Chapter 101 - Disappointing you

In the evening, Yun Fenghuang waited in a side hall which had nobody to live currently in Xuan Qing Palace. Gongxiang Xiao came alone.

“A few days ago, my father recommended Xinyun and other guests to be officials, and then he gave everyone a house.” Seeing Yun Fenghuang looked at him silently, Gongxiang Xiao touched his nose and coughed, “Now, he doesn’t live in Prince Regent’s Mansion anymore. It’s not convenient for me to communicate with him, and you said last time that you don’t want to see him. I think I can’t make you unhappy every time. So I didn’t intend to call him this time.”

Yun Fenghuang forced a smile, “Thank you for your kindness.”

Gongxiang Xiao said, “You’re welcome. By the way, anything urgent?”

“I heard that Prince Regent has cooperated with His Majesty these days?” Yun Fenghuang smiled, “As a saying goes, when an uncle and a nephew are the same mind, they have the power to cut through metal… Even Ji’s Family is worried about that.”

Gongxiang Xiao frowned, “My father does not like me asking about this kind of things, but maids said that it should be like this. What’s the matter? Does it hinder you?”

Yun Fenghuang said, “Now, I am a Jie Yu, and enjoy the preference. How can it hinder me? But you may be in trouble!”

“If my situation is good, how could I come to see you in the Imperial Harem at night?” Gongxiang Xiao said casually, “You can rest assured. Xinyun has reminded me privately, and I know how to do it.”

Obviously, since Qi Jiulu came here, he thought highly of Yun Fenghuang only because she could control Qi Jiulu.

“In this case, I don’t have to talk more.” Yun Fenghuang heard it, narrowed her eyes, and smiled, “I have a private matter about the reason why Duke Yi’s Mansion put my name in the list of cordial invitation… Please pass on it for me.”

Then she explained it briefly.

Gongxiang Xiao was surprised, his eyes rolled, and he deliberately asked, “Who should I tell?”

“Absolutely, that bitch Chao Jingyou.” Yun Fenghuang gave him a strange look, “Or who do you want to tell?”

Gongxiang Xiao choked, and he couldn’t hold it back, “Shouldn’t I tell Xinyun? Why should I tell Chao Jingyou instead?”

“Of course, you should tell Chao Jingyou.” Yun Fenghuang looked at him like looking at a fool, “Can we fall out with Duke Yi’s Mansion now? If I could, I would do it earlier, and then I wouldn’t have to tell anyone.”

Gongxiang Xiao was puzzled, “But does it make sense if I tell Chao Jingyou? She will definitely tell Xinyun after she knows it. And she will manage to make Chao’s Family clear with the reason that resulted in breaking your marriage contract with Xinyun, and then they can resolve their grievances. At that time, they will be intimate… Is this what you want to see?”

“You look down on the bitch if you think like that.” Yun Fenghuang sneered, “I fight against her since we were younger, and we know each other clearly! You think that she tried her best to marry Qi Jiulu just because she loves him so much, right?”

“… Qi’s Family is a premier family of the north. Did Chao’s Family make ties with Qi’s Family deliberately?” Gongxiang Xiao really thought in this way before. Although he had been supporting Qi Jiulu firmly, he felt pity for Chao Jingyou privately. It was said that she was also a beautiful girl with talents, and especially she was very virtuous and gentle, and suitable to be a wife. She was very loyal to Qi Jiulu but couldn’t get the love of her husband, alas…

But at this moment, from Yun Fenghuang’s words, it seemed it was not like that?

“Partly because of it.” Yun Fenghuang said, “The status of Qi’s Family and the identity of Zongzi are indeed worthy of the tribes in the north recommending their daughters to contest. To be honest, in order to let the head of Qi’s Family notice me, my tribe also did a lot. The status of Chao’s Family was slightly lower than that of Xie’s Family, and naturally Chao’s Family wanted Chao Jingyou to marry Qi Jiulu to gain its reputation.”

Qi’s Family knew this well, and not only wouldn’t stop it, but would be happy to see it.

After all, this kind of marriage was equivalent to finding an ally, not finding a burden.

