by La Mi Tu
“Cousin-in-law, no matter who you are, what your identity is, I will support you and cousin brother!”
Wanyan Kang didn’t finish speaking, when his head suffered a chestnut from Su Mei, “Aiyaya, small pepper, what are you doing?! It really hurts, do you know?!”
“Who let you talk nonsense, ah! Miss is wangye’s little sister. Siblings being together, do you want my miss to be scolded by everyone?! What kind of brains do you have? How could you let our miss do such a thing?!” The originally locked emotions in Su Mei were now released.
“What does it matter?! As long as they truly love each other, why the need to bother with other people’s views?! Could it be that love shouldn’t break through all obstacles? If everything you do, you need to take other people’s views into consideration, then what meaning does living have?!”
Wanyan Kang’s words illuminated Murong Qi Qi’s heart like a lamp. That’s right, ah! Thinking about it now, those hesitations, indecisiveness and concerns were all a display of not being confident. She, a person who’d time-travelled, couldn’t even compare to Wanyan Kang.
“Ah Kang, thank you!” Murong Qi Qi sincerely thanked Wanyan Kang for knocking her awake. It would be wrong if she continued to be embarrassed! Why was it that the moment she encounters situations related to Feng Cang, she would lose her usual pride and personality?! Even if Feng Cang was her biological big brother, since she already fell in love, then she would even love in death! Not to mention that Feng Cang and her didn’t have any blood relations. They should love each other even more without any scruples!
Murong Qi Qi’s gratitude stupefied Wanyan Kang. Then, he revealed a hearty smile, “What’s to thank?! No need to thank a big grace! But, when we’re outside, I still need to call you little cousin sister to avoid those censors catching my language and then pray (nag) about me in front of emperor father. I can’t stand those censors! It’s just, suddenly getting a delicate as flower and refined as precious jade little cousin sister, I really can’t get used to it!”
Delicate as flower and refined as precious jade: exquisite
Wanyan Kang’s arrival made the whole atmosphere become lighter. Looking at Wanyan Kang who was flirting and bickering with Su Mei, Murong Qi Qi thought about Wanyan Lie. If one day, she and Feng Cang stood opposite of Wanyan Lie, then would it be very difficult on Wanyan Kang as their friend?
“Toda,y you come to look for our miss, it couldn’t be so simple as to see our miss, right?!” Su Mei saw that Murong Qi Qi’s mood was a lot better, and she also became happier. All this was because of those few words from Wanyan Kang. Although, those words didn’t have any reasoning, but it’s alright since miss liked them and miss was happy.
“Oh, right. If you didn’t say it, I would’ve forgotten the main reason. Cousin-in-law, my consort mother wants to invite you for tea at Jingxin hall…”
While saying this, Wanyan Kang’s expression was a bit awkward. It seemed that he had a trace of disgust towards consort De. Although it was fleeting, but Murong Qi Qi keenly captured this.
“For tea?” Murong Qi Qi felt that her relationship with Lin Ke Xin wasn’t that deep. Just when her identity was revealed, Lin Ke Xin had already clung to her. What intention did she have?
“Alright, I’ll tell you honestly!”
Wanyan Kang admired Murong Qi Qi from the bottom of his heart. Although he calls her cousin-in-law, but the admiration inside it was true. Now, his consort mother wanted to calculate Murong Qi Qi. Wanyan Kang couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Now, you’re princess Zhen Guo. Your status is even above emperor father’s biological daughter. So, those women in the palace are beginning to have ideas about you.”
Thinking about how consort De hurriedly called him into the palace and said those words to him, Wanyan Kang couldn’t help but sneer. Because of the tournament of the four countries this time, Wanyan Kang became very familiar with Murong Qi Qi. So, Lin Ke Xin found Wanyan Kang to let him come forward and invite Murong Qi Qi. Like that, Murong Qi Qi wouldn’t refuse.
“What?! Have ideas about our miss? Then, is miss in danger?” The moment Su Mei heard that, she stood up and wished she could rush into the palace and kill all those women with bad intentions.
Wanyan Kang smiled at how Su Mei didn’t understood the true meaning of his words.
This girl was innocent and also simpleminded. Perhaps, it was because of this hot temper and innocence that attracted him! He felt tired and disgusted at those fighting and calculative women in the palace. Only when he was next to Su Mei did Wanyan Kang feel physically and mentally relaxed. A girl without any schemes and who was clean was very good!
