Di Daughter's Strategy - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

At noon, Pan Si served Luo Yi’er a bowl of light millet porridge, and Fang Jinling sat beside her face was covered by Fang Jinling’s gaze.

She leaned against the embroidered pillow with a dark lotus pattern, and because of the wound on her back, some soft cotton padding was placed behind her. Pan Si handed the bowl to the maid beside her and handed her a handkerchief. After a while, she looked up at Fang Jinling with some confusion and asked, “Does Your Highness not need to attend court today?”

“No need.” He shook his head and continued to gaze at her.

She shifted her body slightly, unsure if it was because of his piercing gaze or the wound on her back that still hurt. She eventually sat up, hugging her knees with one hand, not as dignified and courteous as she usually was in public, her small body curled up slightly.

Fang Jinling’s gaze sharpened, and he stood up, but before he could take a step closer, he heard her soft voice, “Your Highness, when can Yi’er return home?”

The concern hidden in her lowered eyes was evident. She was able to stand out among many noble ladies not only because of her family background but also because the Emperor had once praised her for being gentle and courteous. Now, spending the night in a man’s residence, even if it was sudden and she was betrothed to him, would damage her reputation.

She went over the words in her mind several times before finally asking.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man’s footsteps pause, then he walked over slowly, gazing at her for a moment before saying coldly, “A moment.”

Seeing him seeming to turn away, Luo Yi’er pressed her lips together and suddenly reached out to grab him. She barely lifted her face, raising her clear eyes to look at him, only to see a faintly indifferent expression in his eyes.

She trembled her eyelashes, shifted her gaze, and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s, “If Your Highness is free, could… could you visit Yi’er at the Marquis’s residence…”

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt she had lost her composure, lowering her head and quietly blushing on one side of her pale cheek.

Fang Jinling looked down at her, his eyes complex and tumultuous, his heart full of irritation that was soothed by her words. He had wanted to ask her something many times, but in the end, he just narrowed his eyebrows and said in a calm voice. “This Prince will send you back to your mansion.”

The words she had finally mustered the courage to say, throwing aside a few points of feminine dignity, seemed to be implicitly rejected. Luo Yi’er’s cheeks, which had just flushed red, suddenly turned pale. Her slender fingers trembled slightly, and she let go of his clothes. She forced a smile and responded softly, “Okay.”

Fang Jinling turned around with his hands behind his back. Luo Yi’er’s gaze could only see the golden python patterns on his sleeves. The sunlight outside the window was dazzling, and he walked to the screen.
Just as he was about to turn around, he saw her still sitting with her knees hugged together, her pale lips tightly pursed. He tightened his grip on his thumb ring and said, “This Prince will visit you after the morning court tomorrow.”

With that, he strode out. Luo Yi’er’s gaze lingered on the bed until she finally raised her head, her eyes seeming to hold a complex emotion.

At the third watch of the Wu hour, the carriage of the Prince’s mansion stopped at the entrance of the Marquis Qi’s mansion. Qi Heng saw that the Prince Jing had personally sent Luo Yi’er back and felt a mix of tension and subtle happiness for Luo Yi’er.

In the Yun Xia courtyard, Luo Yi’er leaned against the carved jade bed frame. When Madam Chu heard the news, she rushed over and saw the terrifying wound on her back. For a moment, she felt dizzy. She frowned in heartache, but Luo Yi’er held her arm and coaxed her, saying, “Mother, don’t worry. The imperial physician said it will be fine in about a month.”

Madam Chu tapped her forehead, looking at her pale face, and couldn’t bring herself to scold her. She could only tell her to rest well and then prepared gifts to be taken to the Prince’s mansion by Luo Yu’an to express gratitude.

After Madam Chu left, Luo Fu and others came over to offer their condolences. Luo Yi’er was tired, so she asked Pan Si to send them away.

When the room was quiet, Pan Si looked at Luo Yi’er, who was lying on her side on the bed, and frowned slightly, hesitating to speak. Luo Yi’er glanced at her and lowered her eyes, asking, “What do you want to say?”

Pan Si pursed her lips and asked in a low voice, “I heard… that the miss’s injury was because she saved the Prince Jing…”

Luo Yi’er’s eyes suddenly lifted to look at her, the color of her eyes was shallow, but it made Pan Si’s face turn white, and she lowered her head. Luo Yi’er’s voice was slightly cool.
“I know you’re worried about me, but don’t forget ‘monarch and subject, father and son’. If something happens to him, everyone present will suffer.”

At that time, why did Wei Feng and others risk their lives to save them, if not for this reason?
As the most beloved prince of the current emperor, and even the candidate for the crown prince, if something happens to him, how many people would have to die to appease that person’s anger?

