In the past year after Cheng Yujin entered the palace, she successfully changed Empress Yang’s perception of the word ‘rules.’ Once, Empress Yang relied on her status as the head of the inner palace to make the emperor’s concubines ‘learn the rule’ at every nook and turn, but after Cheng Yujin came, Empress Yang now had a nauseous reflex every time she heard the word ‘rules.’
Dou Xiyin saw Empress Yang being pushed into the pit, but with Cheng Yujin taking out the founding emperor’s name and using filial piety as a shield, none of them could make a counterargument. Dou Xiyin gritted her teeth. These days, she slowly realized the truth of the incident that day. After the matter passed, she always felt that everything happened too coincidentally.
Dou Xiyin was originally overwhelmed with anger, causing her to do something rash as a result. However, she didn’t expect her journey to be so smooth. In the end, she did something wrong and almost ruined her reputation. Now that she finally married the Second Prince as she wished, Dou Xiyin began to feel indignant. If only her reputation was not damaged, she would still have the chance to marry her cousin justifiably and confidently.
Now, after Dou Xiyin finally reviewed the events that transpired that day, she found too many coincidences. She even greatly suspected the two palace maids who badly gossiped about her in the corridor behind the wall. If it weren’t for those two palace maids, she wouldn’t have been pushed to the point that she even did such an act that brought a scandal to her family. Furthermore, she also wouldn’t have been pushed to the present situation where she couldn’t even hold her head straight.
And all these suspicions led to the Eastern Palace. Cheng Yujin also deliberately announced her pregnancy during the wedding banquet, clearly scheming to steal the limelight from the rightful bride. In Dou Xiyin’s eyes, everything was clearly planned by Cheng Yujin.
Dou Xiyin was angry. Her cousin, the Second Prince, no longer treated her kindly. Pushing all the blame on Dou Xiyin, he directly moved to sleep in the study three days after the wedding. Dou Xiyin didn’t dare to complain about the Second Prince, and she never felt that she was at fault either. Everything must be someone else’s fault, and it was clearly Cheng Yujin who harmed her.
In the Shou Wang Manor, Dou Xiyin could only watch helplessly as many beautiful servant girls used all kinds of ways to gain the Second Prince’s favor. And the culprit of all of this was still sitting firmly on the crown princess seat, being the only woman in the Eastern Palace even after a year of marriage. Unable to bear her anger, Dou Xiyin deliberately ran to Empress Yang, inciting the latter to add a block for Cheng Yujin.
This was not only a matter of Dou Xiyin’s personal grievance. Using concubines to divide the Eastern Palace also conformed to the interests of Empress Yang and Shou Wang. Therefore, Empress Yang was very easily persuaded by her niece.
However, Dou Xiyin was desperate to find out that even using Empress Yang to attack did not amount to anything, because Empress Yang could not handle Cheng Yujin.
What was the use of their plan? These women still couldn’t enter the gate of the Eastern Palace.
Dou Xiyin was unwilling to return without success, so she blurted out: “Crown Princess, Her Majesty has very kindly prepared these people for you. How can you reject them? This is unfilial.”
Before Dou Xiyin opened her mouth, Cheng Yujin didn’t even pay attention to her. But now that Dou Xiyin suddenly took over the conversation, Cheng Yujin finally gave her a look.
Originally, Cheng Yujin was too lazy to care about Dou Xiyin — this person was just a small fry and not worth wasting her energy. But since Dou Xiyin took the initiative to throw herself into the firing range, Cheng Yujin didn’t mind giving her one or two lessons.
Cheng Yujin smiled sweetly: “According to Shou Wangfei’s words, are you saying that the rules set by the founding emperor are wrong? Or do you mean that we can only be filial to Her Majesty and ignore our ancestors? You are putting me in a dilemma here. Should we, as a junior, listen to the founding ancestor, or should we listen to Her Majesty?”
Hearing this, Empress Yang immediately panicked. She hurriedly reasoned: “The founding emperor is blessed by heaven — wise and profound. This Palace admires the founding emperor the most. How can This Palace forbid you to follow the founding emperor’s rules?”
Cheng Yujin showed a look of relief and said sincerely, “This daughter-in-law is glad to hear that Your Majesty thinks the same way. Shou Wangfei’s words just now really put me in panic.”
Right after she finished her words, Cheng Yujin turned to Dou Xiyin with a smile, not giving the latter a chance to react: “I indeed feel pity for these good beauties. Unfortunately, His Highness has made such a declaration in front of His Majesty. The crime of deceiving the monarch is not something we husband and wife can afford to bear. However, it just happens that Shou Wang has never made a similar declaration, so why don’t second sister-in-law take these beauties back? Second sister-in-law is very filial — surely you don’t want to waste Her Majesty’s effort and kindness, right?”
The expression on Dou Xiyin’s face suddenly froze. She gave Empress Yang a stiff look and waved her hand quickly: “No, our Shou Wang Manor is already good. We don’t need extra people.”
In fact, Empress Yang didn’t plan to send these beauties to Shou Wang Manor. Her son and daughter-in-law had just married for half a month — what kind of mother would send concubines so quickly? However, Dou Xiyin’s quick refusal immediately annoyed Empress Yang. What did Dou Xiyin mean? This girl even dared to do such a scandalous act in order to marry Jun’er, yet she still had the face to point fingers at Jun’er’s people?
Once, Empress Yang was good to Dou Xiyin, but it was because Dou Xiyin was her niece and family. But now that Dou Xiyin was married to the Second Prince, the niece had become a daughter-in-law, which subtly changed Empress Yang’s attitude. In short, Empress Yang and her son were a family, and Dou Xiyin, who broke in, had become an outsider.
In the end, the four beauties did not succeed, and Dou Xiyin made a fool of herself. When Cheng Yujin saw the two turned against each other, she was very satisfied and calmly took her retreat.
The timing was good. Changed to the month Cheng Yujin had just entered the palace, she would not have the confidence to turn away the beauties sent by the Empress. But now, Cheng Yujin had a solid position and most importantly, an assurance she got from Li Chengjing’s firm attitude. That’s the case, why should she endure? No woman liked to see concubines dangling around under her eyelids. Before, Cheng Yujin thought she could bear it, but now, she found that she couldn’t.
Anyway, whoever took fancy could take those women away, as Cheng Yujin definitely refused to accept them.
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