The Tides Will Turn Once Again
The matriarch had originally been sitting there awkwardly and was waiting for someone to speak to her, but now she was no longer in the mood. Her mind was filled with the image of Feng Yu Heng shaking her head to lady Zhou and the sound of her saying that she would enter the palace tomorrow to beg forgiveness from the Emperor. No matter how the matriarch thought about it, she felt it was a losing battle. Doctors were not all powerful. The legs had been injured for so long, how could it be treated in one go.
“A-Heng.” She spoke up but did not know what she should say.
Feng Yu Heng smiled and looked towards the matriarch. No longer mentioning Xuan Tian Ming’s matter, she instead spoke about family matters: “These past few days, I have been unable to go take care of grandmother’s back. The medicine sent by Qing Shuang, has grandmother been using them?”
The matriarch had a bitter expression and said: “I am using them. I am using them. It has gotten better. See, I can even come outside now.” She was anxious to ask about the ninth prince’s matter. Not waiting for Feng Yu Heng to speak, she quickly took the initiative to ask: “A-Heng, his Highness’ legs… can they really not be treated?”
The matriarch’s question caused everyone to become nervous. Even Wang Chuan and Huang Quan were the same.
Feng Yu Heng looked at everyone and helplessly shook her head, “It has been too long. It is truly too difficult to reverse the situation.”
“Is there no hope at all?”
“Granddaughter is incompetent.”
“You are incompetent!” Feng Fen Dai began loudly shouting, as she pointed at Feng Yu Heng and said: “If you do not have the ability, do not show off your skills. To have damaged his legs, is that something you can afford to do?”
Feng Yu Heng originally had no intention of arguing with a child, but Fen Dai was relentless in being hard on her. This truly caused her to feel annoyed, so she could not help but coldly glare at her “I heard you went to the Yu Palace and invited lady Zhou over? I truly have troubled fourth sister with worrying about me. When the instructing granny comes to the Feng manor tomorrow, sister will definitely remind her to properly educate younger sister.”
The matriarch had also been angered to the limit by Fen Dai and loudly ordered the servants: “Bring her to kneel in the temple. She is not to be given any food today!”
Having received the matriarch’s orders, two servants immediately went forward and dragged Fen Dai out.
Fen Dai shouted: “Let go! Let go of me! Grandmother, Fen Dai does not want to kneel in the temple! Grandmother!”
Unfortunately, where would there be anyone to listen to her screams. The matriarch was completely focused on giving Feng Yu Heng an explanation: “It was Fen Dai who ran to the Yu Palace on her own. Grandmother did not know about it ahead of time.”
Feng Yu Heng comforted her, saying: “Grandmother, do not worry. A-Heng understands.”
“Ah, it’s good if you understand.” The matriarch let out a bit of a sigh. She still wanted to inquire more about the ninth prince, but she saw that Feng Yu Heng had no intention of speaking any further, so she could only give up. “You have been busy for all of these days, and you must be tired. Get some rest, grandmother will be going back first.”
“Alright.” She nodded then informed Wang Chuan: “Send grandmother off.”
“There’s no need.” The matriarch waved her hand, “You should all rest.”
After she finished speaking, she gestured to the servants, and the group walked in the direction of Liu courtyard.
Chen Yu followed behind them. With her head lowered, it was unclear what she was thinking about. What she did not know, however, was that Feng Yu Heng was sneering behind them.
After passing through the moon gate leading to Liu courtyard, Chen Yu saluted the matriarch then headed towards her own courtyard.
Yi Lin saw that there was something off with her mood and could not help but ask: “Eldest young miss, what happened?”
Chen Yu furrowed her brow and pondered for a while before informing Yi Lin: “Go tell third uncle and have him prepare a very experienced granny. When Feng Yu Heng has completed my treatment, have her inspect me.”
“Young miss does not trust second young miss’ medical skills?” Yi Lin understood the reasoning: “But if a granny is brought in, would this matter get out?”
“It won’t.” Chen Yu became gruesome, “Uncle naturally has a method of having her keep the secret forever. You just need to complete this matter.”
Having experienced the matter involving the ninth prince, Chen Yu began to have doubts about Feng Yu Heng’s medical ability for the first time. She had previously thought that there was nothing Feng Yu Heng’s medical prowess could not achieve. She only found out today that there were times she was not perfect. If that was the case, then was she absolutely certain that she could successfully manage her problem?
While Chen Yu was worrying, the matriarch was also worrying during her return to Shu Ya courtyard. The entire trip back, her face never revealed a trace of happiness. Granny Zhao could not help but worry and ask: “Elder madam, what happened? Second young miss’ matter has already been clarified. What is there left for you to worry about?”
“Hah.” The matriarch let out a long sigh, “I am not worried about that. Did you see lady Zhou’s expression right before she left? His Highness the ninth prince’s legs could not be treated, so she clearly was not happy.”
“But his Highness’ legs have been injured for such a long time, it is reasonable that it could not be treated!”
“We say it is reasonable, but the imperial family would not believe this to be the case.” The matriarch analyzed the matter on her own, saying: “Previously, I wondered why would the Emperor treat A-Heng so well? He even relaxed his opinion of the Yao family after that matter. Now, it seems I have come to an understanding. I fear it was because he hoped that his Highness the ninth prince’s legs could be healed. The Emperor believed that our A-Heng’s medical abilities were amazing and hoped that she could heal his legs. Only then did he begin to favoring her. But now… hah!” She let out another long sigh, “I fear that A-Heng’s peaceful days have come to an end.”
