Chapter 62: A Visit
After the celebration banquet, the Seventh Princess’s mansion became lively.
Every day there were at least eight or ten visitors, not to mention those who invited Feng Bai Su out for drinks at night, and even those who sent young male servants to her backyard.
Feng Bai Su was overwhelmed dealing with them every day!
Lying on the soft couch, Feng Bai Su pressed her aching forehead, her voice full of fatigue: “Tsk! Being a scapegoat is really not pleasant! How unfortunate!”
“Does Your Highness mean this is intentionally done by the Emperor?” Wei Jing Mo asked somewhat surprisingly while sitting at the table.
Feng Bai Su removed her hand from her forehead, sat up and moved to the table, speaking in a low voice: “Recently, because of the appearance of the High Alchemist, many people think the Emperor has been bewitched. Therefore, the voices calling for the establishment of a Crown Princess in court have been growing louder. Among them, the call to establish Feng Bai Wei as Crown Princess is the loudest! After all, she is the legitimate daughter of the main palace, and has performed excellently in managing the snow disaster in Sichuan. Whether in terms of ancestral system or personal ability, she fits the criteria for Crown Princess.”
“But…” Feng Bai Su’s voice paused, she poured a cup of clear tea and took a sip, then continued, “The Emperor doesn’t seem to want to establish a Crown Princess. So at this time, a scapegoat is needed to divert the attention of the court officials.”
She wore a casual smile on her face, lightly swirling the teacup with her fingertips, “Which princess is more suitable than me, the Seventh Princess who has just returned victorious, and whose maternal family is the Northern Marquis’s mansion? At this time, as long as the Emperor shows some importance to me, it will naturally make them feel that I, the Seventh Princess, might also have the possibility of becoming the Crown Princess! Those court officials eager to choose sides will inevitably hesitate.”
Feng Bai Su’s lips curled up slightly, her smile somewhat carefree.
It seems the Emperor is not as confused as imagined, and even appears quite at ease!
“Then what do we do now? Haven’t we become the target of public criticism?”
Wei Jing Mo couldn’t help but frown.
He had truly thought the Emperor was sincerely rewarding Your Highness, but it turned out to be full of calculations.
“No need to worry! This was bound to happen sooner or later.”
Even though she had now become a target, Feng Bai Su’s expression remained as calm as ever.
From the time she was sent to the border, some things were already destined!
The Emperor must have already decided to make her the one to contend with Feng Bai Wei in court!
Feng Bai Su wasn’t worried about her current situation, and even thought it was just right.
If the Emperor wanted to pull her out to contend with Feng Bai Wei, naturally some power had to be granted to show her importance. Thus came her appointment as the Commander of the Guard.
But once this power is given out, whether it can be taken back depends on whether the person who received it agrees.
The Emperor can use her as cannon fodder, but don’t expect to take back these compensations from her hands!
—
With Feng Bai Su’s intervention in court, the voices among court officials calling for Feng Bai Wei to be established as Crown Princess indeed weakened.
Some court officials even began to favor Feng Bai Su more, advocating in court for her to be established as Crown Princess.
The Emperor was naturally pleased with the current results!
For a time, both sides reached a stalemate, and the court achieved a strange balance.
Feng Bai Su, one of the parties involved, didn’t pay much attention to the affairs of the court. She reported to the Guard Camp on time every day.
After her observations over the past few days, the forces within the Guard Camp could be said to be a mix of various factions. After all, they were too close to the Emperor, able to investigate any slight movement at the first opportunity.
Moreover, before the command of the Guard Camp was handed over to Feng Bai Su, it was in a completely unmanaged state, with no unified management, everyone just performing their own duties, very scattered.
Therefore, this became the best place to plant spies!
On Feng Bai Su’s first day in office, she didn’t rush to establish her authority, and even tolerated the provocations of those spies. After three days, seeing Feng Bai Su’s apparent weakness, the spies planted in the Guard Camp became increasingly arrogant, one by one jumping out.
No one expected that on the fourth day she would suddenly show her power, directly removing these spies who couldn’t help but reveal themselves.
For a time, the entire Guard Camp became fearful and trembling, not daring to make a sound. They were afraid of falling into Feng Bai Su’s hands.
By the fifth day, Feng Bai Su suddenly became lax again.
However, those deeply embedded spies who had already witnessed her thunderous methods did not rashly come forward, but became increasingly cautious.
Feng Bai Su wasn’t in a hurry, but quietly threw a few of her own people into the Guard Camp to secretly investigate these deeply embedded spies.
Within a month, she finally managed to root them all out one by one.
At this point, the Guard Camp truly became Feng Bai Su’s territory!
During Feng Bai Su’s days in the Guard Camp, many things also happened in the court.
After the situation in the court stabilized, the Emperor became increasingly close to that High Alchemist. Every day, she would spend one or two hours with him studying the ways of longevity and refining pills.
The other princesses also began to show unusual movements.
Especially the Second Princess Feng Bai Zhi, who privately became increasingly close to Feng Bai Wei, seeming to be plotting something.
As for the Fourth Princess Feng Bai Shaou, she even instigated the Su family faction to secretly win over court officials, wanting to join in this balancing situation.
