The Slender Waist-Chapter 320 - 225: Humiliating the Empress Dowager

Chapter 320: Chapter 225: Humiliating the Empress Dowager

The next day, Andu County was engulfed in a dense fog, blanketing the entire city and rendering people indistinguishable from livestock within a distance of three Zhang.

Because of this, the time for the envoy’s departure was postponed by an hour.

Puyang Yi, staying at the posthouse, did not sleep well and intended to return to her warm bed for a bit more rest, but she was roused from sleep.

"The Empress Dowager summons the Lord of Pingyuan County," she was told.

Puyang Yi had been pointedly chosen to accompany the Empress Dowager on her travels.

Firstly, because she had been to Andu County before, and secondly, the Great Princess believed that having a female family member by the Empress Dowager’s side would make things more convenient. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Traveling from the posthouse to the Empress Dowager’s separate residence, Puyang Yi felt cold enough to huff breaths of air.

Only after entering the house did she begin to feel warm.

"I greet my aunt," she said, glancing at Li Sangruo and noticing her bloodshot eyes and the fatigue on her face that her makeup could not conceal, looking as if she had not slept all night. Puyang Yi speculated in her heart whether it was anger over General Pei’s failure to come and receive her.

Li Sangruo said, "Please, have a seat."

Puyang Yi responded, "Yes."

Sitting down, she looked up and commented, "Aunt, you do not look well."

Li Sangruo smiled and instead of replying, asked, "I’ve heard that your relationship with Shi’er Niang is quite good?"

Puyang Yi knew the Imperial Cavalry Division had spies everywhere, and since Andu County had been a place of embarrassment for Li Sangruo repeatedly, she understood that people would have been sent to investigate. In her heart, she scoffed, but her face showed only a beaming smile.

"I can’t say we are that close, I just fancy the two mu of green vegetables she grows and often go there to freeload."

Li Sangruo huffed.

"A woman who tends to the land. Is she worthy of you lowering yourself to fraternize with her?"

Puyang Yi just smiled without answering, waiting for Li Sangruo’s next words.

Sure enough, after a moment’s hesitation, Li Sangruo said, "Later, you will ride in my carriage and accompany me."

Puyang Yi felt a slight stir in her heart, "Thank you, Aunt, for your consideration."

In reality, Puyang Yi and Li Sangruo were not close.

An aunt is different from an uncle, there was a certain distance maintained, especially after the Emperor of Xifeng, who had doted on her, passed away, and Li Sangruo started presiding over the court and gradually became more domineering. This bothered the Great Princess greatly, who frequently cursed her in front of her daughter.

However, keeping male consorts was not uncommon in that era.

Not only did Li Sangruo have men in her service, but the Great Princess, having been widowed for many years, also had her fair share of male pets in her palace—it wasn’t her place to criticize.

Thus, while they harbored resentment, they maintained a superficial friendliness towards each other.

Puyang Yi did not know the exact reason Li Sangruo wanted her to accompany her, but she faintly guessed it had to do with Shi’er Niang.

This aunt...

Truly a villain harboring unyielding malice.

Puyang Yi felt a malicious glee.

-

As the hour of Chen passed, Jin Country’s envoy team awaited outside the separate residence, forming two lines.

Ao Zheng’s group stood to the right.

Imperial Secretary Ruan Pu, along with Minister Lou Ding in charge of foreign affairs and Grand Herald Shao Cheng, among others, stood on the left.

When the Empress Dowager’s carriage emerged, everyone performed the ritual greeting and shouted.

"We greet the Empress Dowager."

The first time Li Sangruo experienced her subjects’ adulation, shouting their welcomes, she felt a surge of excitement. Now accustomed, she couldn’t even be bothered to lift an eyelid, didn’t peek through the curtains, and just lazily said,

"Let us set out."

