The Slender Waist-Chapter 648 - 467: The Best Plan for the Present

Xu Yong deliberately spoke in veiled terms, but Empress Dowager understood.

However, she was inherently timid. She wasn’t favored in her family and didn’t win the Emperor of Xifeng’s affection upon entering the palace. Later, with Yuan Shangyi, she was repeatedly suppressed by Li Sangruo. She had grown accustomed to being subservient, swallowing her grievances and staying silent. Usually, she had no mind of her own and wanted to escape whenever trouble came.

"Let them be, there’s nothing I can manage..."

Xu Yong bowed his head even lower, "Empress Dowager..."

His shrill voice carried a sense of urgency, "If you don’t think for yourself, you should at least think of His Majesty."

Empress Dowager raised her eyes to look at him.

Xu Yong said, "His Majesty is naive. What if, one day on a whim, he wants to choose another mother? What should Your Highness do then?"

Empress Dowager was stunned.

The whole world knew she was not the Emperor’s biological mother.

"How can Imperial matters be child’s play? Can a mother really be replaced so easily?"

"That may be true, but now..." Xu Yong’s voice grew softer, "with the Prince of Yonghuai wielding great power, it’s not just that His Majesty could be persuaded to agree willingly, but even if His Majesty is unwilling, he has ways to make His Majesty recognize a new mother... Just as the whole world knows why he would dare to accept the Nine Bestowments, doesn’t the Empress Dowager understand? The Prince of Yonghuai is just waiting for an opportunity, an excuse."

Empress Dowager looked at him, bewildered.

Back then, she and her son depended on each other for survival in Baima Temple; it was the Prince of Yonghuai who helped them ascend to their positions.

"Would His Highness truly do such a thing?"

Xu Yong forced a bitter smile, "Your Highness, haven’t you been listening to the stories of emperors and generals from the past? After hearing so much, I believe you should have your own judgment."

A powerful subject will not be willing to remain a subject.

When a king loses power, he can only abdicate to preserve his life.

It has always been this way since ancient times...

"Destiny. It’s all destiny," the Empress Dowager said, her voice filled with tension as she clasped her hands tightly, shaking her head, "Everything is preordained. My own parents didn’t cherish me, my husband didn’t like me, the child I raised with my own hands doesn’t want to be close to me... If that day really comes, it must also be my fate."

"Your Highness is confused!" Xu Yong sighed deeply, his eyes filled with urgency, "His Majesty is only seven years old, what can he understand? With others intentionally laying traps, not just a seven-year-old child but even the astute Prince of Yonghuai can be deceived completely."

Empress Dowager frowned, "Are you saying... even the Princess of Yonghuai deceived the Prince of Yonghuai?"

Xu Yong nodded and glanced at the Female Historian.

"Your Highness knows that when His Majesty went to Huaxi Village for treatment, it was all managed by the Princess, forcing you to compromise for the sake of His Majesty’s health... With such meticulous thoughts, how could the Prince of Yonghuai not be led by her?"

Empress Dowager’s brows rose thoughtlessly, "There’s no need to alarm with speculation. No matter how cunning the Princess is, she is but a young woman; how capable can she be to manipulate the Prince of Yonghuai at will? You’re exaggerating."

"The Princess is not an ordinary person. Perhaps she’s not even human at all."

Xu Yong’s chilling words, carried by his slightly hoarse voice, were enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

Empress Dowager’s body twitched, and she instinctively straightened her back, "Not human, then what is she?"

Xu Yong said, "I’ve had people inquire, and there is a saying in Nanqi that the Feng Family’s women are born under a calamitous star, reincarnations of demons. Able to predict the shocking battle of Bingzhou at just three years of age, leading to General Xie Xian’s army being annihilated..."

He continued, "Feng Jingteng is her biological father, who can push his own daughter into a pit of fire? Empress Dowager, think about it, did Feng Jingteng present her to the Prince with ulterior motives? Moreover, the Prince has always followed the laws of his ancestors and has never overstepped. But for the Princess, he has repeatedly broken precedent, not to mention dismantling the law that women should not hold office. Can an ordinary person achieve this?"

Xu Yong listed points for Empress Dowager to consider.

With every word she heard, Empress Dowager’s shock deepened, her complexion changing.

"That said, the Princess of Yonghuai is indeed peculiar."

Xu Yong narrowed his eyes slightly, making an ominous expression.

"Perhaps she has cast some sort of witchcraft, bewitching the Prince and even His Majesty—next, she’s likely to aid Nanqi and destroy the foundation of our Dajin."

Empress Dowager felt a chilling sense of dread, her hands tightening around her handkerchief.

"I was saying, how could there be a woman in this world so beautiful and so talented? No wonder, no wonder... The Emperor, who is cold and reluctant to be close to anyone, why is he so fond of her... Is there indeed something demonic in this world?"

Having spoken to herself, Empress Dowager suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed on Xu Yong, "Then why don’t we hurry and inform the Prince of Yonghuai? What are we waiting for?"

Xu Yong was taken aback.

It seemed he hadn’t expected that after all he said, the solution the Empress Dowager would think of was this.