Granny Zhao was struck with surprise: “That can’t be, right?”
“How could it not be?” The matriarch felt her own analysis was very logical, “The Emperor has always favored the ninth prince. Although previous rumors said that his Highness the ninth prince could not have a child, over this past month, it seems that the Emperor had not completely lost hope. If A-Heng could heal his Highness’ legs, it is possible that the position of crown prince would be his. Now that his legs were not healed, perhaps the Emperor’s heart will truly turn cold.”
Granny Zhao also broke out into a cold sweat upon hearing the matriarch’s words. If things really went as the matriarch thought, perhaps there would be another disturbance in the Feng manor.
“Elder madam.” She asked with a trembling voice, “Then should we make some preparations ahead of time?”
The matriarch thought a little and said: “No rush. We can discuss it when A-Heng returns from the palace tomorrow.”
There was a very large temple in the Feng manor built behind Jin Yu courtyard. Chen shi had it newly built while she was still alive.
In reality, after that temple was built, she never went once. She had merely seen it in the homes of other families and thought it was something that was standard.
Speaking of, the matriarch was the only one in the manor who frequently prayed. No matter which courtyard the matriarch lived in, she wanted to keep a room open for a shrine. She did not want to go to Chen shi’s temple even if she would be beaten to death. Especially after Chen shi passed away, that temple never saw a single person enter it. After that, no servants went in to clean, and just like that, the temple in the great family’s home became something similar to a rundown temple covered in dust.
The matriarch punished Fen Dai with kneeling in the temple, so the servants naturally could not send her to the small shrine in Shu Ya courtyard. Thinking carefully, they could only send her to Jin Yu courtyard. Upon seeing that they were heading in the direction of Jin Yu courtyard, Fen Dai immediately began throwing a tantrum. No matter what was said, she was unwilling to go.
But the servants transporting her were strong, so how could a ten year old girl get away from these adults. Thus she was forcefully dragged along in that direction.
When they arrived at Jin Yu courtyard, there was a person standing there with their hands clasped behind their back. Facing the courtyard, he looked very lonely.
Fen Dai’s eyebrows twitched and immediately recognized the person, shouting: “Cousin! Cousin Chen Qing!”
The person at the entrance was none other than Chen Qing. Hearing that someone had come, he quickly turned around and saw Fen Dai being dragged along. For a while he was extremely shocked “What happened fourth young miss? Why are these servants treating the manor’s young miss like this?”
The two servants treated Chen Qing politely but did nto show too much respect. They only replied simply to his question: “This servant is following elder madam Feng’s orders to bring fourth young miss to the temple.”
“Cousin! Cousin, it’s all Feng Yu Heng who is harming me!” Fen Dai saw that these two servants did not stop even though they had responded to Chen Qing’s question. Now that she was about to be dragged into the courtyard, she quickly shouted: “Feng Yu Heng not only harmed me, she also harmed eldest sister! Recently, eldest sister has not passed good days in the manor! You absolutely must help eldest sister!”
Her shouts became farther and farther. After the two servants dragged her into the courtyard, she disappeared in the hall after just a couple steps.
He had personally seen what sort of life Chen Yu was living. Now, even the fourth young miss could be treated like this, he began to consider just how much had his cousin Chen Yu suffered? Being demoted from daughter of the first wife to the daughter of a concubine, was this a bitterness that someone as fragile as her could endure?
Chen Qing pondered for a long time then decided to personally visit Shu Ya courtyard. Now that his aunt and cousin were no longer alive, Chen Yu was left alone. As her cousin, if he did not come forward now, would Chen Yu not be bullied to death?
Thinking like this, Chen Qing no longer hesitated and walked in large strides towards Shu Ya courtyard.
When he arrived, the matriarch was sitting in the hall and looking bowl of bird nest soup while worrying. This was originally her favorite nutritional food, but she could not enjoy a single mouthful, as she felt a discomfort in her heart that could not be resolved no matter what.
A servant came in from outside to report that the Chen family’s young master had come. The matriarch was slow to react, and it was granny Zhao who reminded her: “It’s the Chen family’s young master that master said to take extra care of.”
Only then did the matriarch understand; however, she frowned and asked: “What is he doing coming here? Was he not only focused on studying?”
Granny Zhao said: “He is just outside, it would be better to call him in and ask.”
The matriarch nodded, “Then let him in.”
Only then was Chen Qing welcomed into the room.
The matriarch had never shown a good expression to the people of the Chen family. Although Chen Qing and Feng Jin Yuan were close, his surname was still Chen, which caused her to receive him coldly.
Chen Qing was very polite in his mannerisms, as he saluted the matriarch and paid his respects before standing up and saying: “Chen Qing has not come to pay respects to elder madam for many days, would elder madam please forgive me.”
The matriarch waved her hand, “There is no need for you to come pay respects every day. Paying respects is something that needs to be done by the children of the Feng family. It has nothing to do with your Chen family.”
A trace of embarrassment was revealed on Chen Qing’s face. The grudge between the Chen family and the Feng family was something he had heard a bit about, but he never thought that the matriarch did not even want to give them any face. Did she truly hate the Chen family to such a degree?
“May I know why the Chen family’s young master has come at this time?” Seeing the matriarch did not want to speak, granny Zhao could only take responsibility and ask.
Chen Qing made up his mind and took a few deep breaths. It seemed as though he had made a very large decision. Sweeping his robe, he knelt on the ground and loudly said “Chen Qing has come today to speak about marriage and request to marry the Feng family’s eldest young miss, Feng Chen Yu! Elder madam, please help accomplish this!”