It seemed that Emperor An was shaken by Rong Yue’s earlier determination. He was afraid she might truly spill blood in the palace. While he didn’t care if one or two people died, Rong Yue couldn’t die in the palace at this moment.
He looked at Rong Yue and softened his tone, saying, “Xie Tianyu has wronged you, and you can leave King Cheng’s residence. The family assets will still belong to you, as a compensation for the years the royal family owes you.”
The eunuch, Feng, was astonished. It was already rare for His Majesty to allow the princess to separate from the king, but now he was willing to give her the family assets of King Cheng?
He quickly knelt and advised, "Your Majesty truly wants what's best for you."
"Although severing ties with King Cheng will bring a moment of relief and vent the grievances in your heart, several of the old princes from the royal family are not easy to get along with. You still have to stay in the capital, and Princess Yiyang also needs to stay here. Even if you don't think of yourself, you must think of the princess."
"She gave all the dowry left to her by Lady Rong and the things from the Grand Tutor to the academy. You must leave her something, so when it’s time for her marriage, she won’t be looked down upon."
Rong Yue seemed to be swayed by his words and bit her lip. “But we are an orphaned mother and daughter, and we can't protect such a large estate.”
“That’s easy,” Emperor An said impatiently. He only wanted to send Rong Yue away and not have her "stir up trouble" any longer. “I will issue a decree, making the assets of King Cheng’s residence belong to the Rong family. I will also grant you the title of Rong Guo Madam, allow you to establish your own household, and inherit the Rong family line.”
"With this decree, and with the imperial edict in hand, no one will dare to insult you."
Seeing that Rong Yue’s expression softened, Emperor An continued, “If you are willing, I will issue the decree immediately and have someone take care of it.”
Rong Yue’s eyes were red, and after a long pause, she knelt and said, “I thank His Majesty.”
Emperor An breathed a sigh of relief.
Eunuch Feng personally saw Rong Yue out of the main hall. He had originally been worried about the former Princess Consort Cheng, but after she left the hall, her expression showed no trace of the anger and sorrow from earlier. Aside from her eyes being slightly red, there were no signs of the stormy tears she had shown earlier.
“I’ve startled you just now, Eunuch Feng,” Rong Yue said softly.
Eunuch Feng widened his eyes. "Princess Consort... No, I should say, Madam, what...?"
"After a severe illness, one must remove the pus and festering wounds first, but His Majesty’s thoughts are unpredictable. I had no choice but to take a risk. Thank you, Eunuch Feng, for stopping me from spilling blood before the emperor, or I would have likely lost half my life to get what I wanted." Rong Yue bowed respectfully to Eunuch Feng.
Eunuch Feng was initially shocked, but then it dawned on him. After a moment, he quickly helped her up and said in a low voice, “I dare not accept such a great honor from Madam.”
Rong Yue softly said, “Today, Eunuch Feng helped me, and I owe you a favor. If you ever need anything in the future, I will do my best to help.”
Eunuch Feng smiled quickly. “Madam is too kind.”
Rong Yue didn’t say much more and didn’t stay in the palace for long. After bidding Eunuch Feng farewell, she turned and left. Eunuch Feng, meanwhile, went to the side hall to prepare fresh tea for the emperor. He had only just entered when a young eunuch followed him in, walked over to him, and handed him a few pieces of paper.
Eunuch Feng was momentarily stunned, then heard the young eunuch lower his head and speak, "This servant is Peng Qin from the Inner Palace Bureau. I’ve been sent by Princess Consort Cheng to deliver a token of thanks to Eunuch Feng."
Eunuch Feng squinted his eyes, about to refuse, but the young eunuch said, "Eunuch Feng, please take a look first."
Seeing the eunuch standing his ground and not backing away, Eunuch Feng grew suspicious. He took the items the young eunuch was holding. There were several house deeds, slave contracts, and some land contracts for farmland outside the city. He didn’t pay much attention at first—although the items weren’t cheap, they weren’t enough to stir him.
He flipped through them casually but his expression changed as he saw what was written on the last few papers. He quickly yanked them out, his face darkening as he looked at the young eunuch, “What does Princess Consort Cheng mean by this?!”
“Eunuch Feng, please don’t be angry,” Peng Qin said, lowering his head. “These weren’t things Princess Consort Cheng found herself, but were intercepted from someone else. As you know, the princess and the Lu family aren’t on good terms. When she had people secretly watch the Lu family, she discovered that they had suddenly sent someone to watch a wealthy family in the city. The princess found it strange, so she had them keep an eye on it, and by chance, they found that it was related to you.”
