Second Young Miss, Stop Pretending
When Feng Jin Yuan had accidentally hurt Kang Yi, the matriarch was a little angry over the affection they displayed, but now she was full of joy. If Kang Yi truly became the wife of the Feng family, that would truly be too high grade!
Feng Yu Heng sat across from her, so how could she possibly not see the matriarch’s thoughts. She only thought that it was no wonder Feng Jin Yuan did not have a trace of affection in his heart. From beginning to end, all he thought about his own interests. Affection was something that came from one’s roots. With a mother like the matriarch, how could any good son be produced.
She thought about this while sighing lightly. This just happened to be seen by Ru Jia, who asked: “What’s wrong with you now?”
Feng Yu Heng had a worried expression and said: “I was thinking that being a child of the Feng family is truly too difficult. The girls of other families only need to worry if they will be able to get married to a good husband; however, our family’s daughters need to worry if we will be killed at any time or place. Princess, don’t you think it’s too difficult to be a daughter of the Feng family?”
Ru Jia was stunned, as she felt that Feng Yu Heng seemed to be right. She was the princess of Qian Zhou’s imperial family, but she had never met with such a problem in the past. The families of government officials in Da Shun were truly complicated.
Seeing that Ru Jia began to ponder such a thing, the matriarch’s expression calmed down, as she once again made herself clear: “This time, the Chen family must be pulled out by the roots! We must not allow another scourge to live on!” After saying this, she glanced at Feng Jin Yuan and reminded him: “This includes that Chen Qing. You must not excuse him!”
Feng Jin Yuan nodded, “Mother, don’t worry. I definitely will not allow anyone to touch a hair on my Feng family’s children.”
Only then did Ru Jia relax a little, saying: “Uncle Feng is the best father. Elder madam is also the best grandmother. The Feng family is really great.”
The matriarch smiled and said: “Then quickly have a servant return to the posthouse to pack your things. Just move in today!”
Ru Jia was very happy and was about to nod; however, she suddenly heard Jin Zhen, who had not said a word, say: “Eldest princess and Princess Ru Jia moving in now, perhaps it would be improper?” Seeing both the matriarch and Feng Jin Yuan glare at her, she quickly added: “This concubine does not have any other meaning. It’s not that I do not welcome eldest princess, it’s just that… something just happened to the Chen family, and they were already inclined to attempt murder. This concubine is worried that the Chen family will be seeking revenge. If eldest princess moves into the manor at this time, what would we do if she is put in danger?”
Hearing her say it like this, it sounded very reasonable. The matriarch’s expression sank, as she began to consider whether such a thing could happen. But regardless of how she thought, she felt that the Chen family would inevitably retaliate. Precisely how many horrid things the Chen family had done in the background over the years was something she did not know, but ever since Feng Yu Heng returned to the capital, she was clear on how many attempts had been made. Thinking like this, if Kang Yi moved in, she would become a living target. With the Chen family driven into a corner, if Kang Yi and Ru Jia became hurt, it could lead to a conflict between the two countries.
The changes in the matriarch’s mood were seen by Kang Yi, who immediately expressed: “If it’s indeed inconvenient to move into the manor, Kang Yi will not trouble you with your hospitality; however, if you are dreading that the Chen family will hurt us, mother and daughter, elder madam is worrying too much.”
“Oh?” The matriarch looked at her, a little bewildered.
Kang Yi said: “I was born as a daughter of the imperial family. From childhood, I had to raise my younger brother. Every day was lived on the edge. Not to mention assassinations, there were also fights out in the open, which were a common occurrence. A lowly Chen family is nothing more than an uncivilized bunch. How could Kang Yi even see them as worthy of notice. This bit of small inconvenience is not considered danger.”