"We mustn’t say anything, Your Highness," Xu Yong advised earnestly, "The Prince is bewitched by her. If we speak ill of the Princess, it would be bad enough if he doesn’t listen, but worse, he might see us as enemies. This matter must not be spoken of at all."

Empress Dowager grew anxious upon hearing this and asked with a knitted brow, "Then what should we do? Are we to let her wreak havoc as she pleases?"

She could never make up her mind.

Xu Yong spoke gravely, "The most urgent thing to do right now is to convince the Prince of Yonghuai. I believe that if we can produce evidence to prove that the Princess has bewitched His Majesty and has illicit connections with the Nanqi royal family, harboring dishonorable intentions towards the Prince of Yonghuai, this situation can be resolved..."

The Empress Dowager’s eyes brightened with urgency, "Then you must quickly send someone to investigate. We must find evidence to prevent His Majesty and the Prince from being deceived... to save our Dajin from ruin."

Xu Yong bowed with his hands folded in front of him, "As you command."

-

On New Year’s Eve, the climate in Xijing suddenly changed.

The cold wind howled through the city like a piercing chill to the core.

The Pei Residence, rarely reunited, had hung new lanterns, decorating the courtyard with colorful lights, and prepared a lavish feast, ready for the family to see the New Year in together.

Around noon, Ao Qi arrived at the residence with his new bride, Ayou and Azuo, upon seeing their brother and sister-in-law, became so excited they ran around like crazy in front of the rooms and behind the houses.

The children’s cheers were imbued with the festive spirit of the season.

Feng Yun specially greeted them with tea and snacks, managing everything with a smile.

Amir didn’t expect that not only did the Pei Residence have all sorts of pastries she had never seen before, but they also had fresh fruit during this season. Surprised, she couldn’t stop exclaiming how excellent her aunt was, saying it several times...

Her excitement was like that of a child.

At her age, she was indeed still a child.

Ao Qi frowned and glanced at her disparagingly.

But Feng Yun, laughing, handed her a big frozen pear and had Ayou and Azuo take their new sister-in-law to set off firecrackers.

Amir played to her heart’s content.

By dusk, when Pei Yao saw that the young couple had no intention of leaving, she became anxious. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Sister-in-law," she pulled Feng Yun aside, "you should ask when they plan to return to their residence."

Feng Yun was taken aback for a moment but smiled with a squint, "Why doesn’t big sister ask them herself?"

Pei Yao stuck her head out to look, then pouted, "If I go ask, my daughter-in-law might think I’m trying to get rid of her. Who knows what she’ll think."

The sporadic sounds of firecrackers intermittently came from the courtyard, along with the children’s and Amir’s screams.

In Cangyan Mountain, Amir had never set off firecrackers or seen fireworks...

Listening to the joyous sounds, Feng Yun suggested with a laugh, "Then why bother asking, big sister? If they want to stay and spend New Year’s with mother, let them stay."

Pei Yao’s brow furrowed, "That won’t do. No matter what, Xiaoqi is of the Ao surname. I’ve already taken Ayou and Azuo by my side, and if we keep Xiaoqi and his wife as well, it would be improper..."

Feng Yun’s lips curved into a smile, "Is big sister reluctant to let General Ao spend the festival alone, for fear it would be too bleak?"

Pei Yao’s face grew stern, "He has two young concubines; what’s there to be bleak about? I’m worried that others might speak ill of us, tarnishing our father’s reputation. I’m even more concerned that they will say my brother is bullying others with his power... Sigh, you don’t know, those people can say anything..."

Seeing her knitting her brows and pouting so seriously, Feng Yun could barely suppress a chuckle.

Just as she was about to offer words of comfort, Ao Qi’s voice suddenly came from behind.

"It was father who sent us here."

He slowly pushed aside the curtain to enter, with an unknown duration of eavesdropping, his expression somewhat heavy. His gaze swiftly swept across Feng Yun’s face, not daring to linger, and then he lowered his head and bowed to the two women.

"Father said it wasn’t easy for mother to raise me, and I should show filial piety. During the New Year, I ought to stay by mother’s side and cherish our time together."

"Hmph..." Pei Yao said irritably, "Playing the good guy? If he really cared for me, why would he commit such disgraceful acts? He’s simply getting old and fears that once he can’t move around anymore, his young concubines will run away with his money and their lovers. That’s why he’s looking for me, the easy target, to look after him."

Ao Qi was silent.

The atmosphere awkwardly became tense for a moment.

Feng Yun looked back and forth between mother and son.

Seeing them at an impasse, she broke the tension with a light laugh.

"Spending New Year’s anywhere is still New Year’s. Xiaoqi is already here, big sister, don’t think too much, just be happy..."

Hearing her, Pei Yao then managed to restrain her expression and forced a slight smile.

"Then stay, but do remind your new bride to act prudently. If she doesn’t understand our customs, she should learn quickly and avoid becoming a laughingstock..."

Ao Qi folded his hands in a bow, "Understood."

Before he finished speaking, a piercing scream suddenly came from outside.

It was sharper, more shrill, and more terrifying than before...

Ao Qi’s expression changed, and he dashed outside in the next instant.