Chapter 56

  Back at the mansion, Murong Feng was in the courtyard planting flowers. It was a pot of Osmanthus fragrans with delicate blossoms. Seeing him return, he smiled and said: "It was sent over by the Emperor's messenger, saying it was a new branch that grew from the original Osmanthus fragrans I planted, specially dug up and sent over. I chose a pot to plant it in, what do you think?"

  "The emperor is really biased, I asked him several times and he didn't agree, but this time he's being very generous, first sending flowers, and now another pot of them. If the empress dowager knew, she'd be heartbroken, she had asked for some several times, but the emperor wouldn't agree, not even willing to pick a single flower." Sima Rui chuckled and teased, "It's rare for the emperor to like you so much, he originally rarely interacted with younger generations. He just says that these young people are more arrogant and boring than the last generation."

  Murong Feng smiled slightly, "I'm afraid it's the fourth prince's 'reputation' that's at stake here, he's also afraid of you. How is Moon Jiao?"

  "Aren't you angry?" Sima Rui was taken aback, Murong Feng brought up Yu Jiao on his own initiative, and his tone was very calm, which made him feel unexpected, and he blurted out the question.

  Murong Feng smiled, "Angry? What am I angry about? How strange."

  Simarui felt a bit embarrassed, "It's really strange, I'm looking forward to you getting angry, but also afraid of you getting angry. The former is because if you get angry, it means you still care about me in your heart; I'm afraid of you getting angry, because if you get angry and ignore me, how can I make up for it?"

  Murong Feng couldn't help but laugh and say, "Simarui, you not only have a thick face, but the skills on your lips are also impressive. Yu Jiao was injured in the leg, if she rested in bed, should still be recovering, hopefully she can dance her favorite dance again in the future, her dancing is really good."

  Simarui sighed and said helplessly, "I was worried about this. Her condition has relapsed, the imperial physician sent someone to inform me that she was poisoned by a special toxin from Wumeng State, I'm afraid it's already impossible for her to dance again."

  "Is it the poisonous medicine of Wumeng country? Is it related to Hongyu?" Murong Feng blurted out.

  Simarui was taken aback, "How did you know?"

  Murong Feng thought to himself that he had spoken too quickly, and immediately smiled as he said: "Guess. This Wu Meng Guo poison, you also say is special, of course it's not something an ordinary person can get their hands on. Ya Li is now the beautiful imperial concubine, she doesn't need to treat her illness with a courtesan, but apart from her, the only people who could get this special Wu Meng Guo poison are Sima Qiang and Hong Yu husband and wife duo. The medicine that cured my illness wasn't brought back by Hong Yu from Wu Meng Guo? But how did she become enemies with Yuelou? That Yuelou doesn't seem like a showy person, and there's also the title of Fourth Master, why? —— Perhaps it has nothing to do with her, maybe someone else used the poison."

  Simarui didn't think much of it, and thought that Murong Feng was just guessing. He said, "This imperial palace is a place where right and wrong are confused, but this Moon Jiao is unlucky. If she were really Hong Yu, I would not have spared her. Moon Jiao is just quietly doing her job as a dancer, why did she have to get involved?"

  Murong Feng secretly let out a breath, actually she was also guessing, but if it wasn't for hearing Sima Minglang mention that Yu Jiao was actually Sima Zhe's person beforehand, she wouldn't have thought of Hongyu. Looking at Hongyu, with her virtuous and gentle appearance, how could she be so cruel and poisonous? What kind of poison was in Yu Jiao that would even affect her future ability to dance? But how did Hongyu know that Yu Jiao was Sima Zhe's person? Moreover, she is now already Sima Qiang's consort, with good feelings between them, why would she still want to get entangled with Sima Zhe's affairs again? It's really incomprehensible.

  It seems like everyone in this palace is wearing a mask, doesn't it?

  Maybe it has nothing to do with Hongyu at all.