The Empress Dowager’s procession was grand; with the palace guards and the envoy’s entourage, it seemed to be a procession of thousands. As it passed through the central streets of Andu County, it attracted countless onlookers.

Among the crowd, there were hushed whispers.

Sitting in the carriage, Li Sangruo thought of the rumors that had spread through Andu County and frowned again and again.

Suddenly, the procession stopped.

Li Sangruo asked in a low voice, "What’s going on?"

No one outside responded.

Startled from her nap, Puyang Yi yawned, lifted the curtain, and looked outside.

She saw that a large piece of red cloth had suddenly been dropped from the opposite pagoda. The cloth bore a message written clearly in ink:

"A black mole the size of a bean, with a small, downward drooping wispy hair."

There was no explicit name or accusation and no definite statement of the matter, but the instant that red banner unfurled from the sky, all the officials and commoners in the street saw it. Anyone who could read understood immediately what it referred to; those who couldn’t, having heard it from others, also grasped the meaning right away...

The crowd grew restless.

Some sneered, some whistled.

Li Sangruo was so furious she was smoking mad, her fingers turning white from clenching.

"This is outrageous."

Puyang Yi had also heard about the incident and found it amusing, but she still had to comfort her.

"Aunt, you must not lose your temper. As the Empress Dowager, if you squabble with the commoners, it will only further fan the flames of this issue..."

"You need not lecture me!" Li Sangruo glared angrily.

She had a clear idea of what to do.

Others were intent on provoking her, to make her lose her composure in public. If she were to lash out now, she’d be playing right into their hands, exactly what the schemers wanted.

"Fang Fucai. Where is Wei Zheng?"

She asked sharply all of a sudden.

Fang Fucai, upon seeing the banner, was sweating profusely.

Hearing the Empress Dowager’s question, he jumped at the chance to criticize Wei Zheng.

"The superintendent, Mr. Wei, is busy with official duties, and we have not received any messages from him. Knowing that the Empress Dowager’s grand entourage has arrived in Andu, he still did not come to meet us. It must be because he has some important case at hand and cannot spare the time."

He was being sarcastic towards Wei Zheng.

And how could Li Sangruo not understand?

She snorted coldly, "Have the Imperial Cavalry Division investigate this for me, and if they cannot root out the person within three days, let Wei Zheng remove his official hat and end his own life. There’s no need for him to see me."

"This subordinate understands. That old bastard He Qia in charge of Andu, who knows what kind of troublemakers he’s been harboring."

He said this to curry favor with Li Sangruo.

Yet, with people all around, even when spoken quietly, the words still reached everyone’s ears.

The term "troublemakers" caused an uproar among the crowd.

Although the commoners did not dare to openly oppose the Imperial Court, let alone insult the Empress Dowager in front of the Imperial Guards, they could, however, hiss and boo.

The hissing of one person might not have much impact, but what about a crowd?

Thousands of people, packed so densely that not even water could seep through, hissed in unison at the Empress Dowager’s royal carriage, filled with disdain, how could the Imperial Guards intervene?

That day, Li Sangruo left Andu County amid the hissing of the city’s populace, boarded a ship at Shiguan Dock, and headed to Xinzhou.

-

When Feng Yun received the news, she was still bathing the young otter.

"Well done," she said, her head bowed so Ge Guang could not see her expression, "Tell Xing Bing, starting from tomorrow, let the Empress Dowager ’enjoy’ the enthusiasm of the people of Xinzhou a bit more."

Ge Guang bowed, "This subordinate understands."

Feng Yun instructed, "Be careful in your actions, do not let anyone catch you by the handle."

Ge Guang: "Understood."

Once the council hall was completed, Feng Yun was less busy and had time to take care of the young otter.

During this time, the young otter had grown rapidly, now looking two sizes larger than the biggest cat. Anyone seeing it would wonder what breed of cat it was.

Feng Yun didn’t let it go outside anymore.

