Chapter 82 (1/2)
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Chapter Eighty-Two: Presents
”Junw.a.n.g Ye…” Hou s.h.i.+ stood at the Door of Drooping Flowers and looked at Yan Bo Yi who was smiling at a concubine. She pushed down the soreness she felt and forced herself to show a smile.
The concubine next to Yan Bo Yi curtsied when she saw Hou s.h.i.+ and moved to the side with a lowered head. She seemed exceptionally docile and well-mannered. But even the most docile and well-mannered concubine was, in Hou s.h.i.+'s view, a woman who was displaying docility and trying to take her man from her. However, Hou s.h.i.+ was skilled in enduring, and even though she felt discontent inside, she did not show it on her face. She sedately walked in front of Yan Bo Yi and said in a gentle voice, ”Pardon my intrusion of your pleasure.”
Seeing Hou s.h.i.+, Yan Bo Yi's smile disappeared. After having the concubine leave, he said, ”I see that your complexion has not been well these days. The medicines that the grand doctors have prescribed are not of use.”
”Sickness leaves slowly, so how can recovery be so quick?” Hou s.h.i.+ smiled and didn't care at all about her own illness. ”After a few days, it will be the Empress' birthday. Qie really doesn't know what kind of birthday present to send into the palace. Junw.a.n.g, what do you think?”
When the Empress was mentioned, Yan Bo Yi''s expression was not well. Thinking about his own plans, he said, ”Two-tenths more than in the past years, but avoid anything to do with pomegranates and grapes, so as to not remind the Empress.”
Pomegranates and grapes had the meaning of lots of children. But right now, the Empress did not have a son, and the child inside the Crown Princess was not the Crown Prince's. Wouldn't sending in those things increase the Empress' displeasure? He could guess that the child inside the Crown Princess was the Emperor's, and so could the Empress. If he could team up with the Empress, it would be good for him. If he could not, at least, the Empress might have a good opinion of him.
”Qie understands,” Hou s.h.i.+ responded. After the two of them said this, they didn't have anything else to talk about.
As the mood cooled, Yan Bo Yi suddenly spoke. ”I heard that Xian w.a.n.g Fei does not like to manage affairs, so she may not know what is most appropriate to give to the Empress for a birthday present. If you have the free time, you can chat with her. That will be of great help to her.”
”You mean…” Hou s.h.i.+'s expression changed slightly. After a long pause, she said, ”Xian w.a.n.g Fei doesn't like to attend to matters, but she is not stupid. I'm afraid that she will not believe what I say.”
”If she isn't willing to believe, think of a way to get her to believe.” Yan Bo Yi's tone carried unconscious disdain. ”She's just a woman, and spoiled by Yan Jin Qiu—what can she do?”
Hou s.h.i.+ heard the mockery in Yan Bo Yi's voice. Her gaze was complex when she responded.
Two days later, Hou s.h.i.+ was copying the Book of Dao when she saw her personal servant girl come in. She put down the brush in her hand and said in a calm tone, ”What is the progress on the matter?”
”Mistress, do not worry. Today, the procurer from Xian w.a.n.g Fu purchased that jade statue of the immortal G.o.ddess holding the pomegranate. I heard that Xian w.a.n.g Fei is very satisfied with it and has already added it to the list of presents.”
Hou s.h.i.+ nodded and sighed. Hua s.h.i.+ might be intelligent, but in the end, she had been spoiled by Xian w.a.n.g.
In Xian w.a.n.g Fu, Hua Xi Wan played with the immortal G.o.ddess and pomegranate jade statue that Hou s.h.i.+ talked about. She sighed. ”Such good skill—even the wrinkles on the G.o.ddess' robe can be seen clearly. I just don't know if it will be smashed after it is delivered to the Empress' palace. It is such a pity.”
”If you like it, then keep it. We can find another one that has the same meaning to replace it,” Yan Jin Qiu said with a smile. ”I have in my stores a jade statue of an immortal G.o.ddess throwing flowers. Later, I will have the servants deliver it to you to play with.”
”I just like to see the novelty of these things, not play with them.” Hua Xi Wan put down the jade statue. With a hand propping her cheek, she said to Yan Jin Qiu, ”Since we need the other to believe that we took the bait, we have to be professional.”
Yan Bo Yi's move was malicious and cunning, but he had missed one thing. If one was thinking rationally, if a woman didn't have her son, and her grandson was about to be born, a woman who wanted her son to have a descendant would pray every day for this grandson to come out safely and healthy. Their Xian w.a.n.g Fu would cause the Empress displeasure because they had such a jade statue among the gifts, but this would be enough for the Emperor and Empress to believe that they did not know the child inside the Crown Princess was not the Crown Prince's. They would not know that the Empress disliked the child inside the Crown Princess and was just enduring it.
Otherwise, if the Empress knew that the child inside the Crown Princess was not the Crown Prince's, how could she tolerate it? Only if the father of the child was someone she could not offend.
The Empress was above thousands of people and below just one, the mother of the people. Which kind of person could cuckold her son yet she did not dare to voice it?
These questions that could not be thought about were something that Xian w.a.n.g, someone who only studied poetry and drawing, would not think about. She, the Xian w.a.n.g Fei who did not like managing matters, would be even more ignorant. Therefore, it was normal for there to be a jade statue among the gifts, to wish the child inside the Crown Princess well.
It was better to invoke dislike than hatred.