  "How can we cure her?" Murong Feng asked worriedly, then suddenly smiled and said, "Why don't you go ask Empress Li for help? With her identity as the Princess of Wumeng, what kind of special poison could possibly harm her."

  "I was just asking for her help, and that's when I found out that Yu Jiao had been poisoned by the Wumeng Kingdom, and also knew that this poison is not something ordinary people can get their hands on. So, I'm also suspecting Hongyu, after all, Yu Jiao and...". Sima Rui stopped mid-sentence and changed the subject, "Have you eaten lunch yet?"

  Murong Feng didn't ask any more questions, nodded and said, "I've already eaten and taken a short rest. You probably haven't had dinner yet, go eat something. I'll finish planting the flowers here and water them, then we can go. Grandmother just sent Xiao Dezi to call us to Xiangfu Palace, I've already agreed."

  "Alright." Sima Rui responded, "Be careful not to hurt your hand, otherwise, let the slave girls do it, you just watch from the side."

  "That's really boring." Murong Feng smiled, lowered his head and cultivated the soil for the Osmanthus fragrans, "It's only fun when you plant it yourself."

  The Empress Dowager was chatting with Sima Minglang, tomorrow is August 15th, and she only sees her son once a year. Every time they talk, it's never enough. Suddenly, Xiao Dezi said: "Empress Dowager, the Fourth Prince and the Fourth Princess have arrived."

  Murong Feng wore a light blue dress, simply tied up her hair and inserted a same-colored jade hairpin. Since the day of marriage, she had been wearing a phoenix crown for a whole day, so she had immunity to decorative objects on her head and didn't like them at all. She would rather be like in the White Deer Plain era, just casually tying it up, at most using a card to tie it, simple and convenient, and comfortable too. However, this was ancient times after all, if she really tied a ponytail, everyone would probably think she had brain problems. The men here were all long-haired, with their hair tied up on top of their heads with jade, so she couldn't do the same either. She could only compromise, giving up those hairpins and combs, just choosing one was fine.

  "Maple seems to dislike decorative items, every time it's so clean and refreshing, it's comfortable to look at." The empress said with a smile.

  Murong Feng smiled slightly, "Grandmother is indeed praising me, but in fact, I'm just lazy. Since that day when I wore the phoenix crown for a whole day, it pressed out a bruise on my forehead. Now I'm afraid of anything on my head except hair."

  The empress dowager laughed happily, "Grandmother also thought so in the past, but Grandmother didn't have Feng'er's temperament. At that time, no matter how much she disliked it, she had to wear a hairpin or a hair clip, and walk around with a head full of gold and jade. It's better for Feng'er to be like this, both beautiful and comfortable."

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  Simar Minglang smiled slightly and asked: "Do you like osmanthus? When I picked it this morning, it was still covered with dew. It smells really good, just a hint of sweetness."

  "Thank you, Uncle Huang." Murong Feng bowed slightly, "The one that was sent over is also very good, and it even has some flowers on it, just planted."

  "Grandma, I'm going to report Uncle Emperor's behavior. You don't know how much he treasures the things in his old residence, especially those two osmanthus trees he planted when he was young. He loves them like precious jewels. Even when you wanted some for their fragrance, he wouldn't let you have any. And then, one morning, he sent a whole basket of flowers to my place, and later even sent another pot of osmanthus. Ha ha, you should scold him properly."

  "Is it?" The empress looked at her own son and smiled, "If it's true, I'll want double."

  Simar Minglang smiled slightly, "Rui'er's mouth is getting more and more unkind, I gave him something and still got scolded, it's really unjust."

  "This time you're back, are you going to stay for a few more days?" the empress asked.

  "It's intended to stay for a few days before leaving." Sima Minglang said lightly, his eyes quickly and lightly sweeping over Murong Feng, who responded with a faint smile, without any trace. In Sima Minglang's heart, however, was both warmth and a sense of loss, such a woman could only be regretted for not meeting her before she got married.