Seeing that Wanyan Kang didn’t explain and only giggled foolishly at her, Su Mei got angry. A chestnut fell on Wanyan Kang’s forehead, “Quickly talk, ah! who wanted to calculate our miss, ah? Is it your consort mother? Say, on which side do you stand?”
Su Mei’s chestnut made Wanyan Kang grimace in pain. He clutched his head and pretended to scream, “Aiyaya, so painful! Aiyaya, murdering husband, ah!”
“Murder, your head, ah!” Although she was saying that, Su Mei still couldn’t help but go over to look, “Is it really painful? Let me look!”
“Look…” Wanyan Kang pouted full of grievances and showed the small bump on his forehead.
Seeing that Wanyan Kang was injured by her, Su Mei felt vexed. She forgot that she had great strength and didn’t take that into consideration. Thinking that Wanyan Kang was a soft skinned and tender fleshed prince, where would he have ever suffered such a knock?!
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose!” Su Mei immediately took out medicine for Wanyan Kang. “Quickly tell me! What’s going on?! You only said half the matter, truly making people anxious!”
Wanyan Kang knew that the relationship between Murong Qi Qi and Su Mei was deep. Seeing Su Mei being so anxious about the matter of Murong Qi Qi, Wanyan Kang simply explained.
“Through generations, only the most favored princess from the imperial family was qualified to be princess Zhen Guo. Princess Zhen Guo could enjoy the right to participate in politics and had military power. It’s a supreme glory and also the symbol of power.
“Emperor father bestowed cousin-in-law with the title of princess Zhen Guo. Presumably, in his heart, he loves cousin-in-law very much. In the future, don’t know what kind of rewards he would give cousin-in-law. Now, the empress and consort mother are having ideas about cousin-in-law. With such a noble and powerful daughter-in-law, their son’s status would be consolidated!”
It wasn’t very easy for Wanyan Kang to explain everything so clearly. On one side was Murong Qi Qi, the other side was his birth mother. That he could point out the ideas of those women in the palace and tell her, Murong Qi Qi knew that Wanyan Kang truly was helping her.
“Thank you, ah Kang!”
“Haha, you’re welcome!” Wanyan Kang gestured with his hand, but the next moment, his expression turned serious. “In fact, it was I who should apologize. My consort mother truly went overboard. It was just, she’s my consort mother; I could do nothing to her.”
“Cousin-in-law, I know your personality is that you would take revenge on what needed to be avenged. Today, I told you these so frankly, I also had my selfishness. I want to ask you for a request. If in the future, my consort mother does something wrong against you, please give me some face and leave her a way out. Take it as me begging you!”
Wanyan Kang’s honesty make Murong Qi Qi think back about the test on the sixth floor of the pagoda. Wanyan Kang held the mirror and all the words he cried out were mother consort. It seemed that Wanyan Kang put a lot of weight on this mother. It was just, Lin Ke Xin had been immersed in power and ignored the love between mother and son…
Speaking of it, Wanyan Kang’s playfulness were all a pretense. This prince looked bright, but he was only someone who wished for motherly love.
“Good!” Murong Qi Qi answering so straightforwardly made Wanyan Kang let out a sigh
of relief. As long as Lin Ke Xin doesn’t go overboard, Murong Qi Qi wouldn’t take action against her. He wished his consort mother would behave and not calculate too much!
“In fact, my consort mother wants to match you with my second big brother. However, you have cousin brother. Of course, your heart wouldn’t fancy another. In fact, my second big brother is deep-minded. Cousin-in-law must be careful!”
Murong Qi Qi was very grateful at Wanyan Kang’s repeated reminders. This prince really is the weirdo of Bei Zhou’s imperial family. Growing up in the imperial family, but he was still able to retain his personality and integrity. Wanyan Kang truly was someone not bad!
Thinking till here, Murong Qi Qi looked at Su Mei. These two really matched each other. If they could be together, it would become a great story!
“Princess, the imperial’s edict arrived!” At this moment, Feng Qi stepped with respectful step to Murong Qi Qi, “Please move to the front hall!”
“Uncle Feng, I couldn’t bear you being so polite. Treat me like you usually does! Letting an elder like you be like this, would let my life be shortened!” Murong Qi Qi could feel the respect of Feng Qi towards her. That was a respect of an elder from family towards a master of Feng family.