“The princess never told anyone about this, and she ordered the people to stop the Lu family’s men. She asked me to give these to you and also to ask if you have any grievances with the Lu family.”
Eunuch Feng’s face darkened. “The Lu family?”
Peng Qin continued, “I’m not clear on the details, but the princess said that she secretly had the people move that wealthy family to the place where these house deeds are located. The Lu family is difficult to deal with, and it seems like they want to use this to put pressure on you. If possible, the princess hopes you can have them leave the capital soon.”
Eunuch Feng stood still, his face changing. The wealthy family mentioned by Princess Consort Cheng was his cousin’s bloodline. That child had committed a crime and should have been executed, but he had used his influence to save him. The child was then raised in the capital, and no one knew their relationship or that the child had been adopted under his name, having two grandsons.
Now the Lu family was targeting them, likely because of their recent frustrations in the court, hoping to use Eunuch Feng to alleviate their situation.
But how could Princess Consort Cheng stop the Lu family’s people? How could she even direct the Inner Palace Bureau?
The Inner Palace Bureau...
The Eunuch Supervisor...
Eunuch Feng’s mind raced, and a figure flashed through his mind.
Xiao Yan!
Only he could so easily grasp Emperor An's thoughts, and only he would dare use Princess Consort Cheng to threaten the emperor with death, forcing him to allow the separation from King Cheng and even give up all the royal assets in King Cheng’s residence to soothe her.
Eunuch Feng looked at the young eunuch in front of him, “What does Xiao Supervisor want?”
Peng Qin chuckled softly. “Eunuch Feng, you’re joking. It’s just that Princess Consort Cheng thanks you for your protection today. Please take these things, and this servant will leave now.”
Eunuch Feng stared after the young eunuch as he left, his expression still heavy. The entire time, there hadn’t been any mention of a request, but something didn’t sit right with him. Xiao Yan couldn’t possibly be giving him so many “favors” for no reason. Yet these things were hard to refuse. After a long silence, he carefully stored the items away.
After brewing the tea, Eunuch Feng returned to the emperor’s hall.
Emperor An was in a foul mood. The recent inquiries hadn’t gone well, the alchemy process was slower than before, and the court was full of problems, all making him more irritable. He poured two pills from a bright red bottle into his mouth, followed by a gulp of strong liquor, which caused his face to flush with heat. Finally, he loosened his robe and relaxed.
“Did you send her off?”
Seeing Eunuch Feng enter, Emperor An asked.
Eunuch Feng bowed low. “Princess Consort Cheng left crying. She didn’t seem to be feeling well, but it’s understandable. Anyone would have a hard time bearing such things.”
Emperor An leaned back in his chair. “Xie Tianyu’s bastard actions, and now I have to clean up his mess. Go and issue the decree for Rong Yue’s title and the transfer of King Cheng’s estate to the Rong family. Have the Ministry of Rites prepare the edict and get it done quickly.”
“Yes.”
As Eunuch Feng began to pick up the broken porcelain shards on the floor, Emperor An suddenly spoke. “By the way, who is the woman who had an affair with Xie Tianyu and gave birth to Xie Yin?”
Eunuch Feng froze for a moment, nearly cutting himself on the shards. For some reason, the Lu family came to mind, and he quickly shook off the thought. “This servant doesn’t know. Princess Consort Cheng was renowned for her beauty in the capital. I don’t know who could have the ability to outshine her.”
“Interesting,” Emperor An said, his usual impatience replaced with a hint of interest.
Eunuch Feng, still collecting the porcelain shards, casually mentioned, “But I remember that when King Cheng married Princess Consort Cheng, it was because of the Rong family’s influence. That’s why he gained the late emperor’s favor. Logically speaking, with her background and talent, King Cheng wouldn’t have looked elsewhere, unless someone in the capital was able to surpass the Rong family…”
“What did you say?” Emperor An suddenly furrowed his brow.
Eunuch Feng was stunned. “Your Majesty?”
But Emperor An didn’t wait for an answer. He sat up sharply, his expression darkening. The Rong family, once powerful and influential—who could surpass them?
The noble families?
Wait, King Cheng and the Lu family were collaborating...
King Cheng and the Lu family?!
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You can read ahead to chapterr 370 (100+ extra chapters) here
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