First Shock After Returning to the Capital
Who knew how Lu Yao thought it through. She knew that Feng Yu Heng had returned to the capital, and she knew that it was possible that Feng Yu Heng would visit the Feng residence; however, she believed that with her status as fiancee of the Yao family and if she lowered her stature and came to “apologize,” even that imperial daughter Ji An would not completely tear away her face.
But she never thought that Feng Yu Heng would actually have this sort of attitude towards her upon appearing.
Seeing a girl in a pink dress quickly walk through the crowd, Lu Yao’s lips began to twitch slightly. Feng Yu Heng’s movements created a breeze. Even if she wore a long dress, she was not able to take very large steps. But with her stature, the onlookers felt as though the air around her was freezing. The air of the early Autumn has begun to freeze.
The sorrow in Xiang Rong’s heart reached its apex upon seeing Feng Yu Heng’s arrival. Trotting a couple steps, she dove toward her and called out with tears in her eyes: “Second sister.”
Feng Yu Heng sighed internally and reached out to pat Xiang Rong, “Don’t be afraid. Second sister has come back.” She then turned her gaze to Lu Yao, who was frozen in place and asked in confusion: “Second young miss of the prime minister’s manor, why do you not kneel upon seeing this imperial daughter?”
A cold sweat appeared all over Lu Yao’s body. Quickly kneeling on the ground, she shouted: “This humble girl, Lu Yao, greets imperial daughter Ji An!”
The surrounding citizens also reacted, kneeling and shouting loudly: “Greetings to imperial daughter Ji An.”
Feng Yu Heng did not even look at those unruly people. Dragging along Xiang Rong, she walked over to Lu Yao and looked down to ask her: “This imperial daughter’s question, did you hear it?”
Lu Yao was startled and finally recalled that Feng Yu Heng had just asked “what exactly were you thinking.” She thought to herself for a while before saying: “This humble girl was thinking of giv… giving financial assistance.” She found it a little hard to continue. Earlier, she had said that she was giving Xiang Rong a gift. It felt as though there was a bit of a charity meaning behind it. But now that she was before Feng Yu Heng, she truly felt guilty.
Feng Yu Heng was puzzled and asked Xiang Rong: “Was the spending money left by second sister not enough?”
Xiang Rong shook her head, “It’s enough. The majority of it still has not been spent at this moment.”
“Is concubine mother An’s embroidery shop lacking an embroiderer? Have you helped embroider there before?”
“No.” Xiang Rong shook her head, “The embroiderers from the shop were all brought from Jiang Nan. Their skills are the best. Without comparing with the embroiderers in the palace, they can be considered among the best in the capital. My skills cannot be compared to those embroiderers, and the family doesn’t let me show my face in public. That’s why I’ve never done anything with the shop. This time, it was young miss Lu that said that it had to be me that embroidered it; otherwise, she would make it so our shop could not continue to remain open in the capital. There was nothing that I could do and could only accept the job.”
Feng Yu Heng had truly heard the funniest joke in the world, “This imperial daughter’s younger sister opened a shop, and whether or not it can remain open will depend on what the second young miss of the prime minister’s manor said. Who was it that gave you this power?”
Lu Yao repeatedly waved her hand: “Not at all, not at all. I never said such a thing. I really never said it!”
Xiang Rong, however, pointed at her maidservant and said: “That day, the shopkeeper of the embroidery shop brought this maidservant to the manor and personally said it before me.”
Lu Yao did not say anything and slapped the maidservant: “You really are bold! Who was it that allowed you to speak like that?”
The servant had a look of sorrow on her face. When she looked at Lu Yao, however, she understood that her young miss was wanting to push her away. Gritting her teeth, she kowtowed toward Xiang Rong: “Third young miss, spare my life. It was this servant that spoke nonsense. It’s really unrelated to our young miss! I beg third young miss for mercy!”
While she spoke, she grabbed the hem of Xiang Rong’s dress. Xiang Rong frowned and took half a step back, saying a bit angrily: “Who said that I wanted your life. Why would your servant spout so much nonsense?”
Lu Yao fiercely glared at the maidservant then fiercely said: “Third young miss Feng has been magnanimous. Why have you not given your thanks!”
The servant began kowtowing once more.
Feng Yu Heng watched the two. It was as though they had gone back to a time when the Feng family was very powerful. She had fought her way through this sort of environment, one step at a time. She had come out of that environment by fighting through conspiracy after conspiracy. So many people had lost their lives during that battle of the inner courtyard. She knew just how frightening that matter could be. When she looked at this Lu Yao, however, she did not dare think about what would happen if she married into the Yao family. How could she allow the great Yao family to be harmed by her?
Seeing that Feng Yu Heng’s eyes became colder and colder, the dread in Lu Yao’s heart became more profound. Her father, Lu Song, had finally managed to assume the position of left prime minister. The feeling of superiority coming from being below only one and above all the rest that the Lu family had only just begun enjoying was suddenly destroyed by Feng Yu Heng. She felt unreconciled, but she also knew that the person before her must not be offended. Not only could she not afford to offend her, perhaps the entire Lu family’s power could not.
With a quick thought, she brought out what she thought was most reliable. She said to Feng Yu Heng: “Imperial daughter, this matter is truly a misunderstanding. I was doing it out of goodwill. Really, it was just a result of this servant not knowing how to speak that caused the third young miss’ anger. On the basis of us becoming relatives soon, forgive me!”
It would have been fine if she did not mention becoming relatives. Upon hearing mention of this, Feng Yu Heng became even more furious. With a belly full of anger, she was ready to explode; however, she recalled the faint look of expectation on Yao Shu’s face.