Therefore, an important reason why Chao Jingyou cared about Qi Jiulu so much was that she was a daughter of the second son of Chao’s Family. Chao’s Family started up late and was not deeply rooted in the north. In order to ensure that its status would not fall, there was a rule. That was to say, since Chao Jingyou’s grandfather and grandmother were still alive, their children and grandchildren had not yet been separated, and she was still a distinguished daughter of Chao’s tribe. But if her eldest uncle succeeded to be the head of the tribe, all brothers would be separated away from Chao’s Family. Her situation would fall quickly at that time… Of course, since this bitch married Qi Jiulu, the situation of her family was temporarily guaranteed.”

But just temporarily.

After all, Qi Jiulu just hurried down to Dijing after he got married. Everyone knew that he could not forget Yun Fenghuang. How embarrassed the situation of Chao Jingyou was, and how shameless her family was in her tribe.

Thanks to Yun Fenghuang’s joining the Imperial Harem, Chao Jingyou was relaxed. Because the tribes in the north would not expect that Qi Jiulu was so bold that he even came to the Imperial Palace!

In this way, although the previous unmarried couple could not immediately renew their relationships, and even if Chao Jingyou couldn’t get her husband’s love, she still had the identity.

And if she was pregnant and gave birth to the eldest legitimate son of Qi Jiulu, regardless of her status in Qi’s Family, she still had a chip to support her at least. She didn’t have to depend on her family and she would totally have some confidence in her background.

“But if Prince Regent’s Mansion gave beautiful maids to them, when Prince Regent gave them houses, he would not be too stingy to keep the beautiful maids.” Yun Fenghuang said calmly, “Since there is a little trace of hope for her to have a baby, she must be upset! What’s more, if she knows this matter, she must take actions.”

Gongxiang Xiao asked subconsciously, “If Chao Jingyou knows this, what will she do?”

“If she doesn’t know that it is me that let you tell her the news, she will conduct a preliminary verification first. After that, she will immediately send someone back to the north to inform my parents and brothers.” Yun Fenghuang sneered, “To resolve my Xie’s Family’s, especially my parents’ hatred of her.”

Gongxiang Xiao was so embarrassed that he coughed, “Your mother wouldn’t let go of her so easily, right?”

He had never seen Ms. Jiang, but when he saw Yun Fenghuang, he felt that lady should be a tough one…

Yun Fenghuang said, “Of course, my mother is not a suggestible person. But you should know that because of my sister, the reputation of Xie’s Family in the north has not been good in the past two years. Several of my sisters are still spending their youth in the family temple! Xie’s Family cannot forgive Chao Jingyou, Chao’s Family, or even Qi’s Family. If there is an opportunity to prove the family’s innocence, whether it is true or false, don’t you grab it?”

Gongxiang Xiao was puzzled. Apparently, he did not understand how these things were connected together?

Seeing that, she frowned with a hint of detestation, and explained with patience, “The reason why I joined the Imperial Harem is that I was framed by someone who was jealous. My sister is more beautiful than me. How could it be impossible that she was framed by others?”

“But when your sister was immersed in a pig cage, half of a box of her tokens of conviction with the adulterer was found.” Gongxiang Xiao couldn’t help but remind her, “Is it so easy to make it clear?”

Yun Fenghuang said, “I can send two maids to do it. It takes only two or three days to fill a box!”

Gongxiang Xiao said, “There were love letters…”

“I know four or five handwritings. It can be graceful or arrogant, ugly or pretty. I can write any kind of contents you want, and even draw a few mandarin ducks.” Yun Fenghuang sneered, “A piece of cake!”

Gongxiang Xiao said, “But your sister had her adulterer’s baby at the time…”

“That’s all bullshit!” Yun Fenghuang denied without hesitation, “If someone falls, everyone would frame him. At that time, some people even said I was a slut, am I?”

Gongxiang Xiao would like to say that they were staying together in a room now, and she was a slut!

But seeing Yun Fenghuang’s cold face, he thought intuitively that he shouldn’t continue to refute and then shut up.

Seeing he was sensible, Yun Fenghuang’s expression changed. She continued, “Moreover, my parents have only two daughters. My sister was dead early with the bad reputation of derailment. I came to Dijing City and behaved cautiously, but was still forced to join the Imperial Harem… Isn’t it too coincident? It’s obvious that someone is framing daughters of Xie’s Family!”

Gongxiang Xiao thought that if it wasn’t because he sent someone to the north to find the truth, based on her decisive tone, he would believe that her sister was dead with grievance.

