Free Web NovelChapter 157: Chapter 69: The Dog Emperor Never Suffers a Loss
Song Yunzhao said, "That’s where you’re wrong, Nanny. Lu Zhixue is no commoner; she’s the legitimate daughter of a great clan. How could she possibly be ignorant of social customs? She’s just doing this to provoke me."
Xiangxue, standing to the side, added, "Lu Pin has truly gone too far, targeting our mistress time and again."
Shizhu nodded in agreement. "If our mistress lets this slide, I’m afraid Lu Pin will only grow more arrogant."
Qingfeng, who had just entered with tea, overheard this and said softly, "If our mistress makes too much of a fuss, I fear it will harm her reputation."
Shizhu shot her a look. "I know you’ve always been cautious, but look at the circumstances. Our mistress was the first among the new concubines to receive the Emperor’s favor. For someone to dare cause trouble now... Lu Pin is only acting this way because she thinks her family background is better than our mistress’s. If our mistress swallows this insult, this will never end."
Song Yunzhao watched them with great interest, finding the exchange quite amusing. ’I agree with Shizhu’s point of view,’ she thought. ’For someone like Lu Zhixue, only a hard slap across the face will make her feel the sting.’
’Before, her provocations were just petty verbal jabs, nothing I could use as real leverage. This time, however, is different.’
Seeing the look on her mistress’s face, Nanny Yu considered it carefully before saying, "Mistress, how about I make a trip and return the gift?"
Returning a gift was, indeed, a huge slap in the face.
Song Yunzhao looked at Nanny Yu. "You have a soft heart, Nanny."
Nanny Yu looked a bit sheepish and sighed. "I am, perhaps, overly cautious."
"I know you mean well, Nanny," Song Yunzhao said with a smile.
Nanny Yu breathed a small sigh of relief, but then her mistress continued, "It’s just that my nature has always been to meet strength with strength. With Lu Pin insulting me so brazenly, how can I just swallow my pride? If I do, everyone will think I’m a pushover, and they’ll all be lining up to walk all over me."
Nanny Yu knew now that she couldn’t change her mistress’s mind. That being the case, she thought for a moment and said, "Mistress, why don’t we inform Chief Steward Zhang of this matter?"
’In any case, our mistress shouldn’t get her own hands dirty. Chief Steward Zhang has been visiting Wangyou Palace so frequently; it’s not like I can’t see what he’s planning. Since he has his own agenda, he should have to put in a little effort.’
Song Yunzhao found this to be a viable plan and said with a smile, "In that case, I’ll have to trouble you, Nanny."
Nanny Yu nodded eagerly. "I will see to it at once. Shall I take the bolt of silk with me?"
"Yes," Song Yunzhao agreed readily.
Once Nanny Yu was gone, Shizhu said, "If Chief Steward Zhang actually helps us with this, I’ll brew him tea myself the next time he visits Wangyou Palace."
Xiangxue shot her a glare. "Don’t go looking for trouble. He serves in the imperial court; we have to be careful around him."
"What’s there to fear? It’s just a cup of tea, not some fast-acting poison."
Xiangxue: ...
Qingfeng, who had been listening with a suppressed smile, placed a teacup by her mistress’s hand and said, "The Six Departments have been quite diligent this time. They sent our palace a pound of new tea. Would you like to try some, Mistress?"
’No wonder everyone craves favor and power,’ Song Yunzhao mused.
’The Six Imperial Departments were trying to give me a hard time before, but now that I’ve made a name for myself, they’re suddenly falling all over themselves to curry favor.’
Outside Taiji Palace, Zhang Maoquan saw Nanny Yu off. He then carried a bolt of brocade into a side hall, tossing it onto a table. He sneered inwardly at its silvery-white color.
’This brocade is truly exquisite and rare,’ he thought. ’This silvery-white color comes from real silver threads woven into the fabric. It shimmers beautifully when it catches the sunlight.’
’But what good is beautiful, expensive brocade when you send it in white on a day of celebration? Isn’t that just cursing the recipient?’
’Lu Pin,’ he recalled. ’The daughter of the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.’