She closed her eyes and said faintly, “Don’t speak nonsense again in the future.”
Pan Si’s face turned slightly pale, and she pursed her lips tightly, “Yes, I understand.”

Prince Jing’s promise to visit Luo Yi’er three days later was not fulfilled, because when Luo Yi’er was recovering from her injuries, a rumor suddenly spread in the capital: Prince Jing and the Marquis Qi’s legitimate daughter’s eight characters were incompatible, and they were mutually exclusive.

This rumor spread throughout the capital in just a few days. When Hongdou reported this to Luo Yi’er, her face was flushed with anger, and she widened her eyes.
“The marriage between Prince Jing and the miss was decreed by the emperor, it’s a golden mouth and jade words, it’s the best match! The person who spread this news is really too much!”

After Hongdou finished speaking, there was a silence in the Yunxia courtyard. Luo Yi’er’s gentle smile on her face faded slightly, and she looked at Hongdou, who was a bit agitated, with a calm gaze.

Pan Si and others looked at her cautiously and hesitated. “Miss, we don’t know who spread this news, but it’s definitely someone who is dissatisfied with you. You shouldn’t take it seriously.”

“There’s no need to say more.” Luo Yi’er raised her hand slightly and said in a soft voice, looking down.

Pan Si saw that her expression seemed thoughtful and quickly waved her hand to let everyone else leave.
She also took a step back and stood guard.

Luo Yi’er’s wound was healing recently, and it was itchy every day. Her mood was already bad, and now she heard this news that wasn’t good for her. Her mood became even more irritable, and her eyes contained a hint of coolness.

Her fingers under the brocade quilt played with the fabric, and her pale face was slightly lowered. She naturally knew that the news spreading in the capital was true, because it had happened in the original text.
This was also the key to the original owner’s and the Prince Jing’s later annulment of their engagement.

But the original text didn’t mention who was behind this, the original text’s Marquis Qi’s mansion specifically invited Buddhist Master to calculate the eight characters, and it was he who personally said that the two people’s eight characters were incompatible and mutually exclusive, which was indeed true.

And this matter was not just limited to this…

Whether this matter was targeted at her or Prince Jing was still unknown.

After all, if this could be used as an excuse to cut off the connection between the Marquis Qi’s mansion and Prince Jing’s mansion, the other princes would naturally be overjoyed.

Luo Yi’er slightly lifted her eyes, and unintentionally glanced at the white jade pendant on the dressing table. Her gaze lingered for a moment. That day she went to the Mingjing Temple, she brought this jade pendant with her. Later, Prince Jing sent her back to her mansion and specifically tied this jade pendant for her. He sat in the shadow of the carriage, looking calm and noble, and said to her, “Don’t lose it again.”

Luo Yi’er’s eyebrows suddenly furrowed, and the corner of her mouth curved up into a gentle smile. What was she worried about?
She wasn’t the original owner. She could also see Prince Jing’s intentions towards her. So she would just wait quietly for him to handle it.

Moreover… Luo Yi’er curved her eyes and stopped thinking about it.

Luo Yi’er had just finished her lunch when she saw someone being led to the Yunxia courtyard.

A screen separated them, and Luo Yi’er’s gaze dropped slightly as she listened to the person’s words: “…the Prince said, let Miss Luo not worry, this matter would be handled by him…”

Linglong passed a letter in from outside, and the person bowed and retreated.

The person’s words seemed to put everyone’s mind at ease, and they all smiled. Even Pan Si’s eyebrows rose slightly. Luo Yi’er looked up and saw the expressions on everyone’s faces, smiled slightly, and raised her hand to take the letter. She read it bit by bit.

It was roughly the same as what the person had just said. The letter was only three lines long, and Luo Yi’er read it quickly. She smiled slightly, folded the letter, and put it back in the envelope. “Put it in the box,” she said softly.

Pan Si smiled: “Yes.”

After the other servants left, Pan Si attended to Luo Yi’er’s rest. Her eyes showed a hint of happiness, and she whispered, “The Prince still has Miss in his heart. He specifically sent someone to tell Miss not to worry.”

Luo Yi’er’s expression turned slightly pale, and it was unknown what she was thinking. After lying down, she closed her eyes and said softly, “Alright, don’t mention it.”

Pan Si paused, seeing her mistress’s expression, and felt a hint of confusion in her heart, but she didn’t dare to say anything more.

At the same time, in Prince Jing’s mansion’s study, Fang Jinling sat on a Qingtan wood chair. The golden thread edge of the Qing python embroidery on his sleeve hung down and covered the pattern on the armrest. His slender fingers played with the jade pendant at his waist, and he listened to the guard’s report with his eyes half-lowered. It wasn’t until he heard that Miss Luo seemed to be in a low mood that he paused slightly. After a long time, he nodded slightly and gestured for the person to leave.