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Wang/wangye: prince of the first rank
Gongzi: young master
Wangfei: main consort/wife of the prince of first rank
Guye: son-in-law, used by the servants of the female family
Wangfu: residence of the prince of first rank
Chapter 123: Attend A Banquet (1)
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“Princess, this is what this slave should do!”
Every move of Feng Qi conformed to his identity. When he found out that Murong Qi Qi was great general and princess’s daughter, Feng Qi was the most excited one out of everyone.
As one of the few people who knew Feng Cang’s true identity, Feng clan’s only blood Murong Qi Qi being found; to this Feng clan’s elder, this was the happiest and also most exciting thing.
Murong Qi Qi’s emergence meant that the originally cut off Feng clan’s bloodline could continue. Feng family has a descendant! How could this not let a person, who was born in Feng family, grow up in Feng family and was loyal to Feng family generation after generation, not be happy?!
“Uncle Feng…” Murong Qi Qi knew the hearts of these people and also didn’t reject them anymore. Under Feng Qi’s escort, she arrived at the front hall.
Wanyan Lie’s Jing De was respectfully waiting there. Seeing Murong Qi Qi come out and looking at her stunning face, Jing De almost lost his soul. After just a moment, Jing De became aware of his disrespect. He quickly lowered his head and held out the imperial edict.
“Emperor said, this is princess’s. You don’t need to bow and this slave also doesn’t need to read it out. Princess can open it directly.”
Murong Qi Qi opened the imperial edict. On it was nothing more than rewards and also the recovery of her surname. Wanyan Lie seemed to respect Murong Qi Qi’s thoughts very much. He personally asked in the imperial edict for her opinion; asking her what name she wanted to be called by.
“Since mother struggled to give birth to me on the seventh of the seventh month, I will still be called Qi Qi!” Feng Qi Qi, this name is not bad! Murong Qi Qi was thinking in her heart.
“Yes…” Jing De quickly wrote it down.
Looking once more, Wanyan Lie bestowed her the Long Autumn palace. Murong Qi Qi softly read it,” Long Autumn palace? Didn’t consort Yue live there? I won’t live there!”
Wanyan Kang, who was at Murong Qi Qi’s side, when he heard emperor father rewarded Long Autumn palace to Murong Qi Qi, his heart skipped a beat. Through generations, Long Autumn palace had been the residence of the empress. It’s the place which received the most imperial grace in the harem. What did emperor father mean by doing this? Could it be that emperor father wanted to hold Murong Qi Qi in a high light…
“Princess, consort Yue is already gone. The emperor let people clean up Long Autumn palace as the residence of princess…”
“Don’t want!” Murong Qi Qi shook her head. “I want to live at Nan Lin wangfu!1 I won’t live elsewhere!”
Sure enough, it was like how emperor guessed it; Murong Qi Qi didn’t want to live in the palace and wanted to stay at Nan Lin wangfu. However, the emperor’s meaning is…Jing De swallowed, “Princess, emperor’s meaning is that you can occasionally stay at the palace for a while and can then rest at Long Autumn palace. Long Autumn palace is honorable and glorious. It’s the most beautiful wing in the palace and is most suitable for princess!”
“Staying for a while in the palace, I can stay at grandmother’s. Go back and tell emperor uncle, I don’t want Long Autumn palace! A place where people had died, bad luck!”
Murong Qi Qi’s words scared Jing De; he almost bit his tongue. Which woman doesn’t want to live in Long Autumn palace and become the mistress of Long Autumn palace? It so happened that this princess used a ‘go back’ to make him leave.
When Jing De returned to the palace, inside the imperial study, he repeated Murong Qi Qi’s exact words back to Wanyan Lie. Also, his heart was disturbed. He was worried that Wanyan Lie would flip out. He didn’t expect that after he waited for a long time, he would hear Wanyan Lie’s laughter, “Hahahaha! Indeed Ming Yue’s daughter! Indeed zhen’s2 niece! Great! Great!”
After following Wanyan Lie for so long, Jing De could distinguish when his master was happy and when his master was angry. Hearing his laughter, Wanyan Lie must really like that princess Zhen Guo. It seemed that Murong Qi Qi’s days of wealth is yet to come!
