Feng Jin Yuan felt a cold sweat instantly cover his back. He could not help but cast a confused look towards Feng Yu Heng. If it were not for the fact that the Emperor was present, he would definitely need to ask what had happened.
Originally, he only had a common item to present the Empress. Without the Chen family’s help, the Feng family truly could not acquire any interesting items, but after Feng Yu Heng received the phoenix hairpin, she had sneakily sought him out and said to him: “Daughter has once received a treasure from my Persian master. Daughter knows that father did not find anything too desirable. How about father takes this. This item is truly a rare thing. Father, just treat it as a gift from the entire Feng family. The Empress will be extremely happy.”
Then, Feng Yu Heng explained the matter of the multicolored stone to him.
Feng Yu Heng had nice things. This was something that Feng Jin Yuan did not doubt. He had originally thought of asking Feng Yu Heng if she had any suitable items prior to coming to the banquet, but he was too embarrassed to ask. Thus, when Feng Yu Heng gave something directly to him, he did not hesitate at all before stuffing it in his sleeve. Moreover, Feng Yu Heng had even given him an explanation of what would happen when people saw the multicolored stone. This caused Feng Jin Yuan to become resolute in wanting to open the box of treasures for all to see.
But he now knew that he had been seen through by this daughter. In fact, he had been completely seen through. The Emperor had already become angry today. Although he had already calmed down and appeared quite pleasant, Feng Jin Yuan had been an official for many years, how could he not know about the Emperor’s temperament. Although it appeared to have disappeared, the anger still lingered in his heart, and it would be even more frightening when he redirected it!
Feng Jin Yuan knew that if he did not immediately give an explanation, it was likely the Emperor would get angry. It seemed that the matter with imperial concubine Yun that seemed to have passed could also be sorted together with him. It appeared that his horrific end would be no better than Minister Bu’s.
Feng Jin Yuan’s forehead was soaked in sweat, as he simply dropped to his knees and turned to look at Feng Yu Heng. This second daughter of his had previously been familiar in her manner of calling the Emperor, so Feng Jin Yuan would confess to the truth. However, this daughter had a glib tongue, so she could make this entire situation disappear.
Feng Jin Yuan had already opened his out and was about to speak when Feng Yu Heng stood up on her own, causing Feng Jin Yuan to let out a sigh of relief.
Unfortunately, just as this sigh came out, Feng Yu Heng’s words caused him to retract that relief.
He heard her say “Huh? Just now, eldest sister took the stone to admire it. Did she not return them to father?”
Whoosh!
Feng Jin Yuan’s immediately exploded.
“What… what nonsense are you spouting?” He pointed at Feng Yu Heng, his hands trembling, “Your eldest sister did not come to the palace at all. When did she take it?”
“Did not come” Feng Yu Heng suddenly raised her hand and pointed: “Then who is that?”
Everyone followed Feng Yu Heng’s finger and looked where she pointed. They saw her pointing at the spot where imperial daughter Qing Le sat, as the maidservant in red behind her slowly retreated in horror.
Feng Chen Yu had never expected that Feng Yu Heng had already discovered her. She wanted to escape, but this was the imperial palace. Forget about escaping, even leaving Liu Li courtyard would be impossible.
“Father.” Feng Yu Heng asked her father: “The multicolored stone is with eldest sister. Daughter saw her take them to admire and assumed eldest sister put them back. I never thought she would keep them for herself.”
The Empress became furious “Lord Feng! If this one remembers correctly, the Feng family’s daughter to the first wife was not permitted to enter the palace for five years, right? What does your Feng family take my imperial decree to be?”
How could Feng Jin Yuan not understand. Chen Yu appearing here and standing behind Qing Le clearly meant that she was brought in by Qing Le. He truly hated this! Why was it that all of his children caused him to worry?
“Would your Empress please forgive this crime.” Aside from this, he truly did not know what he should say, but after some more thought, he felt that this kind of burden could not be handled by the Feng family alone. No matter what, he had to drag someone else along. Thus, Feng Jin Yuan raised his head once more and looked towards Qing Le: “Might I ask imperial daughter Qing Le, why force my family’s daughter to the first wife to enter the palace?”
He used the word force, and before Qing Le could speak up, Lord Ding An was the one to go crazy “Feng Jin Yuan! What sort of nonsense are you speaking?”
Feng Jin Yuan feared the Emperor, but he did not fear Lord Ding An. When the other side asked this question, it caused his own temper to flare up: “This Minister is not speaking nonsense! My family’s daughter to the first wife has the Empress’ imperial decree saying that she absolutely must not enter the palace; however, my lord, please take a look. Not only has she entered the palace tonight, she has come in as imperial daughter Qing Le’s servant. What is going on here?”
Feng Jin Yuan’s words cleansed himself clean of this mess, but it left Lord Ding An’s family carrying this crime.
Lord Ding An had originally felt that the servant Qing Le brought seemed unfamiliar. Now that Feng Jin Yuan asked him, he remembered. But of course, the one wearing red, aside from her face being a little darker, her facial appearance was exactly the same as when she attended Princess Ding An’s birthday banquet.
He stood stunned in place, looking at Qing Le in confusion.
Qing Le fiercely glanced sideways at Feng Chen Yu before quickly standing up and kneeling before the Emperor to explain: “Your Majesty, it was Feng Chen Yu that requested Qing Le bring her in. Qing Le did not agree at all, but she forced me. I could not chased her away no matter what.”
