Chapter 29

  The crown prince and the elder brother were soon dismissed by Empress Xiaozhuang, the children were still young but it was the time when they learned to talk, and they didn't dare let them stay in front of her.

  "Come, Mingfei, don't be too disheartened. I know you've suffered a setback this time, and it's only natural to feel stifled. But that's just the way things are in the palace - everyone has had to go through similar experiences, including myself. You're actually better off than I was, since the Emperor is your cousin and you spent some time with me when you were young, which means you have a certain advantage over others. This matter will need to be investigated, but remember that sometimes it's better to err on the side of caution. If there's anything you can't bear or find difficult to do, just let me know and I'll make sure to get justice for you."

  Ming Fei faintly said: "The ancestors said it right, too much is just as bad as too little."

  Everyone's patience has its limits. Ming Fei is no saint, and there are people who want her dead now. How can she remain silent or make a big fuss?

  Xiangzhuang patted Mingfei's hand and stopped, looking at Mingfei: "You still have the Fourth Brother, if things are done too much, aren't you afraid of bringing disaster to him?"

  Mingfei smiled: "The ancestors want to say what, I understand in my heart, but this sentence I dare not agree with. If I really do nothing, it's true that I've caused trouble for Yongzheng. The ancestors worry about what, I also understand, I'm not a person who doesn't know the depth, I'm already a person in the harem, how can I cut off my own retreat and make heaven angry and people resentful? I have a sense of proportion."

  Mingfei's words made Xiaozhuang fall silent, not because she was angry, but suddenly became melancholic. The luster in her eyes looked unfamiliar and worried. She gazed at Mingfei and sighed softly: "You've always been a good person."

  Mingfei didn't know what Xiaozhuang was thinking of, nor did she know why Xiaozhuang suddenly said this. Xiaozhuang patted Mingfei's hand: "Take good care of yourself, remember what you said."

  Get up and hold Su Mo's hand: "I'm leaving now."

  Mingfei got up and wanted to see off Xiaozhuang, but Xiaozhuang waved her hand: "You don't have to get up."

  After seeing off Empress Dowager Cixi, Mingfei was still leaning against the backrest on the couch. Wang's nanny was massaging her back while saying: "What do you think the emperor means by looking at the empress dowager like that?"

  Mingfei pressed her face against the smooth surface of the pillow, rubbing gently: "What does it mean? Is it just that you're afraid I'll stir up trouble in the harem? But why did you suddenly stop talking about it? Ah, right, did you pass on my words to Mother?"

  "As soon as the palace gate opened today, it was handed over."

  "Have the people in Hui Fei's palace also left the palace?"

  "He also went out and looked in the direction of Mingxiang's mansion."

  Tong Jia and Mingzhu are already at odds, if she investigates, she will have to bear the consequences of worsening relations with Mingzhu's faction, but if she doesn't investigate, it would be equivalent to downgrading her own status in the harem, neither of which is what she wants to see.

  But there's always a way out of it.

  Mingzhu paced back and forth in the living room, sank into thought for a moment, then said: "You go tell Concubine Hui that this matter is well understood by me, I will definitely lend Concubine Hui a helping hand. Let Concubine Hui not be flustered either, someone wants to see us clash with the Empress, but the Empress may not necessarily see through the subtleties here."

  Eunuch replied: "Master said that slaves all remember, will certainly say a word to the master."

  The bright pearl was appreciated by the eunuch, who watched him leave the living room.

  Mingzhu walked back and forth a few steps, and a cold hum came out of his nose: "This thing is probably done by that old scoundrel Suo Ertu. He wants to clear the way for the crown prince so early, but he forgot that when you eat too much, you still have indigestion. How can you swallow a fat man in one mouthful? There's no such good thing! This time, I will make him lose his wife and soldiers, and let him cry without tears!"

  "Liu Shun, go and take a look at what's going on at the Tong manor. I'll go see Tong Guowei in a while."

  Liu Shun hastily replied, "Yes."

  He Xier was still a bit weak from the celebration, and as soon as he heard about Mingfei, his vision almost went black. Tong Guowei waited until Wang Wanhua left before slamming down his teacup: "Look at how our Tong family is being bullied! Who dares to be so blatant in their evil deeds!" He sneered coldly: "If I find out who did it, I'll make sure they know the rules!"

  He Xiaoli hastily got up, holding onto He Xiaolong's hand: "The Empress has summoned me to the palace, I'll go and get ready now. Alas, my heart is racing terribly."

  Tong Guowei's tone softened a bit: "Alright, you go and collect the goods first. If there's anything I need to tell you, I'll let you know later."

  Hershey nodded and left with Little Hershey.

  Only three people were left in the house, Tong Guo Wei and his father. After saying that he would not marry for ten years, his status at home had clearly declined, but he didn't mind at all. He still did what he wanted to do. Tong Guo Wei basically maintained an attitude of ignoring him, only talking to Long Ke Duo: "What do you think about this?"

