"I-I, your highness please have mercy. I didn't hook up with any other man. It is the fourth young master's child. Please, have mercy" Xiao Feng smiled.
"Where is the father?" Xiao Feng asked looking at the housekeeper.
"Prime Minister went to the morning court and should have come by now"
"Then ask the fourth young master and concubine Pei in the main hall" Concubine Pei is the mother of the fourth young master.
"Yes, your highness" Xiao Feng went to the main hall and sat down. The maid was kneeling in front of her. Soon concubine Pei and the fourth master enter the hall.
"Princess, although you're a princess don't you think it's not proper to ask to the main hall as your wish?"
"I know, concubine Pei. I have never inferred with family affairs or with my mother but as a family member, I have a responsibility to protect my family's reputation. First, both can sit down" They both sat down.
"This servant here, does fourth young master know her?" The fourth young master looked at the servant and his expression didn't change a bit.
"I don't know her"
"What do you want Xiao Feng?"
"Concubine Pei, please calm down"
"What's happening here?" The left prime minister enters the hall and all stand-up. Xiao Feng greeted her father.
"Father, the servant here is pregnant and she said the father of the child is the fourth brother. I was interrogating the maid"
"No father. She was interrogating us"
"Father, I was trying to clear fourth brother's name"
"Is it true?" The prime minister asked the maid.
"Master, it's true. This bracelet was given by the fourth young master" Fourth young master was shocked.
"Father, I didn't. I think someone is trying to frame me. I have never" Fourth young master knelt in front of the prime minister.
"Master, someone is framing my son. I think it's Xiao Feng. That's right, Xiao Feng. She has never inferred with family affairs but today she did. I think she is framing us up"
"Concubine Pei, what do you think I can get from framing you, and do you deserve it? Father, I was checking the servants for the palace and she suddenly fell unconscious and I let a physician check her. That's what happens"
"Ask the physician" The physician came.
"Prime Minister"
"Are you sure she is pregnant?"
"Yes, I have checked her and the maid was indeed pregnant"
"Okay, how many months?"
"2 months"
"Wasn't Xiao Feng in Hua country 2 months ago?" Xiao Feng looks at the physician and the physician looks at the maid.
"I told you father; I wasn't in the manor at all 2 months ago"
"Master, someone is trying to frame me and my son"
"Tell me the truth. If you tell the truth I will spare your life"
"I-I. Please, spare me. It was the princess. She gave me the bracelet saying I can prove what I am saying. Princess, please spare my family" Xiao Feng looks at the maid and chuckles.
"Xiao Feng, now what do you have to say?"
"Father, I don't get anything by framing the fourth brother"
"Princess, I am sorry but I am pregnant. So, I have to tell the truth. Princess said that after his majesty marry her highness, she will be the empress. So, the crown prince will promote the Xiao family but the princess doesn't want others in the family to get high ranks in the court" Xiao Feng looks at the maid.
"You!! Why I don't want? Having Xiao's family promoted will improve my backing and-" She was cut off.
"Father, wasn't I right? I said 3rd sister want to be the empress. She was planning it for months, see" Xiao Qi entered the hall. Xiao Feng looks at her sister and smiled.
"I see, sister a few months ago when I gave the throne to my brother-in-law, why didn't you say that I am trying to get a hold of the court"
"Xiao Feng, you can't just play with the court" Xiao Feng went towards Xiao Qi and whispered.
"Why can't I? I did it in the past and present and in the future too I will keep playing my role as the owner of the court" Xiao Qi was taken back but quickly held her emotions.
"It's said that a phoenix will be born in Xiao's family. Sooner or later, it was going to happen"
"Empress or not it's just a title what's worth is not known by greedy people" Xiao Feng looks at the maid.
"You, do you think if it was my plan, I will tell it to a mare maid? I have killed many people, if I don't want to promote Xiao's family, I will just ask his majesty not to promote them or just kill them. It's not my way to frame someone"
"All sit-down. I will handle this. Do you have any proof to say that it was Xiao Feng who tell you to frame the fourth young master?"
"Yes," She took a jade token.
"How to talk about this? Xiao Feng, how can you give the jade token given by your grandfather to a servant? You went too far"
"Of course, I will not. You sure it's me who gave you this jade token?"
"Y-yeah"
"Sister, are you trying to scare her?"