’What a coincidence. Just these past few days, Minister Lu and Grand Tutor Qin have been singing in harmony, causing quite a stir at court. The memorials impeaching Song Nanyong, Consort Song’s own paternal uncle, have been flying about like snowflakes. How could it be a coincidence, unless the Ministry of Personnel itself had orchestrated it?’
’The Emperor is already displeased with Minister Lu, and now his own daughter has served up a perfect pretext on a silver platter. He didn’t raise a daughter; he raised an enemy.’
’If the timing of this incident hadn’t been so perfect, Zhang Maoquan truly wouldn’t have been able to agree to help so readily.’
’It’s a godsent opportunity. To not seize it would be a betrayal of his own ambition.’
Zhang Maoquan waited for his chance. When the last of the courtiers seeking an audience had finally departed, he carried the brocade into the main hall.
Feng Yi was pinching the bridge of his nose as he read a memorial, his expression dark. ’Another ten percent increase in military spending this year,’ he fumed. ’These damned officials... they think they can use the budget to control me? They must be dreaming!’
"Your Majesty."
Feng Yi looked up, displeased, but didn’t speak when he saw it was Zhang Maoquan.
Zhang Maoquan’s heart skipped a beat. ’The Emperor is in a foul mood,’ he thought. ’My timing is perfect.’ He spoke up, "A moment ago, Nanny Yu from Wangyou Palace reported a matter to me."
At the mention of Wangyou Palace, the tension on Feng Yi’s face eased slightly. "Is there something the matter with Consort Song?"
A glint appeared in Zhang Maoquan’s eyes. ’The Emperor is in a bad mood, yet his tone softens at the mention of Wangyou Palace. This proves how wise my decision was.’ He immediately recounted the incident from beginning to end, making sure, he told himself, not to add a single embellishment.
However, as he presented the brocade, he deliberately stepped into a beam of light, making the silvery-white fabric all the more jarring to the eye.
Feng Yi’s expression darkened. ’Lu Pin...’ he thought for a moment. ’Ah, Lu Shiqi’s daughter.’ At this realization, he gave a cold sneer.
"Relay Our imperial decree. For offending a superior, Lu Pin is to be fined three months of her allowance and confined to her quarters for one month."
"As you command." Zhang Maoquan’s heart skipped a beat. ’I didn’t expect Your Majesty’s punishment to be so severe. He truly holds Consort Song in high esteem.’
Feng Yi’s face was grim. After a long moment, he let out a short, derisive laugh and looked up at Meng Jiuchang. "Go through this year’s tribute silks. Pick out some of the most brightly colored bolts and have them sent to Wangyou Palace."
Meng Jiuchang quickly bowed to accept the order. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Meng Jiuchang led his men to the Emperor’s private storehouse. He gazed at the tribute silks from the year, which were piled high and filled the entire room. He had his men select more than a dozen bolts in colors befitting Consort Song’s rank and then personally delivered them.
’This consort is poised to soar with the next favorable wind,’ he thought. He was more than happy to run this particular errand.
’A person’s luck can truly turn on a dime. Consort Song’s family background is unremarkable, placing her near the bottom of the new concubines. Who would have thought she would be the one to capture His Majesty’s eye?’
’Not only was she the first to spend the night with him, but he was even willing to punish Minister Lu’s daughter for her sake. If word of this reached the outer court, it would surely cause a stir, and things would no longer be peaceful in the harem, either.’
Song Yunzhao was left stunned after receiving yet another reward. She had someone give Meng Jiuchang a hefty purse and saw him off with a beaming smile, but the moment she turned around, her expression fell.
’Fine,’ she fumed internally. ’I wanted to use the Emperor’s hand to get some payback. But that guy... he turns right around and paints a giant target on my back.’
’I’ve figured it out. That damn Emperor is someone who absolutely refuses to be taken advantage of.’
’We spent a night together, for crying out loud! Does he have to be so ruthless?’
Song Yunzhao tried to force a smile, but she couldn’t manage it. She could already foresee it: after Lu Zhixue’s punishment, the other women of the harem would undoubtedly view her as their primary enemy.
’As cannon fodder, I’m really shining brightly this time.’
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