After the guard left, the study fell into complete silence.

From the study door to the desk where Fang Jinling worked, there was a bookshelf in between, covering half the wall’s area. Wei Feng stood beside a blue and white porcelain vase next to the bookshelf. He frowned slightly and hesitated to step forward, saying, “Prince, the longer this drags on, the more unfavorable it seems for Miss Luo.”

Now the rumors were just about the two of them having incompatible eight characters. If it dragged on for some time, it might turn into Miss Luo having a bad fate. After all, both he and the Wang Ye knew who was behind this.

Although Wei Feng didn’t understand why the empress didn’t like Miss Luo, he had come to realize from the empress’s behavior that she was capable of being extremely vicious towards Miss Luo.

Fang Jinling tapped his hand on the desk, his eyes devoid of any warmth. He looked at Wei Feng and said indifferently, “Have you taken care of it?”

Wei Feng bowed his head. “Prince, rest assured. He won’t speak recklessly.”

Fang Jinling lowered his eyes, and his gaze fell on the jade pendant. His expression turned even colder, and he slowly uttered, “What have you found out about the incident at the Mingjing Temple?”

Wei Feng’s eyebrows furrowed tightly, indicating that this matter was somewhat difficult.
“Report to Your Highness, we’ve found some clues.”

“Tell me.”

“Your subordinate discovered that there was some movement at the Prince Yu’s mansion that night.”

As soon as Wei Feng finished speaking, the temperature in the study dropped instantly, like the cold ice of the third or ninth month.

Fang Jinling turned his head away, and although it was still dark outside, he didn’t care. He looked in the southeast direction, his eyes filled with cold intent.

The southeast direction was exactly where the Prince Yu’s mansion was located.

After a long time, he withdrew his gaze and looked at the documents and memorials on the desk. His indifferent voice carried a hint of bone-chilling coolness. “Prince Yu has sent me such a great gift, I naturally have to reciprocate.”

The next day, during the morning court, the Minister of Works suddenly impeached the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, accusing him of embezzling from the national treasury. The Deputy Minister was a follower of Prince Yu, and Prince Yu and his affiliates begged the emperor to investigate thoroughly. However, the Minister of Works was well-prepared, and the evidence he presented to the emperor’s desk was overwhelming. The emperor was furious on the spot and stripped the Deputy Minister of his position, sentencing him to exile and confiscating his family’s property.

Furthermore, because the evidence presented by the Minister of Works implicated many others, the emperor, still in great anger, entrusted Prince Jing with full authority to handle the matter. In less than half a month, all the hidden agents of the Prince Yu in the Ministry of Revenue were eliminated.

The Ministry of Revenue controlled the country’s finances, and Prince Yu lost this vital support, which was equivalent to losing an arm and a significant portion of his power.

As for Fang Jinling, Prince Yu naturally hated him to the point of gnashing his teeth. However, Fang Jinling just glanced at him indifferently and left a sentence, “This is just a gift from me to my royal brother.”

Prince Yu’s face changed, and he suddenly remembered what he had done recently. However, he didn’t know where he had exposed himself and could only watch as Fang Jinling walked away, leaving him standing there, furious and enraged.

After this incident, the rumors about Prince Jing and Luo Yi’er spread even more fiercely in the capital. The Marquis Qi’s mansion naturally wouldn’t sit idly by and was about to send someone to suppress the rumors when they discovered that several princes had a hand in it.

Although this matter was led by the empress, the other princes wouldn’t miss this opportunity and were all fishing in troubled waters.

In just a few days, this news reached the palace, and the empress immediately sent someone to the imperial study to request an audience with the emperor.

The emperor looked at the palace maid from the Kunning Palace expressionlessly until she said, “The empress requests the emperor to come to the Kunning Palace to discuss the marriage between Prince Jing and Miss Luo.”

The emperor’s eyes turned slightly cool, and he remained silent for a long time before finally standing up and heading towards the Kunning Palace.

The empress looked at the emperor’s entourage and felt a surge of joy in her heart. The emperor hadn’t come to the Kunning Palace for a long time. She nervously checked her appearance from head to toe and was about to turn around to greet the emperor at the palace gate.

However, as she turned, she suddenly saw a strand of silver hair near her hair bun in the bronze mirror. Her face suddenly darkened.

Zhang momo looked at her in confusion. “Your Highness, the emperor is about to arrive. Why aren’t you going?”

The empress’s face was gloomy, and she didn’t speak. She looked at the mirror and pulled out the strand of silver hair. Her voice was terrifyingly gloomy. “I don’t want to see the servant who styled my hair today again.”

