By evening, the Eastern Palace was full. Xiao Taoqi smiled depreciatingly. Du had really outdone himself. Now there were three parties in the palace. Xiao Taoqi's people, the Empress' people, and Wang Fengli's people.
When the crown prince returned, he was a little shocked, yet pleased. With this lineup, anyone that intended to harm his consort would think again! He could even see some of General Xiao's soldiers in the mix.
Wang Fengli had brought with him the higher ups of the Blade Pavilion. They stood straight and saluted Xiao Taoqi.
"Greetings to the crown prince consort!"
Xiao Taoqi raised her eyebrows at Wang Fengli.
"This are the leaders of the Blade Pavilion. They are my elite security and investigation force. You can use them at any time,"
"Okay," Xiao Taoqi went back to her card game.
Wang Fengli dismissed the Blade Pavilion. He then pulled up a chair and sat down.
"I have received word from the sages. The third day of next month is an auspicious date,"
"Long Aotian said the same thing,"
Wang Fengli reserved his comment. His consort was really pleasing to look at. Her bright blue eyes were tender, and her long fluttering eyelashes held him captive. She had healthy rosy cheeks, and her long fingers were elegant.
"Now, I'll have you know a couple of things," Xiao Taoqi looked Wang Fengli in the eye, "first, don't to dare come into my personal space! I'm just obeying the emperor's mandate, so there's nothing between us!"
Wang Fengli smiled.
"No problem, my consort,"
Xiao Taoqi scoffed.
"Now get lost,"
*
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*
*
Xiao Taoqi sat in her chamber while a stare-down competition occured between the three different parties of maids. Xiao Taoqi's maids, Fu Yin, Yue Lan and Xue Er, insisted on a red and gold wedding robe. The maids appointed by the Empress, from the Palace Workers Bureau, Ning Xi and Wang Min, disagreed and chose a red and white robe. Wang Fengli's appointed maids, Feng Lin and Feng Jia, from the Blade Pavilion though, chose a red and purple robe. Nanny Chun was just standing there watching without doing anything, while Xiao Taoqi only felt an headache coming on.
"Hey!" She finally intervened, "Whatever Xue Er says is the law! Do you all understand?"
The others finally acquiesced in the face of the command of the prince consort herself. They bowed.
"Yes, your highness,"
Xiao Taoqi did not know why, but she really liked this new title more than 'young miss'. Just as she was enjoying her life, Feng Xie came in and bowed.
"Your highness prince consort, Lady Jiao Zhu is here to see you,"
Xiao Taoqi raised her eyebrows.
"Jiao Zhu? Does she want to have a catfight with me because she thinks I stole her man?" She was pissed, "ugh! I have a choice to see her or not, right?" Xiao Taoqi asked Nanny Chun.
"Of course! Your highness, after the Emperor, the Empress, and the crown prince, you are the most important person in our Jin Empire! After you comes the other princes and princesses, then the ministers, and then--"
"Oh, okay, I get it," Xiao Taoqi interrupted, "so Jiao Zhu is still pretty much down the line. Nanny Chun, Wang Min, go meet her and ask what she wants. If it's a gift, collect it from her. If it's pointless talk, tell her to leave,"
"Yes, your highness!" Nanny Chun and Wang Min left.
The loud voice of Jiao Zhu was soon heard.
"Oho, self acclaimed prince consort can't receive guests anymore! Everyone's now beneath her notice! Idiot, I will still marry his highness, even if as a side consort, and chase you out!"
Black lines appeared on Xiao Taoqi's forehead. Feng Xie took the hint and left the room at once. There was silence again.
"Feng Jia, give me a paper and a quill!"
Xiao Taoqi immediately wrote a note to the crown prince.
*Yo, your sweetheart Jiao Zhu just came by and insulted my eighteen generations of ancestors. She said you're still going to marry her as a side consort. Fengli, your points just dwindled to minus!*
"Give it to Wang Fengli now!" Xiao Taoqi thrust the note into Feng Jia's hands.
"Yes, your highness," Feng Jia's eyes twitched at the way Xiao Taoqi exaggerated the matter in the note though.
"Xue Er," Xiao Taoqi called, and Xue Er left the robe they were embroidering and came to her mistress.
"I need some fresh air,"
Xue Er's eyes widened.
"No, miss!" Fresh air! She knew what that meant!
"Calm down. It's just for a few hours. I'll come back,"
"Let me come with you!"
"No," Xiao Taoqi declined, "tell the others I took a stroll,"
A few minutes later, the perceptive Feng Xie noticed something was amiss.
"Xue Er, where's her highness?"
"She took a stroll," Xue Er replied without looking up.
"Why didn't she bring me or anyone else along!" Feng Xie panicked. This prince consort could disappear at any moment! If she did, she was done for! What would his highness say!
"She's fine. She can protect herself," Xue Er replied firmly.
"But--!"
"Tell me, you're not really here to protect my miss but to monitor her, right?" Xue Er frowned at Feng Xie. The latter was shocked.
"I--"
"Her highness is the daughter of General Xiao. She could wield a sword since she was six. She's more skilled than many of General Xiao's soldiers!"