“Emperor, then this Long Autumn palace…”
“Keep it! Let people clean both the inside and the outside. Send a group of new people to take care of it. They need to be well-behaved and obedient! Zhen is the son of heaven, I opened my golden mouth and spoke jade words. Long Autumn palace is Murong Qi Qi’s home of her mother’s side. She can come anytime she wants!”
“Yes…” Don’t know why, but from Wanyan Lie’s voice, Jing De heard a never before pampering. It was just, it was the thought of the emperor, he didn’t dare to guess it. It would be good if he only did his job.
Wanyan Lie rewarding Murong Qi Qi with Long Autumn palace, was immediately like a bomb, causing a great commotion among the women of the harem.
“What?! His majesty gave Long Autumn palace to Murong Qi Qi?” When Lin Ke Xin heard this news, she was stunned. Originally, she thought that since Yue Lan Zhi died, this Long Autumn palace would fall into her hands. She didn’t expect that Wanyan Lie would change hands and give it to Murong Qi Qi.
“Niangniang,3 princess Zhen Guo has already restored her original surname. Now, she’s Feng Qi Qi!” Wet nurse Yu stood next to Lin Ke Xin. She quickly massaged her (LKX) back to let her calm down.
‘Bang…’ Lin Ke Xin threw the teacup on the ground, “Bengong4 doesn’t care who or what she is. Wet nurse, what kind of place is Long Autumn palace? That’s the place where the empress lives since the beginning of the history, ah! Tell me, what does the emperor mean by this?”
Lin Ke Xin’s anger was in the expectation of wet nurse Yu. She quickly said, “This slave doesn’t dare guess the emperor’s meaning.” However, in her heart she was thinking, since you know this is the place where only the empress can live, why should you be concerned about it?!
“Humph!” Lin Ke Xin gritted her teeth. The handkerchief in her hand had already been twisted into a rope. “Wet nurse, tell me, is the emperor telling everyone that the next emperor’s empress is Feng Qi Qi and that there’s no need to doubt it? In other words, the one who gets Feng Qi Qi is the next emperor?”
Hearing Lin Ke Xin say that, wet nurse Yu thought for a while and then nodded, “Niangniang, you’re right! Perhaps, this truly is the emperor’s meaning! It’s niangniang who’s thoughtful and could understand the emp
eror’s meaning!”
Wet nurse Yu’s bootlicking let Lin Ke Xin’s mood got a bit better, “Send someone to ask fifth prince if princess accepted the invitation. Then, let someone invite second prince into the palace!”
In Jingxin Hall, Lin Ke Xin was calculating how to let Wanyan Yi get Murong Qi Qi’s heart. Inside Jingde palace, Li Bing also threw over the table.
“Long Autumn palace? Is that a place where a little girl can afford to live in?! Why doesn’t she ponder her own weight?!”
“Niangniang, it’s said, princess Zhen Guo rejected. Princess said, people died at that place and it’s unlucky. She won’t live there!” Li Bing’s maid Chun Tao reported every news she inquired to Li Bing.
“The emperor didn’t get angry?” After Li Bing heard this, she quickly asked what happened after.
“No!” Chun Tao shook her head, “After hearing it, emperor was very happy. He also said that princess is very like princess Ming Yue. Then, he also insisted on leaving Long Autumn palace for her. He said that in the future, Long Autumn palace is princess Zhen Guo’s maternal home!”
“Maternal home, maternal home…,” Li Bing muttered these two words. Suddenly, Li Bing’s eyes lit up, “Bengong understands!”
Seeing that her master had a face full of excitement, Chun Tao was puzzled, “Niangniang, what did you understand?”
“The emperor wants to cement old ties by marriage. He wants to let princess Zhen Guo become his daughter-in-law…”
The more Li Bing thought about it, the more feasible was it. Murong Qi Qi’s already at a marriageable age. Naturally, she should get married. Wanyan Lie pampers Murong Qi Qi so much; he certainly wishes for his son marry her. Then, who is the most suitable candidate?
“Long Autumn palace, Long Autumn palace…”
Li Bing muttered twice. Suddenly, she realized, “Long Autumn palace is the symbol of the main palace of the harem. Feng Qi Qi entered the main palace of the harem, then this means, her husband is the new emperor! It must be like this! In the past, emperor loved princess Ming Yue very much. Now, he also loves the house and its crow. Naturally, he loves Feng Qi Qi.”