Zhang momo had sensed that something was wrong when she saw the empress pull out the strand of silver hair. When she heard her words, she just lowered her head and agreed.

The empress’s face was extremely gloomy. She couldn’t believe that if she hadn’t seen it, she would have had to go see the emperor with that strand of silver hair.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She wanted to drag that servant down and punish them severely. However, considering the emperor’s imminent arrival, she put aside this thought.

Zhang momo adjusted the hairpins on her head, and the two of them quickly walked out of the Kunning Palace.

As they reached the entrance of the main hall, the emperor had already stepped down from his entourage. The empress’s eyes lit up, and she smiled brightly, bowing down.
“Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May you be in good health and peace.”

The emperor didn’t even glance at her and walked past her without giving her a second look.

The empress’s eyes dimmed instantly. After the emperor sat down in the main hall, he said coldly, “Get up.”

The empress pursed her lips and forced a smile as she turned around. She instructed a nearby palace maid. “Bring a pot of Bi Luo Chun tea.”

“There’s no need for the empress to trouble herself,” the emperor suddenly interrupted her, casting a dark glance at her. “I have many court affairs to attend to and don’t have much time. If the empress has something to say, please be direct.”

The empress’s expression froze, and she tightly gripped Zhang momo’s hand. She couldn’t help but feel resentful in her heart. Did the emperor remember that she was his legitimate wife?

He had been cold-shouldering her for years because of another woman. If it weren’t for her mentioning the matter of Prince Jing and that woman’s child today, would he have even bothered to come to the Kunning Palace?

The empress had already forgotten that, as the empress of a country, she had framed a minister’s wife for her own personal gain, and was caught in the act by the minister, which was a great loss of face for the royal family.

Zhang momo saw the emperor’s increasingly cold expression and couldn’t help but nudge the empress. The empress finally came back to her senses and forced a smile.

“Now that the rumors about Ling’er and Yi’er are spreading throughout the capital, in my opinion, it would be best to invite Buddhist Master to the palace. Buddhist Master has a deep understanding of Buddhism, and if he speaks out to dispel the rumors, no one would have any objections.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the emperor looked at her expressionlessly. The empress met his gaze, which seemed to see right through her, and her breathing faltered. She couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine. She straightened her back and forced a smile, avoiding eye contact with him.

The emperor gazed at her for a long time, and finally let out a soft snort with an unreadable meaning. The empress’s face turned pale. Then she heard the emperor’s calm voice, “Let’s do as the empress suggests.”

The empress suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Before she could even manage a smile, she saw the emperor stand up and walk away. As he passed by her, his eyes showed no warmth, and he left behind a sentence, “The empress should take care of herself.”

The empress couldn’t detain him and heard the sharp cry of “The emperor is departing!” She felt weak and leaned against Zhang momo, looking up at her with a nearly paranoid expression.
“What did the emperor mean? Does he know everything?”

Zhang momo hadn’t even had a chance to comfort her when she heard the empress mutter to herself. “It’s impossible. He can’t know! He’s just not believing me!”

After saying this, the empress’s face streamed with long tears. Zhang momo tightly hugged her, feeling a pang of sorrow and pain in her heart, but she didn’t know how to console her.

In the main hall, the palace maid who had been instructed to serve tea earlier lowered her head and slipped out of the hall unnoticed.

The news of the empress’s proposal to invite Buddhist Master to descend from the mountain spread quickly. Those who didn’t know the truth thought that the empress was showing concern for her niece. However, when Madam Chu heard about it, she couldn’t help but smash a set of tea cups.

At this moment, Luo Yu’an was also in the Fang Yun Hall. Seeing this, he frowned slightly but didn’t say anything. He just raised his hand lightly, indicating for the servants to leave.

Madam Chu thought of what she had done in the past, and now she was using such despicable means to slander her own daughter. She was so angry that her whole body was shaking.

Luo Yu’an stepped forward and grasped her hand, saying calmly, “Ah Nian!”

He looked at Madam Chu’s appearance and saw a flash of worry in his eyes. The past incident had been buried in her heart for many years, and he was afraid that she would suffer from long-term pent-up emotions.

Luo Yu’an pulled her into his arms and frowned deeply. “Ah Nian, calm down.”

Madam Chu closed her eyes, her voice almost grinding out between her teeth.
“She’s gone too far!”

Luo Yu’an was speechless, and he couldn’t think of any words of comfort. He knew that the past incident had become a knot in her heart. He lowered his eyes and raised his hand to stroke her black hair, his voice deep and calm.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon…”

Madam Chu thought he was just comforting her and didn’t notice the hint of coldness in his eyes when he lowered them.