Chapter 475 - Love Blossoms During a Medicinal Bath in the Hot springs (1/2)

“Rui’er just has to quickly give birth to King Chu’s eldest legal son. That will be the best repayment you can give me.” The Empress teased warmly.

“Aunt…” Ling Rui’er stomped her feet shyly, causing the Empress to laugh warmly. The Empress smiled and teased Ling Rui’er, “La.s.s, what’s there to be shy about? You can only capture a man’s heart once you have his legitimate son. Write your letter here. I still have to visit Her Majesty. She mentioned you yesterday.”

Ling Rui’er and the Empress Dowager did not get along ever since what happened the last time. The smile slid off Ling Rui’er’s face and she asked unhappily, “Her Majesty? What did she say about me?”

“It’s no big deal. We are all daughters of the Ding General Manor. She naturally wants to find out what happened. Rui’er, promise me. If Her Majesty looks for you these few days, you have to be sensible and not argue with her. She is after all, older than you. Her Majesty has been having a hard time recently. King Ning… She’s old now and should enjoy her life.” The Empress laughed as if she truly cared for Ling Rui’er. However, she also managed to make Ling Rui’er feel that the Empress was going to make things difficult for her. As such, Ling Rui’er found it hard to be happy.

“It will be peaceful if Her Majesty just wants to enjoy her life. Aunt, I think you should be more careful. It is difficult to find out what Her Majesty is thinking. She might not do things in favor of the Ding General Manor.” Ling Rui’er said meanly when she heard that the Empress Dowager might look her up. She did not want to see the Empress Dowager and felt upset when she thought of how the Empress Dowager did not like her either.

The Empress Dowager could not help but turn nasty when she heard how presumptuous Ling Rui’er was.

“Shut up.” The Empress’s gaze turned cold as she whispered angrily. “This is the royal palace and Her Majesty is the n.o.blest person here. How could you say something like that here? If she finds out about it, you’re going to die!”

Even though the Empress sounded angry, she was not sharp or fierce about it. It was obvious that she was warning Ling Rui’er.

“I, Aunt…” Ling Rui’er was startled when she heard that. She was not willing to accept that and wanted to argue. However, the Empress interrupted her again.

“Don’t say anything else. I will go to see Her Majesty. Write your letter here and pa.s.s it to Yan Miao later.” The Empress’s expression darkened. She walked to the door without saying anything else.

Behind her, Ling Rui’er pouted. However, she knew that they were in the palace and they must not infuriate the Empress Dowager. If she did, she would be on the losing end. She and the Empress Dowager truly did not get along. She did not know why the old woman wanted to fight for power and not just stay in the palace happily in the golden years. She just had to eat and drink. Why was she causing so much trouble?

The Empress Dowager kept doing things in secret with the old men in Ling Rui’er’s family. She did not know what they were up to. They even punished Ling Rui’er’s uncle for what she did. Ling Rui’er had just used something from the Empress Dowager’s palace to frame Mo Xuetong! They were all daughters from the Ding General Manor. Why did the Empress Dowager have to make things difficult for her!

The Empress, her aunt, was still nicer. She treated Ling Rui’er wholeheartedly! When Feng Yuxuan became the Emperor and she became the Empress, she would make the Empress the Empress Dowager. She would ignore that old biddy, the Empress Dowager, no matter how much she begged her. Ling Rui’er could not help but laugh out loud when she thought of that.

Yan Miao, who was standing by the side, glanced at Ling Rui’er. She felt that Ling Rui’er was truly stupid!

She was the Empress’s personal lead palace maid and naturally knew what the Empress was up to. She hid her thoughts and smiled as she helped Ling Rui’er to spread open a sheet of paper. Then, she backed away and stood far away. This respectful behavior pleased Ling Rui’er, and she looked like a cat who caught the canary.

After settling down, Ling Rui’er thought for a moment before starting her letter to Feng Yuxuan. When she wrote the letter, she naturally made it seem as if everything had been caused by others. She was the most aggrieved. First, it was Mo Yarui’s father who did not observe the rules and had charged into the manor to take Mo Yarui away. Then, he colluded with Mo Yarui to complain to the Emperor.

Ling Rui’er was then punished. She knelt outside and was sunburnt. The imperial physicians did not do their best to treat her. She had been feeling extremely worried and angry and accidentally smashed the medicinal box of an imperial physician. The Emperor heard some bad things about her and had taken her position away from her. That was why she needed Feng Yuxuan to come and plead with the Emperor on her behalf.

Of course, she also mentioned her love for Feng Yuxuan in her letter.

Even she was touched by the letter she wrote. She felt that it was extremely touching and thoughtful.

Yan Miao took the letter away. She glanced at it in secret before putting it in an envelope and sealing it. When the Empress returned from the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace, she secretly reported it to the Empress. The Empress nodded and did not say anything else. Yan Miao sent someone out with the letter. Feng Yuxuan was in a camp right outside the city. They just had to send the letter there.

This was considered a secret blow that the Empress was dealing to Feng Yuxuan. She wanted to force Feng Yuxuan’s hand. If Feng Yuxuan was still thinking of getting the Ding General Manor’s support, then he had to deal with Ling Rui’er’s situation. Otherwise, the people of the Ding General Manor would grow suspicious. If Feng Yuxuan wanted to drag the Ding General Manor to war with him, then he had to pay the price for it.

The Empress did not expect that the letter did not reach Feng Yuxuan’s hands at all. When the letter was delivered to the camp, they realized that Feng Yuxuan had made the patrol this time very formal. They could not deliver the letter to the camp. The eunuch wanted to enter the camp using the Empress’s order. However, he was made to leave and the sergeant raised the matter to the Emperor.

Not only was the Empress reprimanded, but Ling Rui’er was also made to return to the Ding General Manor. She was to return to King Chu’s Manor when King Chu left the camp.

The Empress’s plan failed and Ling Rui’er was sent back to the Ding General Manor, crying and sobbing.

While the Empress and King Chu fought, Mo Xuetong was having an easy time.

Feng Yuran finally brought Mo Xuetong to the place where he was busying himself with lately. He had hacked through the walls between their courtyard and the neighboring one. There, he built a s.p.a.cious pool. Autumn was coming but it was still very hot. They had to wear lighter clothing. There was a slight autumn breeze at night so it wasn’t that hot.

Feng Yuran led Mo Xuetong from their room to the garden through a side door.

They saw a green-stone path outside the door that winded around pine trees. The trees were at their most verdant and they could smell the fresh greenery as they walked between the trees. This courtyard was different from others. One would know that they were in the courtyard of the manor’s masters at one look for it was filled with the vitality of a man.

It was very quiet inside. They could hear the birds in the trees chirping from time to time. It was peaceful in the quietness.