  Long Keduo pondered and said, "My son thinks that whoever benefits the most from our family being on good terms with Imperial Consort Hui is who will be harmed the most. In the inner palace, only people like this can secretly harm the Noble Consort."

  Tong Guowei's eyes suddenly lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "What you said is right, that's exactly what I mean."

  Qing Fu nodded in agreement, but Tong Guowei didn't even look at him.

  Mingfei didn't change his attitude towards Qingfu just because he quit, every time the mansion received rewards, Qingfu's was always more and not less. This made Qingfu feel that Mingfei still understood him, with a subtle sense of being considered a kindred spirit. Also, as an older sister, she couldn't help but worry: "I don't know if the Empress's body is really unharmed or just comforting us, should we let Mother bring some medicine to the Empress? As her son, I'm still not at ease."

  Long Ke nodded in agreement: "Big brother is right, it's also a good idea to bring some medicine when Mother enters the palace. The noble consort may not be lacking, but it's also our kind intention."

  The father and son were talking when they heard a servant outside report that Mingzhu had arrived.

  Tong Guowei and Long Keduo exchanged a glance: "How did this old fox come at this time?"

  Long Keduo said: "No matter what, let's meet first and talk later."

  Mingzhu is a person who is extremely good at understanding people's hearts, and being able to get along so well with Kangxi is also because among the ministers, he often does things that are most in line with Kangxi's intentions.

  He smiled harmlessly and bowed to Tong Guo Wei, and several people sat down in order. Mingzhu opened her mouth and said straightforwardly: "I won't beat around the bush either. The matter of the noble consort has now implicated Hui Bin, and Hui Bin is my cousin. This is not something I should be saying, but if I don't make it clear early on, I'm afraid those who are truly malicious will be the ones to gain from it. The noble consort's matter was definitely not done by Hui Bin; it's probably someone trying to reap the benefits of others' misfortune."

  Tong Guo Wei looked very calm, slowly savoring his tea, completely unlike the worried person he was at the beginning: "Ming Xiang's words are not entirely correct, we also didn't say that this matter is definitely done by Hui Bin. Moreover, it's hard to say what the people behind want or plan to do."

  Mingzhu's expression didn't change, and she smiled: "Lord Tong, your words are wrong. Have you considered that if I hadn't come today and hadn't told you these things, what would have happened next?"

  Tong Guowei tapped the table lightly and changed the subject: "So what does Shang Mingxiang mean by that?"

  Mingzhu still smiled and said: "After all, we have to let those arrogant people know that we are not easy to mess with."

  The sun outside was still okay, Mingfei moved from the house to the corridor outside, Ba Ge on the shelf kept shouting "Nu Bi has seen the emperor", A Bao in front of Mingfei stared at Ba Ge on the shelf with round eyes, pointing at Ba Ge.

  Mingfei patted his little hand: "That's not something you can play with, it's a living thing. If you make it unhappy, it will peck at you twice. Don't touch it anymore, let it stay on the shelf and say a few words."

  Abao leaned against Mingfei, looking at Mingfei and then at Bage, finally compromising by patting Mingfei's arm, indicating that it was okay for Mingfei to take him for a walk.

  Mingfei was pretending to be weak, where could she take the lively Abao for a stroll? She supported Abao and said: "Mother's body is not comfortable, can't take you out, let Nai Nai take you out for a walk, okay?"

  Abao suddenly wilted, looking at Mingfei in disappointment. Mingfei thought that if it were a small dog, its little ears would droop down and it would lie on the ground whimpering.

  She held Abao in her arms and rubbed him: "Mother's treasure, mother is really sick, wait for mother to get better and will take Abao everywhere, when summer comes, mother will also take Abao on a big boat to fish on the boat, catch fish and make fish soup for Abao to drink, okay?"

  Abao didn't quite understand and leaned into Mingfei's arms.

  The nanny brought out Abao's fruit puree and said: "Master, it's time to feed Fourth Young Master something."

  Mingfei received the bottle and poured some water into it. Outsiders wouldn't know that the water inside was actually from a spatial spring. Abao, being young, had a keen sense of smell that was already well-developed, and immediately caught the scent, which shifted his attention to food. "Want! Want!" he shouted, wanting Mingfei to feed him something to eat.

  Abao has always been fond of things in space. Although Mingfei doesn't often take him into space, he remembers and sometimes expresses his desire to enter space, but this expression is not understood by others, only Mingfei is clear about it.

  Ah Bao puffed out his cheeks and ate with a serious expression on his face.

  Wang's nanny reminded him on the side: "Fourth Brother still has fifteen days before his first birthday."

  Mingfei wiped a corner of Abao's mouth: "The emperor means to have a big celebration, to stir up some joy, the palace has been too dull for half a year."

  The author has something to say: I still want to say, once again I'm so tired that my eyes can't open, how I miss the old days of writing~~~~~~~ Worms and beauties, please help take a look.