She faintly sighed and gave Yao Shu some face for the time being, but this marriage… “This imperial daughter is also engaged to the imperial family. Speaking of, palace princess Wu Yang also calls me sister-in-law. Why don’t you just have her embroider your wedding clothes? Are you only going to bully my younger sister because she had a weak personality? Lu Yao, don’t think that the position of prime minister is that high. Think about the Feng family. As a daughter, don’t become a deadweight to your father.”
After she finished speaking, she turned to the citizens that kept their heads down and did not dare speak. With an angry snort, she said: “It’s just a moment of knocking and calling people, yet you were able to gather so quickly around the Feng residence so early in the morning. Your movements really aren’t slow!”
Among the citizens, a majority of them trembled.
Feng Yu Heng’s expression became even heavier, saying: “Have you been waiting to the side for a long time? All of your words have had a clear flow. This imperial daughter wants to ask you. The Feng family is no longer the prime minister, but could it be that you’ve all forgotten that it is still this imperial daughter’s family? This imperial daughter has not even gotten married, yet there are people that dare to stir up a fuss and bully the Feng family. Ask yourselves, what sort of crime is this?”
At this time, housekeeper He Zhong, who had been standing to the side, could not hold back and said: “Of course, it is a crime that is worthy of execution! Even their extended families should be punished.”
Those citizens collapsed from the fear, all of them kowtowing desperately while begging for forgiveness. Feng Yu Heng, however, did not speak the entire time. She just coldly watched them. Under this sort of imposing gaze, someone was finally unable to endure and shouted: “It was that girl that gave us money and had us come here to speak up for the Lu family’s second young miss!”
Once this shout came out, Lu Yao’s face turned ashen with fear, as she dropped to the ground. Her servant was the same. Curling up into a ball, she cried in fear.
With one person telling the truth, the others did not continue to hide it. All of them cast the blame on the servant for giving them the idea. In an instant, the Lu family’s second young miss’ conspiracy was exposed. The citizens that had not received money and had truly come over to watch the scene unfold also began assigning blame, loudly cursing the master and servant.
Feng Yu Heng raised her hand, suppressing the voices of the citizens. She then turned around and said to He Zhong: “Call the family’s retainers and have this servant sent to the government office. Her crime will be… harming the relative of an official. Remember to tell the governor, lord Xu, that he should go to the left prime minister’s manor to talk about it. Just say that the person was sent by this imperial daughter. If the Lu family has any objections, have them come and talk to this imperial daughter.”
He Zhong listened to this and found it relieving. He quickly nodded and complied, ordering the servants to quickly get the job done.
When the servant was being taken away, she repeatedly shouted: “Young miss, save me!” But her young miss’ own life was hard to protect. How could she save her.
The citizens continued kneeling there, waiting for a judgment, and Feng Yu Heng told them: “Whether it’s being a person or doing a job, what’s important is your conscience. Money can only solve some temporary problems; however, it can never affect the roots. This imperial daughter can choose not to pursue this matter, but you must remember that I am a person that keeps a grudge. If there comes another time, I will not mind leaving a place open for you in the capital’s death row! You may all rise and leave!”
The citizens were trembling with fear. Quickly getting up, they ran away, with some even cursing at Lu Yao, causing Lu Yao’s face to pale with anger. A vile look quietly appeared, and she would occasionally cast it in Feng Yu Heng’s direction.
Feng Yu Heng, however, did not mind. She just asked Xiang Rong: “You too, if you don’t want to embroider it, just don’t embroider it. It was a perfectly fine Sichuan brocade, yet you embroidered a pair of common ducks. Forget it, forget it.” She turned around and said to Huang Quan: “Later on, grab some higher-quality Sichuan brocade from the imperial daughter’s manor and send them to the Lu family. Just say that this imperial daughter will make the reparations for my younger sister.”
Huang Quan nodded in compliance; however, Xiang Rong helplessly sighed and told Feng Yu Heng: “It wasn’t me that embroidered it. The matter of the Lu family’s young miss being unreasonable and threatening me became known by his Highness the fourth prince. That pair of common ducks was embroidered by his Highness.”
“Huh? Feng Yu Heng heard this and laughed, “Xuan Tian Yi? He really learned embroidery?”
“Un.” Xiang Rong nodded, “He’s learned for nearly a year and is able to embroider some sorts of shapes, but I never thought that he would embroider a pair of common ducks for her.” Upon thinking of this matter, she became angry. She could not help but stomp her foot and say: “Second sister, don’t worry. I’ve already yelled at him, and he won’t do it again.”
Feng Yu Heng patted Xiang Rong’s head and smiled, “Our Xiang Rong is also able to manage someone now.”
While the two sisters were chatting to the side, Lu Yao, who was still sitting on the ground, began to feel her heart twitch. Those ducks were embroidered by his Highness the fourth prince? She had heard that the fourth prince had been placed under house arrest. Although he no longer had his position as a prince and was now a common citizen, he still had imperial blood flowing in his veins! This Feng Xiang Rong actually dared to yell at someone from the imperial family?
Lu Yao gradually realized that she had made a grave error. Even the Lu family had made a huge error. They had made a mistake in their judgment of the Feng family’s position.
Feng Jin Yuan had fallen, but the Feng family had only lost the rank and wealth of a prime minister; however, Feng Yu Heng was still a genuine imperial daughter. There was also that ninth prince. She had heard that he had also returned to the capital…
“Lu Yao.” Just as she was beginning to think carefully, Feng Yu Heng pulled her out of her thoughts and back to reality, saying to her: “Get up. Didn’t you want a fair ruling for that pair of ducks? This imperial daughter will bring you to the Ping Palace to settle this debt with the fourth prince.”