Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 558 - 558 559 What Purpose_1

Chapter 558: Chapter 559 What Purpose_1 Chapter 558: Chapter 559 What Purpose_1 He Fangfei nodded, “I have mentioned him. The last time I unintentionally brought up the commanding presence of the great generals in court, I spoke of General Yu. His Majesty asked me a few questions.”

“Did you answer well?”

He Fangfei smiled, “I said General Yu has always kept a low profile in Qinghua City and even assisted the local Magistrate with some cases. In his leisure, he would accompany his wife on strolls and visits around, and I’ve often heard Lady Yu complain that General Yu lacked ambition, spending his days as if an old man, truly helpless.”

“What did His Majesty say?”

“His Majesty didn’t say much, but I felt his heart might have softened a bit.”

Muniang breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. This was exactly what she had coached He Fangfei to say. The Emperor could not stand Yu Ze being more impressive than himself, let alone seeing him more ambitious, especially at this time when the nation seemed peaceful and prosperous. What he needed was an official who had given up on advancing, as such a person would pose no threat to him.

“Don’t worry, Muniang. Since you wholeheartedly support me, naturally I stand with you as well,” He Fangfei promised.

“Mm, I know,” Muniang said softly, with a chuckle.

If Lady Rong is not brought down, then naturally the Empress herself would be most anxious. She certainly could not bear returning to her past life. The very next morning, she invited He Fangfei for tea. He Fangfei thought to herself that Muniang was indeed prescient, as the Empress really became impatient. But this was good; with the support of the Empress, she could now feel much more secure in the palace.

These days had been calm and uneventful. Lady Rong was no fool, well aware that He Fangfei was Muniang’s ally, aiding Yu Ze. Now, were she to speak ill of others in front of the Emperor, it would inevitably raise his suspicions. Moreover, the girl was not someone easy to deal with, and behind her was the cunning Qiao Muniang aiding her. Naturally, she would not act rashly as she did in the past. She had already learned her lesson from the previous hardships.

Today, Qiao Muniang happened to bring over some finished embroidery, which Long Yi greatly admired. Muniang said with a smile, “If Your Majesty likes it, that is all we could wish for. This is the collective achievement of everybody at Yuyang Embroidery House. To win Your Majesty’s heart is the best outcome.”

He Fangfei looked enviously and said, “Lady Rong is indeed fortunate to share an embroidery piece with Your Majesty. This servant has not been so lucky.”

Long Yi noticed her disappointment and immediately said with a laugh, “What’s so difficult about that? Some other time, we’ll have Yuyang Embroidery House make another pair just for us.”

He Fangfei smiled happily, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s generous gift.”

Observing the situation, Muniang noted to herself that He Fangfei’s tactics were quite decent. Lady Rong really hadn’t outdone her at all. At the moment in the Emperor’s heart, the position of the two seemed to be weighing each other equally. But this was enough. After all, some things could not be accomplished in just a day or two. She was not in a rush. Managing to suppress Lady Rong’s prominence for now was already the effect she had aimed for.

“Lady Rong’s embroidery piece is beautifully done, and since Your Majesty is satisfied, then, for 1st Attendant He’s piece, our Embroidery House will use the same effort,” Muniang said softly, her light words laced with a hint of provocation.

In principle, He Fangfei’s current rank was still lower than Rong Suqing’s, so she naturally couldn’t compare with her. When it came to the embroidery piece, it should be of a lower quality than hers. But He Fangfei was with the Emperor, so that was another matter.

Muniang deliberately mentioned this now, actually to provoke Lady Rong. If at this moment she publicly berated Muniang, the Emperor’s attitude towards her would plummet. But if she stayed silent, she would choke back her frustration.

Muniang enjoyed seeing her discomfort.

It seemed that Lady Rong noticed Muniang’s provocative look, yet her expression remained indifferent, as if she didn’t care at all.

Long Yi, at this moment, not noticing these women’s fine calculations, happily agreed to Muniang’s request.

Muniang stealthily glanced at Lady Rong and found her unnaturally calm, as if she had become someone else. For some reason, this demeanor unnerved Muniang.

“The weather is growing chillier, and going out for a walk is best. The day after tomorrow, we’ll just happen to visit a nearby county town. I want to see for myself what kind of life my people are leading,”

He Fangfei smiled and said, “Your Majesty is wholeheartedly devoted to the people, a blessing for all under heaven.”

These words were, of course, music to Long Yi’s ears, and he laughed heartily.

Lady Rong said, “If that is the case, this humble concubine naturally wishes to accompany you on the journey.”

“If you’re happy to come along, then naturally it’s good.”

“If Lady Yu has nothing pressing to do, why not join us? She grew up near Qinghua City and must surely know everything about the locality.”

“Now that you mention it, what do you think?” Long Yi also thought it was a good idea.

Muniang looked at Lady Rong with suspicion, feeling that she seemed to be up to some mischief. However, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it right away and had to forcibly swallow the doubts in her belly.

Now that the matter had come to this point, what could she do? She had no choice but to respectfully obey.

Muniang, with her keen eyes, noticed a fleeting look of mockery in Lady Rong’s eyes, as if she was awaiting some fortunate turn of events.

Muniang felt unsettled and eventually spoke to Yu Ze about the matter.

“With tomorrow’s journey, naturally the emperor’s plainclothes guards will follow. Lady Rong would not be so foolish as to not know this. Besides, Qilian Kingdom probably doesn’t wish for Long Yi to die either. Hence, this trip should not attract assassins.”

Muniang agreed with this view. An inept emperor in the Daqian Dynasty was more beneficial for them to make their small moves. If Long Yi were to die now, it would merely result in a change of emperor, which would mean little to Qilian Kingdom. Besides, the new ruler could be even shrewder, making it harder for them to gain any advantage.

Thus, Qilian Kingdom would spare his life unless the Daqian Dynasty was on the brink of total collapse under his rule.

“But I still have an uneasy feeling. Lady Rong is too peculiar today; perhaps I’m being oversensitive. Her sudden calmness is not normal,” Muniang still said.

Yu Ze frowned and said, “Then I’ll ask the emperor for permission to accompany you.”

But Muniang quickly stopped him: “That won’t do. The emperor’s trust in me is shown by allowing me to follow the procession. If you suddenly want to go too, that would signal distrust of the emperor. He is so suspicious, especially of you. You’d be walking into the line of fire. Besides, we cannot yet be sure whether this is a trap set by Lady Rong, perhaps purposely to get you to follow.”

Yu Ze could only say, “Then I will have some trustworthy Hidden Guards protect you in secret. If anything goes wrong, remember to signal me, and I’ll come immediately.”

The next morning, several grand carriages departed Qinghua City. Since Chatu Town was Muniang’s birthplace and the emperor thought she would be familiar with it, that was the chosen destination. Besides, the journey wasn’t far – it would take less than an hour to arrive.

Muniang and He Fangfei shared a carriage. With her worries constantly on her mind, Muniang was somewhat distracted throughout the trip. Recalling Lady Rong’s eerie gaze, she wondered, what exactly was her purpose?

(Another update coming in the afternoon~)