CHAPTER 657: CHAPTER 657: HOU MANSION

Back at the Qingya Residence, Xia Ruqing was somewhat perplexed. "Why do those people hate me so much?"

Zi Yue hesitated before finally speaking up. "Your Highness, have you forgotten? This matter... is..."

Xia Ruqing suddenly remembered. "Oh, I almost forgot, they also suspect that I am being... haunted by Honored Lady Jiang!"

Rumors were quelled, but the matter remained unclarified. Xia Ruqing scoffed. "It seems the Empress cherishes her feathers—what cunning calculations, ha!"

Zi Yue didn’t say anything more. Zi Su and Zi Ning were also very careful.

Xia Ruqing took a deep breath and then suddenly laughed. "Enough, enough, let’s leave it at that! Has your master ever been short of slander? This one more won’t make a difference!" With that, she walked out.

Looking at the chrysanthemums placed outside the window, Xia Ruqing sighed. "What a pity, I didn’t even get to eat any mooncakes this year. Tonight, let’s drink some chrysanthemum wine. It’s the Double Ninth Festival after all!"

Zi Yue laughed. "Alright! I’ll go and tell Xiao Xizi right away!" Having said that, she turned to leave. But unexpectedly, she bumped into Xiao Xizi who was just coming in.

"OUCH!"

"AH!"

The twin exclamations of surprise caused Zi Su and Zi Ning to laugh at the side, and the atmosphere became warmer.

Xiao Xizi brought some good news. "My lady, Little Zhuzi just sent a message saying that Lady Hou is coming to the palace to see you!"

Xia Ruqing paused for a moment before she realized who Lady Hou was. "It’s my elder sister-in-law coming? That’s wonderful!"

She had become accustomed to fighting alone but had forgotten she still had family.

"Yes!"

Xia Ruqing felt a bit guilty. "How could I forget about them! My elder brother is still serving in the palace, and my younger brother has to take the imperial exam! I still have them!" Emotionally stirred, her eyes reddened.

「Speaking of the Hou Mansion,」

Although Xia Tingfeng had the nominal title of Third-Rank Marquis Zhongyong, his actual position was still Deputy Commander of the Imperial Forest Army. This was rather impressive. The position of Imperial Guards Commander might seem less spectacular than that of the renowned Great Generals, perhaps even low-key. However, it was undoubtedly one of the positions closest to the Emperor’s trust. If he weren’t a trusted confidant, who would have him guarding so close by?

Upon returning from Yanguan City, Xia Tingfeng continued to serve in the palace. As for his personal soldier, Ye Tang, he couldn’t join the Imperial Forest Army, so he had to gain experience in the Ministry of War. Minister of War High Official Yang He had a decent relationship with Xia Tingfeng, so Ye Tang wouldn’t be too ill-treated there. Given that the Great Chu Dynasty didn’t have a rule against women serving in the army, General Yang couldn’t outright refuse. He merely agreed to keep the secret and said no more.

After the arrangements were made, Xia Tingfeng finally had a bit more free time. The Hou Mansion enjoyed a period of tranquility. The newly-weds were blissfully sweet with each other.

Around the Mid-Autumn Festival, court gossip reached Xia Tingfeng’s ears, and he furrowed his brows at the time. Summoned by a spirit? Which Honored Lady passed away and dared to harass my sister for her life? The audacity!

Xia Tingfeng might not have read many books, and he didn’t have many philosophies, but he was very stubborn. Once he believed in something, no one could change his mind. Like the conviction ’my sister is always right,’ he saw it as the truth and would not allow anyone to argue against it.

So, while the Emperor was urgently dispatching people for an investigation, he also eavesdropped in secret and learned the truth. The culprits were none other than the Shih Family and the Fan Family. Though these two families were sworn enemies, they had somehow secretly colluded. They concocted a conspiracy involving ’scented candles,’ deceiving the Emperor into purchasing poisoned candles to give to his sister. The Imperial Physician couldn’t detect the poison because it was only activated by alcohol.

So... was this the reason the Empress Dowager kept raising her cup to drink at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet? At her age, wasn’t she afraid of drinking herself to death?

Xia Tingfeng had a cold exterior, but a rich inner life. Having figured out the case, he knew how to proceed. Every debt has its debtor, every wrong its perpetrator. Old Master Fan could not be touched, nor could Grand Tutor Shih. But surely their families could be held accountable. Take, for example... Old Master Fan’s good-for-nothing eldest son, and... the Shih Family’s whole bag of scandalous deeds impossible to cover up.

So, on the day after the Emperor ordered Old Master Fan’s eldest son to the Ministry of Imperial Stud to tend to the horses, Xia Tingfeng had someone deliver a chest of gold and jewels to the Ministry of Imperial Stud. Under his fierce intimidation and enticement, everyone in the Ministry of Imperial Stud, from the Minister of the Imperial Stud to the unnamed low-ranking officials who tended to the horses, received treasures worth ten times their monthly salary.

Not take it? Perhaps they’d like to get acquainted with the Nine Dragons Gold Braids? This was, essentially... forced bribery.

The Minister of the Imperial Stud, an old man who had spent most of his life raising horses, had never seen such a spectacle and was nearly scared out of his wits, let alone resist. The thoughts of those beneath him were much more lively. With gold and jewels on offer, only a fool would turn them away! Bullying? That was their specialty. So, there was nothing more to say.

From that day forward, Fan Changning lived a "wonderful" life filled with open mockery and traps at every turn. Most importantly, he couldn’t even find the person setting the traps and had nowhere to vent his anger. Though he lacked talent, he had never suffered such humiliation. But this was a task personally decreed by the Emperor. Didn’t want to do it? That would be defying an imperial edict and could cost a head. Well... better to just do it.

After learning of her son’s grievances, Lady Fan went crying to Old Master Fan several times, begging him to find a solution. At first, Old Master Fan tried to comfort her with kind words, but later he simply shouted her down. "What can I do? Go to the palace and ask your precious daughter what she’s done!"

Lady Fan immediately fell silent. Even though the palace was not supposed to communicate with the outside, weren’t all these troubles stirred up by that person inside? Anyone with half a brain could figure it out.

Lady Fan returned home with guilt in her heart. She felt aggrieved and needed to vent her frustrations somewhere. Hence, the Empress became her outlet.

"I really raised her in vain; she married into the palace in glory as the Empress, but look at the misery she’s brought us all!

"Tell me, over these many years, we haven’t asked for much, and yet she treats us this way!

"Had I known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have let her enter the palace in the first place!"

The Old Sister at Lady Fan’s side couldn’t bear to listen anymore. "Madam!"

"When the Empress was at home before her marriage, you also didn’t..." pay much attention to her, focusing only on your sons. The rest of the sentence was too dangerous for the Old Sister to voice aloud.

Lady Fan understood, and her complexion changed instantly as she exclaimed angrily, "What mother doesn’t love her own daughter? I didn’t neglect her!" Her tone was somewhat defensive, revealing her guilt.

The Old Sister bowed her head, thinking to herself: Why the guilt then? Why doesn’t the Empress summon you? Those were words no one dared say aloud.

The days at the Fan Residence had become unbearably difficult. The Shih Family was no better off. Someone obtained evidence from who knows where, claiming that their shops were evading taxes. Infuriated, the Emperor had their shops shut down.