Luckily, the young otter wasn’t fond of being active during the day, preferring to lie down and sleep when the sun was up, only sneaking out to search for food at night.

Since they were raising it in the residence, Ao Qi often caught fish for it, but its appetite was so massive that its consumption was astonishing. Perhaps worried about eating Feng Yun out of house and home, he would go hunting every few days. Not only for himself but occasionally, he’d bring back pheasants and wild rabbits to give Feng Yun a change of taste.

With such a treasure by her side, Feng Yun was very pleased, cherishing it as dearly as her own eyes, and silently considering storing some food for it.

Especially when it would get colder, and the snow made hunting more difficult.

She took care of the young otter like a child, washing its body clean, ensuring it had no odor, before wrapping it in a towel and bringing it inside to warm up.

"You’re getting heavy, all that food’s not for nothing. If you keep growing like this, sister won’t be able to carry you anymore."

Smiling, Feng Yun placed the otter on the couch, while Xiaoman laughed beside her.

Daman parted the curtains and entered, holding a wooden box, "Madam, all the herbs you need to make your pomade are ready."

Feng Yun didn’t even look up, "Just put it there."

Daman asked, "Madam, don’t you need it?"

Feng Yun answered, "Let’s talk after the negotiations. It’s a lot of work. Having the recipe alone isn’t enough; the craftsmanship is very particular."

Then she glanced back at them.

"Don’t mess with it. The smallest mistake could lead to a ruined face if used."

Daman was startled.

Feng Yun did not say much more, focusing on wiping the otter, and the corners of her lips involuntarily curled up.

In her previous life, she had not understood these things, but in this life, she had finally figured them out.

Lady Chen was truly despicable, raising Feng Jingteng’s illegitimate daughter in the care of the steward Jin Zhitong, using the girl’s own mother as leverage, to manipulate her.

Of course, Feng Jingteng himself was even more of a beast, ignoring his own daughter as she was exploited and saying nothing.

She felt indignant on behalf of her mother.

Daman was sixteen, one year younger than her.

Feng Ying was fifteen, two years younger than her.

Which meant, within his proclaimed love, he had never been without an affair. In fact, it was with more than just one woman.

"Madam."

In the quiet room, Daman’s soft call suddenly broke the silence.

She hesitated, looking at Feng Yun, then suddenly knelt before her.

"This servant has sinned."

As soon as she called out ’madam,’ Xiaoman sensed something was wrong. Seeing Daman kneel, her face turned pale, and she cried out ’sister,’ hurriedly kneeling down too. She looked at Feng Yun’s impassive face, then back at Daman.

"What’s wrong? Sister, what did you do wrong?"

Daman bit her lower lip, shaking her head.

Xiaoman grew even more anxious, "What mistake did you make? Quickly tell madam, she will forgive you."

"Xiaoman, you go down first," Feng Yun handed the damp towel to Xiaoman and sat on the wooden couch holding the otter, lazily sipping her tea.

Xiaoman’s face crumpled in worry as she left.

Her eyes full of pleading.

Feng Yun laughed softly, looking at Daman’s bowed head.

"You’re a smart person, and I’m not foolish. So there’s no need to hide, speak what’s on your mind?"

Daman knelt on the ground, her hands touching the floor, head bowed.

"The recipe for the Golden Boudoir Guest was copied by Jiang Da."

"Oh," Feng Yun responded nonchalantly as she casually brushed her hair aside, "Is that all?"

Daman looked up, meeting her eyes, suddenly feeling nervous, with cold palms and a sweaty back.

She chose to confess because she believed that the current Feng Yun was too clever to be deceived, and she did not think she could escape Feng Yun’s notice.

But to openly betray Lady Chen and confess everything, she lacked the courage.

She did not know what the outcome would be after speaking out.

Whether it would be better or worse.

However, Feng Yun was getting somewhat irritated, and lightly stroked her hair, speaking indifferently.

"Do you know why I’ve kept you by my side all this time?"