Feng Jin Yuan also nodded and said: “That’s right. Eldest princess came to my Da Shun, so there is definitely no shortage of hidden guards. Moreover, I, Feng Jin Yuan, need to fear the people of the Chen family in my own home, would that not be too much of a joke!” He said this while looking to the matriarch, “Mother, the people son wishes to protect are the ones that the Chen family seeks to destroy relations with, and they will not be able to harm anyone.”
The matriarch took a deep breath. She knew that Feng Jin Yuan was making a statement. At this time, she had to give her son face, thus she nodded and said: “Good, I will trust that you will be able to protect the two princesses!”
As a result, it was decided that Kang Yi and Ru Jia would live in the Feng manor. Jin Zhen’s attempt to sow discord had failed, and she could only lower her head quietly. She quietly began to feel a bit of regret. In the recent months, she had maintained a distance from Feng Yu Heng, as she felt that currying favor with Feng Jin Yuan and preserving her favor was most important. In fact, she even felt that she absolutely could not allow Feng Yu Heng to overly pressure Feng Jin Yuan. If he fell, could she even be considered a concubine.
But now it seemed that Feng Jin Yuan had cold disposition. Everything was about interests. In the face of his interests, everything had to stand aside. What could the bit of favor that she had be worth? A new person had come to replace the old one. She had been in favor for a little more than half a year. Thinking about it, it was time to give way to a new person.
The servants that had gone to retrieve things from the posthouse while they ate the heartbreaking meal had begun to return. The matriarch personally took care of having servants prepare a courtyard for Kang Yi. Feng Yu Heng was not in the mood to continue accompanying them. Saying a few words, she left with Huang Quan back to her Tong Sheng pavilion.
Along the way, Huang Quan could not help but worry and ask: “Prime minister Feng is clearly affectionate with that eldest princess. The elder madam seems to be very happy. Young miss, if this sort of person becomes the Feng family’s head wife, she would be much more fierce than Chen shi.”
Feng Yu Heng laughed and said: “Where do you see any ferocity? She is dignified, kind, beautiful and intelligent. No matter how one looks, she is the perfect wife. Look at her attitude towards Fen Dai and Chen Yu. No matter how one looks, she is a good mother. How did you reach such an evaluation?”
Huang Quan rolled her eyes, “Young miss, stop teasing this servant.” Girl, I have followed you for this long. How could I not know about young miss’ cunning? “Looking at your appearance when listening to the two princesses speak, it was clearly not one of joy.”
“But so what if it was not joyful? If someone says it will rain, or someone says that they are going to get married, those are things that can’t be stopped. If that father wants to get married, as his daughter, can I say no? I fear that the eldest princess of Qian Zhou coming to Da Shun this time was for Feng Jin Yuan. This is also good. Rather than hiding away from one’s enemy, it would be better to bring them close to our side to keep a close eye on them. Close the doors and release the hounds. Whether or not she can avoid them is up to her ability. Whether or not she gets bitten depends on my ability.” Her gaze became condensed, as she ordered Huang Quan: “Find someone to investigate how many times Feng Jin Yuan met up with princess Kang Yi while in the North. I remember Xuan Tian Ming saying before that the person Feng Jin Yuan met with while in the North was a woman. If I have not guessed incorrectly, it should be someone from Kang Yi’s side.”
Huang Quan nodded, “This servant has remembered it.”
On the other side, Feng Chen Yu also began to put up a guard against Kang Yi, who had made a sudden appearance. Even if Kang Yi treated her so well and appeared to be protecting her, she still felt awkward.
Xing’er accompanied her. While walking, she furrowed her brow tightly, and her expression was very bitter. This master and servant pair had been punished at the palace the day before, so their bodies were covered in injuries. Not to mention Xing’er, as even Chen Yu had to endure with all her will to get through the feast. But there were many things that had happened on this day. With all of them weighing on her mind, her focus was scattered, and she did not have time to notice the pain from her wounds.
“Young miss.” Seeing that Chen Yu was unhappy, there was nothing Xing’er could do. She could only take the initiative to console her, “Young miss, you absolutely must think things through carefully. Now that the Chen family in its current state, you absolutely must not speak up on their behalf. It would not be good to instigate master and elder madam’s anger.”
