Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 549 - 549 550 Paving the Way for Her_1

Chapter 549: Chapter 550: Paving the Way for Her_1 Chapter 549: Chapter 550: Paving the Way for Her_1 Muniang snickered to herself, but she said aloud, “My lady speaks the truth.”

The Empress, seeing Muniang’s obedient nature, also calmed down and said softly, “You may rise; it wasn’t really your affair anyway.”

Muniang expressed her gratitude before getting to her feet.

“It’s just today’s matter…”

Muniang quickly interjected, “The Empress had nothing to say today, my lady is kind and magnanimous, possessing a gentle temperament. I had merely chatted with my lady for a moment, that is all.”

The Empress laughed quietly, “You sure are clever. If it were not for your residence in Qinghua City, I would have liked for you to visit the palace more often. With such a pleasant personality, it’s quite a pity.”

Muniang thought to herself, you might want me to come, but I wouldn’t want to!

The Empress was sincere in her words, but if Muniang were not Yu Ze’s wife, the Empress would not feel at ease bringing such a woman into the palace. Otherwise, the Emperor would sooner or later be enchanted by her.

The Empress was not naïve; she knew that Muniang hid far too much in the Emperor’s presence. To believe there wasn’t a shred of caution in her was something the Empress absolutely wouldn’t trust. Muniang truly was a profoundly astute person.

That very night after Muniang returned, the Hidden Guard came to report an incident. Lady Rong accidentally broke the Empress’s most cherished Blood Jade Hairpin and was punished for it. The Emperor was originally reluctant to see Lady Rong punished, but the Empress cried and complained, stating that even though she had tolerated Lady Rong’s favoritism, she was after all the Empress, and the Emperor had to leave her some dignity. Otherwise, her possessions could be tampered with at will in the future.

Considering the Empress’s restraint and leniency over the years, the Emperor felt somewhat remorseful and publicly scolded Lady Rong.

That incident certainly made Lady Rong lose face.

Muniang could hardly keep from laughing upon hearing this news, and Yu Ze, glancing at her, guessed that it was probably her doing.

“What have you done to make the ever-patient Empress explode like this, deliberately causing trouble for Lady Rong?” Yu Ze laughed.

“What could I have done? The Empress has long harbored resentment against Lady Rong, merely lacking a catalyst to set it off. Today, I merely added fuel to the fire and provoked her a little, which proved immediately effective.”

Yu Ze pinched her cheek, “You little imp.”

Muniang blinked, “Isn’t this also laying the groundwork for He Fangfei? Tomorrow, she will make an unexpected appearance. To make it easier for her to win the Emperor’s favor, I naturally have to help her deal with these affairs. Don’t be fooled by the Emperor’s reluctance to let Lady Rong be aggrieved; in fact, the Emperor also feels guilty towards the Empress.”

Compared to other consorts, the Empress is more like a wife through thick and thin. Back when he was severely suppressed by Prince San, and later when you went missing, he was even secretly confined by Prime Minister Kong’s clan. Even during that time, only the Empress was by his side. Now that he has ascended to the throne, Dabao, surrounded by beauties, she has never complained. Why? She doesn’t want the Emperor’s guilt toward her to vanish. The Empress is a wise woman who knows how to manage her man.”

“So, this time the Empress’s outburst, intentionally causing such an incident to put Lady Rong in her place, actually does indeed harm Lady Rong,” Yu Ze said unconcernedly.

“Indeed, the Emperor must be feeling conflicted now, entangled between his virtuous and dignified lawful wife and the beautiful and enchanting favored concubine. His dilemma will likely reduce his interest in Lady Rong by a fraction. Now would be the perfect time for a newcomer, who aligns with his tastes, to step in.”

Yu Ze laughed and said, “I mustn’t underestimate you, Muniang. No wonder Doctor Xue once said that your strategies are even more formidable than those of the palace concubines. Now the path is smooth for He Fangfei.”

However, Muniang replied, “Whether the path is smooth or not isn’t for me to say; in the end, it’s up to He Fangfei’s destiny.”

Today at Mei Garden, one play had just ended, but Muniang did not continue with another new play that was already prepared. Instead, she switched to The Condor Heroes.

She thought the first act of The Condor Heroes would best highlight the fairy-like quality of the female lead. Moreover, and more importantly, there was no romantic scene between the male and female leads in the first act–after all, Yang Guo was still a child. If Long Yi indeed took a fancy to He Fangfei, he would naturally develop possessiveness. What if, in the future, he became displeased thinking about her and Zhong Yulang being intimate on stage and decided to have Zhong Yulang executed?

Zhong Yulang, after all, was just an actor. If he were to be accused of a crime, he definitely wouldn’t be able to bear it. And how regrettable it would be to lose a Zhong Yulang who could both act and manage the big picture?

However, if Zhong Yulang knew the reason behind Muniang’s so-called “consideration” for him, he probably wouldn’t show her a pleasant face.

Mei Garden’s public explanation was that the new play was not yet ready, so an old play would replace it for a while. Since The Condor Heroes had not been performed for nearly a year, everyone naturally didn’t mind revisiting it once more, granting Mei Garden another consideration.

As for the Emperor, there was even less to discuss. Whether it was a new play or an old one, he hadn’t seen it anyway, and it just so happened that the first act was starting, which was perfect for watching from the beginning.

Muniang personally welcomed the Emperor into the private room, and because he felt guilty towards the Empress, he had her sit closest to him, while Lady Rong was placed a bit further away.

Muniang quietly observed the situation, thinking that the Empress’s ploy the day before had indeed worked.

She wanted to gauge Lady Rong’s expression, but unfortunately, her face was covered by a veil, and she never took it off, making it difficult to discern her emotions.

Being the Emperor’s consort and a lady of virtue, it was rare for her to go out, and she needed to follow the necessary propriety, often covered by a veil.

Some consorts were not keen on wearing the veil, but seeing that Lady Rong did, they wouldn’t dare to go without it, lest they seem to lack decorum, so they wore it obediently. However, given Lady Rong’s outstanding beauty, even behind the veils, many still turned their heads to look at her repeatedly.

Muniang thought that perhaps Lady Rong was afraid of showing her face too much, causing the Emperor to feel uncomfortable.

With the sound of a gong, the highly anticipated play finally began. The audience of Qinghua City had all seen it before, so they didn’t have the same amazement as the first time, and the venue was quiet.

Long Yi, however, was seeing this genre for the first time and was truly amazed. He watched Little Yang Guo being chased by the people of Chongyang Palace all over the world and found it very exciting. He was so engrossed that he forgot about the beauties around him.

It was not until then that He Fangfei, who had been prepared all this while, took a deep breath. Muniang secretly signaled to her, and He Fangfei nodded in acknowledgment. The most thrilling moment had arrived, and He Fangfei, dressed in white robes purer than snow, gracefully flew into the scene.

He Fangfei was quick-witted, and coupled with a competitive spirit in her heart, she had learned to resemble Chen Yuhua almost ninety percent in just over a month. Thus, her entrance was naturally stunning.