Feng Xie was stunned. She had no idea about this! But still, that was fine. The fact that the prince consort could disappear again was not!
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Wang Fengli received the note from his consort. It was passed to him from Feng Jia to his eunuch during court. Everyone glanced at him curiously as he smelled the note and smiled lightly.
WHAT?!?! (☉｡☉)! Did a spirit possess the yama prince! He had never ever smiled before!
Wang Fengli didn't even notice the incredulous faces of the ministers and generals and officials. He simply opened the note happily.
His face dampened slightly when he saw the contents. Yet, he slipped the note into his robe after reading g it. He then rose.
"Your majesty, pardon me. I want to issue a statement to the Prime Minister,"
The officials murmured. That had nothing to do with the issue on ground...
The emperor nodded at Wang Fengli.
"Continue,"
"Lord Jiao, please make it a priority to train the members of your household in the ways of proper etiquette. Your daughter, Jiao Zhu just went to the Eastern Palace to cause a scene. She insulted the prince consort and her family. Note it that anyone that insults the prince consort insults me, Wang Feng Li, the crown prince of Jin Empire, and the entire royal family of Jin Empire. I will leave it to the Bureau of Discipline to mete out an appropriate punishment to Miss Jiao."
The head official of the Bureau of Discipline couldn't cry. Why didn't the crown prince punish her himself?! Now he, a small fry official, was at the risk of offending the Prime Minister if he chose a punishment far too much, and offending the crown prince if he chose one far too little! He had to retire soon, ah! There was absolutely no gain in being a sub- official! And after trying for so long, he didn't think he could rise up the ranks anymore.
He rose and bowed to Wang Fengli.
"This humble official --"
Before he could say another word, the Prime Minister interrupted him by rising and bowing to the Emperor and the crown prince.
"Your majesty, your highness, please take it that it is this old one that offended you. Rest assured, I will strongly discipline Zhu-er when I return home,"
The Emperor nodded and waved it aside. The official of the Bureau of Discipline happily sat down.
"Back to the matter on ground," the emperor opened his mouth, "I want the ministers to come up with a response to Xu Empire's trade offer. The Huren Literary Summit recently strengthened our relations with the Xi Empire and the Hao Empire. We three are ever struggling to maintain our position as one of the Three Empires, and you know others are ever coveting this position. We have just recently ended the issue of the rebels in Western Jing which General Xiao and our crown prince went personally to oversee. There must be no internal strifes if we are to keep our position. Now that we have made Western Jing a frontier city with an army station post, we can rest assured that any other uprisings there will be swiftly stamped down,"
The officials nodded. The short war in Western Jing had already drained a lot of Jin Empire's resources. Even though some of the generals coveted General Xiao's new position as Earl and Governor of Western Jing, they knew it was as much work as the title sounded.
"And on the third day of next month," the emperor continued, "our crown prince will get married. He will present his consort before the royal assembly tomorrow."
Everyone looked at the crown prince with interest. The young lady of the Xiao Manor had received the mandate of crown prince consort. She was not really popular, and everyone wondered about her.
The court session ended shortly after that. The prime minister entered his carriage and made did the Jiao Manor. Upon arriving, he sent for Jiao Zhu.
"Father!" Jiao Zhu started complaining the moment she entered the chamber, "what are we going to do?! What are we going to do?! That sl*t Taoqi will become the crown prince consort! I want to marry Brother Fengli! We can't let her marry him! I'm supposed to be the crown prince consort! Didn't Brother Fengli promise to marry me! Father, father, answer me!"
Jiao Hanli's face was as dark as night. SLAP! A resounding slap landed on Jiao Zhu's face, and she screamed.
"You damn girl! You've made me loose all my face in front of everyone at court today! At first I thought it was a lie, but hearing what you have to say now just confirmed it! You have been spoiled by your mother! You have absolutely no etiquette! How dare you think you deserve the crown prince! No one has ever heard any bad report about General Xiao's daughter! But you, you just had to embarrass me at court today"
"Father! Why are you siding with that sl*t! Am I not your daughter! Don't I deserve the best things! You promised me that I would marry Brother Fengli! Why are you going back on your word!" Jiao Zhu was shocked that her father slapped her and she started wailing. Perhaps some maids heard the commotion and went to inform Lady Jiao because she soon came running in.
"Hubby! Why did you hit Zhu-er?!" Madam Jiao, Lin Shuyan, immediately cradled her daughter in her arms, "don't cry, don't cry, Zhu-er! Ah! Look at your face! It's swollen! Hubby, I won't take this from you!"
This only infuriated Jiao Hanli the more.
"I knew you were the one that spoiled her! I thought being friends with Lady Xiao would rub some sense into you! Look at Lady Xiao and look at you now! Even though Xiao Taoqi isn't her daughter, she trained her well and is now reaping the benefits! But you, all you and your daughter give me are headaches and endless embarrassments!"
Lin Shuyan jumped to her daughter's defense.
"Zhu-er is simply demanding what's hers! She did nothing wrong! You said she would marry the crown prince, and now the crown prince's wedding date with Xiao Taoqi has been fixed! What should my Zhu-er do!"