"No. I see both I and my fourth brother are framed by someone and now I am going to clear my name"
"Are you saying that it wasn't you? Grandfather's jade token was with you for a long period"
"Yeah, it is with me for a long period. I treasure it so I will not give it to others. Not even Linlin or Weining. How can I give it to just a maid unless someone steals it and gives it to her? Father, do you remember I used to play with this jade token, and one day when I got mad, I throw this to the ground and a piece of jade shattered and the jade token has a damaged corner. Father, do you remember where is it? Why not check if it's the same jade token?" Weining grabbed the jade token from the maid and gave it to the prime minister as he observe it.
"This is not the same jade token" He looks at the maid.
"Father, how can someone make the same jade token? After all, no one gets it to their hand"
"Right. The fake one is also indeed mine. It was in my room. Father, would you like to come with me?" The Prime minister nodded. They went to Xiao Feng's room. Xiao Feng went around the room getting a few jade tokens.
"Father, the real jade is valuable. It's not in the manor. I have made a few jades in the same pattern and put them around the room. So, if someone tries to steal they will steal the fake one"
"I see. You all can go back. Take the maid and just put her away. We can't trust her words anymore" Everyone went away.
"Did master let it go like this?" Linlin had an unbelieving look.
"He must know by now who is the one behind it"
"But"
"It's okay. Linlin, what's is the news from the palace today"
"I forgot, yesterday it was the first night of imperial consort Shu but the emperor went to concubine Wei instead. Also, concubine Wei is a princess of Wei. Her father is the crown prince of Wei"
"Okay, I think we have to do a lot when we went to the harem"
Emperor was in the peony palace. He instructs his servant on how to decorate the empress peony palace.
Finally, it was the day before the wedding.
"Princess, are you sure you don't want to try the wedding dress?"
"No" Weining signaled all the maids to go away.
"Did you send the letter to mother that I wrote?"
"Yes, your highness' Weining
Xiao Feng suddenly felt dizzy and felt like vomiting.
"Your highness, are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to talk to a physician? You look pale" Xiao Feng shook her head and check her pulse as she widened her eyes and checked her pulse again after taking a deep breath.
"Weining, buy safflower," Xiao Feng said looking away.
"Your highness, it's, are you, pregnant?" Weining asked.
"Weining, I am going to marry again, it's better to have no problem at all. It will only be a barrier in my way" Xiao Feng was going to put her shaking hand in her belly but put her hand away. Weining knelt before her.
"Your highness, the unborn child is innocent. Your highness when you realize you will regret it and will suffer from great pain in the future" Xiao Feng clenched her fist. Xiao Feng took the brush and wrote down something on paper.
"Send this to the Rongyao pavilion with my token"
Linlin nodded and take it and went out. A man with a sword looks at the name Rongyao and enters the pavilion. It was linlin who disguised herself as a man.
Few women cling to him as he ignored them and went inside. There was a woman in her late forties as he went near her and show the token and she look at him. The smile of the woman got deeper.
"Follow me" Then they went upstairs and then enter a room. There were both women and men inside the room. They were playing instruments and danced. There was a feminine looked man who is much more handsome laying comfortably behind a curtain.
"Boss" He opened his eyelids elegantly and slowly and then the attendant man beside him signaled others to go away with a single hand and everyone went away after bowing together with the woman. Linlin showed the letter and a man-in-waiting man came and took the letter from Linlin's hand and gave it to the feminine man. He read it and chuckled. He stood up with the help of the man-in-waiting.
"You can go now, tell her that I will send it to her" He had a beautiful voice as he spoke and Linlin nodded and went away. Linlin doesn't know what her mistress's decision was. Since the letter was for the Royal pavilion she couldn't think if it is for abortion or to keep it safe. Commandant Wen was a commandant of one of the 16 armies of General Xiao.
"Xiao Feng! Xiao Feng!"
"What did princess say?" The man-in-waiting asked.
"She asks for a way to hide pregnancy"
"Is princess pregnant? Prince Jing's child?"
"I don't think so. If it is his, she would have aborted the child without thinking. She is going to be the empress and now she seems to have a sweetheart" The man chuckled. "Interesting, isn't it? Prepare the necessities" Man-in-waiting bowed and went away.
In the room, Xiao Feng was sitting inside looking at the mirror as Linlin came to Xiao Feng greet her.
"He has said that it will be sent" Xiao Feng nodded.
"It's better if we have our physicians in the palace"
"I will take care of it," Linlin said cupping her hands together.
In the plum courtyard, Xiao Qi was irritated as she crashed a few treasures.
"This! I have arranged everything and yet" She crashed another vase as a maid came running and whisper something inside her ear. She unbelievingly looks at the maid
"Ask him to come inside"