He coughed again, “Who do you think is framing your family’s girls?”

“Due to my sister’s affair, Qi’s Family cancelled the engagement. The two families which kept friendship for generations have no contacts so far.” Yun Fenghuang said, “Xie’s Family hates Chao’s Family, Wang’s Family, and other whistleblowers so much! My mother’s family—Jiang’s Family, didn’t do anything, but was to blame for teaching girls in an improper way and even getting Xie’s Family involved in! How many big tribes in the north? But this thing involves almost all of them!”

“People behind this must have their plan!”

“This plan must be evil, because it ruins the marriage and the reputation of families, provokes alienation, and makes friendly neighbors who have different opinions hate each other.”

“Since this plan is not good, what happened three years ago has already influenced widely. It seems that it is peaceful in these three years, but nobody knows whether they prepare it secretly or not. Tribes in the north may have already been involved, or even will be destroyed suddenly!”

Gongxiang Xiao was originally listening to it like a story. But as he kept listening, he changed his expression, and doubted, “Is what you said… true or false?”

“It is not important.” Yun Fenghuang said carelessly, “Regardless of whether it is true or false, we have no evidence anyway. The key is what we said is good for us.”

Gongxiang Xiao asked humbly, “You mean that Chao Jingyou will use the truth that you joined the Imperial Harem to persuade Xie’s Family into taking a lead, uniting the tribes in the north, forgetting the previous suspicions, and coping with the pressure of Dijing together? What are our benefits?”

In fact, what he really wanted to ask was what benefits Yun Fenghuang could get? He didn’t believe that Yun Fenghuang would cooperate with her rivals.

Besides, the tribes in the north could not deal with Marquess Qingping who was suspected by Qi Jiulu and him, or the Duke Yi’s Mansion that Qi Jiulu hated so much.

“As the accident happened to my sister, I got a chance to come to Dijing City to seek protection due to my young age and parents’ love.” Yun Fenghuang sighed, showing a little sadness, “But my sisters who were about to get married weren’t so lucky. Even if someone of them got married, she might have an unhappy life. What’s more, my nieces have almost grown up and need to find their lovers… If I can’t regain my family’s reputation, what will they do?”

She would do it for the family, and for her sisters and nieces who used to get along well with her. This is one reason.

“You should also know that a concubine without a background is like duckweed on the water and catkin in the wind, with nothing to rely on in the Imperial Harem. The thing that I am so lucky to be a Jie Yu has broken the convention. If I want to be promoted again, it is too difficult!”

Xie’s Family was just a local distinguished family, and could not be compared with the high-ranking households in Dijing City.

But if the tribes in the north cooperated to fight together, it was also a great bargaining chip. Although it couldn’t make Yun Fenghuang have the same status as Noble Consort Shu, Noble Consort Gui, Consort Xin, Fu Ren Yaoning and other people, at least, she would not be regarded as a special person who became a concubine accidently and not feel excluded.

Yun Fenghuang always remembered the teachings of her tutor when she was a child that the conspiracy and scheme were only small tricks, which could be used, but could not be relied upon. In the final analysis, the rightful victory was the most unquestionable and convincing one.

After being a Jie Yu, she would suffer troubles as many as the conspiracies that she had used before she became a Jie Yu. She could not be always so lucky forever.

She would kill herself if she continued in this way!

“This is another reason.” Gongxiang Xiao nodded slightly. Her family and her future were indeed enough for her to temporarily abandon the aversion to Chao Jingyou, but, “You said it is good for you, for Xie’s Family, for Chao’s Family and for the tribes in the north, but what about me?”

“Your benefits?” Yun Fenghuang looked at him strangely, “Zongzi of Qi’s Family is serving you. If his family is flourishing, is it the biggest benefit to you?”

Seeing Gongxiang Xiao freeze for a moment and look at her, she sighed, “I didn’t intend to look down on you. But just think about your status in Prince Regent’s heart. Considering your stepmother’s family, even if there are big benefits, can you afford it? Is it a good thing for you to get them? You’d better be humble and help your subordinates.”

Before he spoke, she waved her sleeves and said, “It’s too late. I have finished my words. Good bye!”

Then she stood up and went away quickly. Gongxiang Xiao looked at her figure with some melancholy, “What if I bring Xinyun next time?”