Chen Yu glanced at her sideways and felt that this girl was truly too awkward compared to Yi Lin. She truly was not useful at all.
“When have I ever worried about the Chen family!” She quietly scolded her, saying: “You can’t even handle a simple matter, and you allowed someone else to gain control. Someone who drags me down like this deserves to die.” She said this while gently feeling the scab on her forehead. The pain caused her to inhale sharply, “The Chen family dying is fine too. They were unable to accomplish anything and liable to ruin everything. This time, it even implicated me. What use are they?”
Xing’er was confused, “Then what is young miss worried about?”
Chen Yu lamented once more that this girl was truly too stupid! “I was thinking about that Kang Yi. Eagerly fawning over grandmother, she is also a beautiful person that has captured my father’s heart. What exactly is she wanting to do?”
Xing’er blinked and said something that hit the nail on the head: “The manor does not have a head wife. Thinking about it, she is most likely going to become the head wife.” Seeing that Chen Yu’s expression was not too good, Xing’er continued: “In truth, this servant saw that eldest princess treated young miss quite well. If she truly marries into the manor, young miss absolutely must become close to her.”
“Why must I get close to her?” The roots of Chen Yu’s teeth ached with anger, “She is nothing more than a second wife taken in by a widower!”
Xing’er, however, did not think this way, “Sooner or later, the manor will need a head wife. If not this eldest princess, it might be someone else. Rather than having a stupid one come in, it would be better to have this eldest princess of Qian Zhou come in. With a country supporting her, only like this can we avoid being bullied by second young miss.”
When she mentioned Feng Yu Heng, Chen Yu’s eyes lit up briefly. She then looked at Xing’er and no longer felt that she was stupid.
Once Xing’er straightened out her mind, her ideas began to pour out, and she was not even able to keep them all “Having a foreign princess as the Feng family’s head wife is a great benefit to young miss. Young miss, think about it. Once the new head wife enters the manor, she will need to give birth to a child. If it is a daughter of a noble family in our Da Shun, she would naturally be the Feng family’s child of the first wife. How honorable is that! But if a foreign princess gives birth to a child, then that child would have far fewer options. Master would at most treat them like treasures and provide for them. He absolutely will not be able to acknowledge them. A child born to a foreign girl may not enter the palace and may not marry anyone in the princes. That is one of Da Shun’s rules.”
That’s right! Chen Yu’s eyes lit up once more!
If this Kang Yi came to Da Shun, and she now helped Feng Jin Yuan, Chen Yu absolutely did not believe that she was without her own plans. But once Kang Yi married into the Feng manor, she would no longer be able to place any hope in her own child. It was necessary to provide for Feng Jin Yuan’s other children. If she could become the subject of Kang Yi’s support, that would be much better than the secret support that she had received from the Chen family.
Thinking like this, Chen Yu’s mood immediately improved. Looking at Xing’er, she appeared to be more and more appealing, “Starting today, this young miss will increase your monthly salary. Hm, three times!”
Xing’er laughed and wanted to bounce around. Unfortunately, her body was still covered in injuries that were extremely painful. But she felt that this pain was worth it. After all, she had already received her young miss’ trust, and she had earned a pay raise. It seemed that she would have a lucky break this year!
Feng Chen Yu looked at Xing’er happy appearance and could not help but think of what Chen Wan Liang had told her in the past: Servants are not trained through beatings and insults. They are raised through praise and reward. The more you beat them, the more they will fear you. If she someday meets a master that does not beat her, she will immediately turn on you. Since we do not lack money, if you give her a reward that others cannot match, that servant will always work for you.
Zi Rui returned to the county princess’ manor after dinner. The Emperor had kept him for dinner, and the young child appeared to be very happy. At the same time, he brought a piece of news for Feng Yu Heng.