family to deliver the Empress Dowager's decree, ordering my daughter and concubine to enter the palace for a banquet. When they arrived, they were not allowed to enter. Was this a deliberate attempt to embarrass my daughter and the Wei family?"
Wei Pingxi cupped her hands and said, "Please forgive my impoliteness, I will not go in and offend Your Majesty. I wish Your Majesty all the best and a happy new year."
The palace maid guarding the gate looked puzzled: "The Empress Dowager did not issue any decree for Fourth Miss to bring her concubine into the palace. Has Fourth Miss forgotten?"
"Perhaps I've misremembered." Wei Pingxi was flexible and greeted Madam Wei, "Mother, I'll take my leave first. We won't be going into Fushou Palace."
She took Yuzhi's hand, her voice still gentle: "Zhizhi, let's go."
"Madam Wei, the Empress Dowager has been waiting for you for a long time. Please come in."