The Emperor glanced at Qing Le then glanced at Chen Yu before asking with curiosity: “Minister Feng, We remember that your manor’s head wife passed away a few days ago.”
“Yes.” Feng Jin Yuan responded.
The Emperor then asked: “That head wife was that daughter to the first wife’s birth mother?”
Feng Jin Yuan was a little confused as to why the Emperor would ask this and quickly replied: “She was.”
The Emperor suddenly became furious and returned back to his throne. When he sat down, he slammed his hand down on the table, causing the table full of fruits and wine to flip over.
Everyone trembled and knelt down.
They heard the Emperor say: “We will not discuss the matter of the Empress’ imperial decree, but We will ask about this daughter to the first wife of yours. Her own birth mother just passed away not one month ago, yet she as the daughter to the first wife came to participate in the palace banquet in red clothing?”
Feng Jin Yuan once again lost his mind!
As he was saying, when he saw Chen Yu make her appearance, just now, aside from shock and fear, he felt something was wrong. Now that the Emperor brought it up, he came to the realization. It was the set of red clothing. Not only had Feng Chen Yu come, she had come wearing red clothing. In contract, his second and third daughters had come in wearing plain clothing despite being surrounded by girls dressed up beautifully. Even their hair ornaments were plain. Chen Yu, however, was Chen shi’s own daughter! What would others think of her?
Feng Jin Yuan was angry with the still stunned in place Chen Yu “What are you standing there for? Why do you not quickly come kneel before his Majesty and beg for forgiveness!”
Chen Yu was almost scared witless. Like a person made of wood, she moved to the middle of the hall and dropped to her knees.
Feng Jin Yuan also kowtowed, his voice trembling: “This child is not sensible and has been spoiled rotten by this official. I beg your Majesty for your grace to forgive her this once!”
Chen Yu also kowtowed. Once her head touched the ground, she did not dare raise it.
Feng Yu Heng saw her father and sister kneeling and felt that standing there on her own was not too good, thus she gave Xiang Rong a look, and the two sisters went up and knelt down next to Chen Yu.
The Emperor took a deep breath and said to Feng Yu Heng: “This matter is unrelated to Heng Heng, get up. The child beside you is also from your family? Have her also get up. You two stand to the side.”
Feng Yu Heng and Xiang Rong did not dare stand up. Feng Yu Heng had raised her head to speak, and Feng Jin Yuan thought she was asking for forgiveness; however, Feng Yu Heng actually said: “Your Majesty, first have eldest sister bring out the multicolored stone. That is something father prepared to present the Empress. Father’s intentions can not be wasted.”
Feng Jin Yuan did not know if he should curse this second daughter or praise her. The multicolored stone’s location had been confirmed, but whatever the case, say something for the Feng family! Your sister sneaking into the palace is a crime punishable by death! Moreover, she was wearing a set of red clothing. Da Shun placed filial piety as its top priority. The Emperor had commented on it personally, so how could this possibly be good?
He was full of hope that Feng Yu Heng would say another few words, but that girl did not say another word after bringing up the multicolored stone. Instead, she pulled Xiang Rong off to the side.
Feng Jin Yuan nearly fainted from anger.
Also fuming, the Empress spoke up at this time. Speaking to a granny at her side, she said: “Go down there and search her.”
The grannies in the palace were unlike the grannies of normal manors that could only take care of people. This group could indeed take great care of their masters, but they could also take care of sorting out other people very thoroughly.
Feng Chen Yu did not know the reason she was being searched, as she began screaming that she had been wronged. Feng Jin Yuan, however, understood that the Empress had become angry. He feared that Chen Yu would suffer some hardships!
He did not dare look at the scene. Helplessly turning his head away, he heard Chen Yu cry out, as two grannies searched up and down her body. Finally, they discovered something in her waist area.
One of them brought something up before the Emperor and the Empress: “This old servant found this on eldest young miss Feng’s person.”
When the Emperor went to take a look, he saw that there was a stone in the granny’s hand. It was roughly the size of a palm and looked like a flower with seven petals and each petal was a different color. Reflecting the moonlight that came in from a hole in the roof of Liu Li courtyard, it shone brightly like a supernatural object.
The Empress was shocked: “There really was such a thing? Minister Feng, where did you get this?”
“Replying to the Empress, it was given by the Persian master of this official’s second daughter. The Feng family does not dare enjoy this treasure alone, so it was decided to bring it in for the Mid-Autumn Festival to present to the Empress.” Feng Jin Yuan did not dare speak nonsense. At his side, Chen Yu had already been handled so thoroughly by two grannies that she could hardly remain kneeling. He worried for her and wanted to help support her, but he also feared rousing the Emperor’s anger, thus he turned a blind eye on the matter.
The Empress was quite satisfied with his response. Reaching out her hand, she picked up the multicolored stone from the granny’s hand. Caressing it, the more she looked at it, the more she liked it. She then took the initiative and advised the Emperor: “On the splendor of this stone, how about forgiving the Feng family.”
The Emperor grunted, “How could it be on the splendor of the stone?”
The Empress understood the Emperor’s temper too well and quickly said, “It is for the face of the Feng family’s second young miss.”
Only then did the Emperor nod in satisfaction, as everyone heard him say: “The death penalty can be exempted, other punishments will not be so easy to avoid!”