But how could the Emperor allow her to break this hard-won balance? She directly pulled the rug out from under them, using this opportunity to round up the entire Su family faction in one fell swoop.
The once favored Male Empress was also demoted to a male attendant! It could be said he fell directly from heaven to hell!
The Fourth Princess Feng Bai Shaou was also kicked out ahead of time, completely losing the qualification to contend with other princesses, with no chance of turning the situation around.
This series of major moves by the Emperor not only intimidated those court officials secretly stirring up trouble. The other princesses also reined in their actions and became more cautious.
Except for the Sixth Princess who was recuperating in her mansion, even the First Princess’s faction, which had been making some small moves, also went quiet. The Second Princess Feng Bai Zhi’s closeness to Feng Bai Wei was no longer so blatant.
—
Today, Feng Bai Su had a rare day off at her mansion.
In the morning, for once not having to get up early for work, she pulled Wei Jing Mo into bed and fooled around for a while before finally getting up satisfied.
She left Wei Jing Mo lying in bed with his body sore all over, looking at her with resentful eyes.
Feng Bai Su pinched her little finger somewhat innocently, just about to say some nice words to coax the young man.
At this moment, Cong Bai’s voice suddenly came from outside the door: “Your Highness, the Third Princess is here to visit!”
Hearing this, Feng Bai Su couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise, and after a moment replied: “Alright, I know! Take Third Sister to the front hall first.”
Wei Jing Mo also forgot about being angry and became curious, “Why would the Third Princess suddenly come to see Your Highness? It’s really rare!”
Feng Bai Su also found it strange. After all, this Third Sister of hers had always been shy and introverted, timid in nature, and with extremely low presence in daily life.
Moreover, there wasn’t much interaction between the two of them. Feng Bai Su’s relationship with her in daily life wasn’t as close as her relationship with Feng Bai Wei.
Feng Bai Su was quite curious about why she would suddenly come to see her.
After pondering for a moment, she said softly to Wei Jing Mo: “I’ll go see what she wants. If you’re feeling unwell, don’t rush to get up.”
With that, she bent down to ruffle his hair before turning to walk out.
When Feng Bai Su arrived at the front hall, Feng Bai Kuan was sitting somewhat nervously in a chair drinking tea.
Seeing Feng Bai Su enter, she immediately put down her tea and stood up.
“Third Sister, no need to be so formal, please sit down!”
Seeing her, Feng Bai Su wore a smile on her brow and eyes, walking in slowly.
She sat down in the chair opposite her and, looking at Feng Bai Kuan who had sat back down, asked: “I wonder why Third Sister has come to see me? Is there something?”
Hearing this, Feng Bai Kuan glanced at the closed door, took a deep breath and slowly began to speak: “Seventh Sister also knows that my father is just a powerless and unfavored male consort. Although I was born a princess, I don’t have much ambition, I just hope to live peacefully with my father, that’s enough.”
“Now Second Sister seems to have lost her mind, I don’t know what she’s doing with Fifth Sister.”
Her voice paused, and she smiled bitterly before continuing: “I don’t want my father to be harmed because of Second Sister’s actions, so I hope Seventh Sister can protect my father a little. In return, if Seventh Sister has any use for me, I will certainly do my utmost!”
Feng Bai Kuan looked at Feng Bai Su with a sincere smile on her face.
After hearing her words, Feng Bai Su’s gaze fell on her now shy again face.
She hadn’t expected this Third Sister of hers to be such a clever person, wanting to hedge her bets between her and Feng Bai Wei.
Her peach blossom eyes deepened, but her face remained lazily indifferent as she replied: “Third Sister flatters me! How could I have such ability? Besides, Second Sister is Second Sister, how could her actions be blamed on you? As long as Noble Consort Qi and Third Sister behave properly, what need is there for protection? When the time comes, no one will arbitrarily pass judgment! Third Sister is worrying unnecessarily!”
Feng Bai Su did not directly respond to her words, only saying these meaningful words.
Hearing this, Feng Bai Kuan’s expression became somewhat stiff, and she forced a smile: “…Seventh Sister is right, I’m just being too timid and afraid!”
After sitting and talking for a few more sentences, she hurriedly stood up to take her leave.
Feng Bai Su saw her off from the mansion with a smile in her eyes, and only when she watched her retreating figure disappear into the distance did the smile on her face fade away.
When she returned to Langyu Courtyard, Wei Jing Mo had already gotten up.
Seeing Feng Bai Su enter, he immediately asked: “What did the Third Princess come for?”
Feng Bai Su walked slowly to the table and sat down, leisurely making herself a cup of tea before replying in a lazy voice: “Nothing much, just wanted to win me over.”
“Huh?”
Wei Jing Mo was stunned, “But isn’t her father’s daughter, the Second Princess, very close to the Fifth Princess? Would the Second Princess agree with her doing this?”
“That’s why she’s too clever for her own good!”
Feng Bai Su picked up the teacup and took a sip, then slowly put it down, “Wanting to hedge her bets on both me and Feng Bai Wei, her intention is a bit too obvious.”
Does she think she and Feng Bai Wei are fools?
