When Yu Yunxi arrived at the front hall, she saw an old woman dressed in plain clothes. The old woman's eyes were closed, and she was muttering under her breath as she moved the prayer beads in her hands.
'She must be Consort Dowager Ning who was highly favored in the harem back then…'
Upon hearing the commotion, Consort Dowager Ning slowly opened her eyes and sized Yu Yunxi up.
Yu Yunxi bowed and said politely, "Yunxi greets the Consort Dowager."
"Why do you address me as 'Consort Dowager'? Address me as Mother. The wedding yesterday was really rushed. It must have been hard on you," Consort Dowager Ning said gently as she waved her hand.
Yu Yunxi could not help but be stunned for a moment.
'Why is the Consort Dowager so nice to a concubine's daughter?'
Yun Yunxi lowered her gaze and suppressed the doubts in her heart before she slowly walked to Consort Dowager Ning's side.
Consort Dowager Ning held Yu Yunxi's hand and patted it affectionately as she said, "Good child, I was rather against you marrying into the Prince Regent's Residence…"
Yu Yunxi's expression changed slightly as she thought to herself, 'So… Does this mean she doesn't agree with me being buried along with the Prince Regent?'
Consort Dowager Ning's tone suddenly changed as she continued to say, "However, since you've already entered the Prince Regent's Residence, everything's fated. If Yili can't wake up even with your good luck, then you can only go to the netherworld first to accompany him…"
Consort Dowager Ning's eyes flashed with a hint of killing intent after she finished speaking.
Yu Yunxi felt foolish when she heard these words. After all, she had been fooled by Consort Dowager Ning's benevolent appearance earlier. As it turned out, everything was just her imagination. Compared to the life of Consort Dowager Ning's son, the lives of others were not worth mentioning.
At this moment, Nanny Liu said with a hint of hostility, "Princess Consort, it's time to serve tea to the Consort Dowager."
Yu Yunxi felt helpless, but she could only reach out for the teacup before she kneeled down and said, "Mo… Mother, please have some tea."
Consort Dowager Ning stared at Yu Yunxi intently. After making sure that there was nothing wrong with Yu Yunxi's etiquette, she finally reached out for the teacup. After taking a sip, she seemed to have thought of something and said frostily, "You're a daughter of a concubine of the Prime Minister's Residence. Your upbringing is definitely lacking compared to proper daughters of other families. However, I hope that you'll keep your current identity in mind and don't embarrass the Prince Regent's Residence."
Consort Dowager Ning's gaze turned unfriendly as she continued to say, "Also, don't learn from that despicable mother of yours. I heard that she was born into a merchant's family. Not only was her status low, but she even dared to dally with a guard after becoming a concubine of the Prime Minister. Otherwise, how could the Prime Minister hate you and your mother so much…"
Yu Yunxi, who had been docile, suddenly raised her head and interjected, "My mother didn't do such a thing!"
Yu Yunxi's body trembled slightly, and she clenched her hands hidden beneath her sleeves tightly as she spoke. She was confident that her mother was framed back then. Her mother was a kind person, but in the end, her mother was forcefully fed poison before her body was dumped in a mass grave. Even in death, her mother was not exonerated.
Consort Dowager Ning sneered and said darkly, "You dare to talk back just because I was a little kind to you earlier for Yili's sake? You're now my daughter-in-law so you should listen to me. If your despicable mother did not save the Great Ancestor back then, do you think you could have lived safely in the Prime Minister's Residence until now?"
Upon hearing these words, Yu Yunxi inhaled deeply. She rose to her feet as she said word by word, "Mother, before I entered the Prince Regent's Residence, I've long heard that His Royal Highness was a great hero. I thought that as His Royal Highness' mother, you'd be someone who can distinguish right from wrong. I thought that you wouldn't be someone who listened to baseless rumors…"
Consort Dowager Ning glared at Yu Yunxi and said angrily, "Impudent! Are you saying that I can't differentiate right from wrong?"
"Mother, you were in the harem for many years so you must be very smart. My mother came from Jiangnan and her family had long passed away. However, her dowry far exceeded many ladies from the capital. Not only that, but she was very skilled in medicine and often entered the palace to treat the Great Ancestor. In the past, the Great Ancestor praised her highly. It's not surprising that many people were jealous of her and plotted against her. Sometimes, you can't even believe what you see with your eyes, let alone believe what you only heard…" Yu Yunxi said. Her voice was filled with grief and indignation when she spoke. In her eyes, her mother was the best, and she would not allow anyone to tarnish her mother's reputation.
"Shut up!" Consort Dowager Ning cried out angrily as she slammed her hand down on the table. She was just about to order Yu Yunxi to slap herself when a loud cry rang from outside the hall.
"The Emperor's decree has arrived!"
Upon hearing this, Consort Dowager Ning could only temporarily dismiss her intention to teach Yu Yunxi a lesson. She said fiercely, "People from the palace are here. Be smart and don't embarrass the Prince Regent's Residence. Otherwise, I won't let you off so easily."
Soon after, a few figures appeared at the entrance of the hall.
Nanny Liu hurriedly helped Consort Dowager Ning up.
One of the people who came was Lin De, the eunuch closest to the Emperor. As soon as he arrived, he walked over to Consort Dowager Ning and said, "Consort Dowager, I can't trouble you to stand up. Please hurry up and sit down."
"It's fine," Consort Dowager Ning said as she shook her head gently, "Eunuch Lin, why did the Emperor send you here?"
"Consort Dowager Ning, the Imperial Preceptor sent a message to the palace. He'll only be returning to the capital in two days, but he specially ordered someone to deliver the Cold Jade Coffin to the capital first," Lin De replied calmly.
"Cold Jade Coffin?" Consort Dowager Ning frowned, puzzled and skeptical.
"In the letter, the Imperial Preceptor told the Emperor that Prince Regent's body is weak and his soul is fragmented. He said that if we place the Prince Regent into the coffin and nail it shut with long nails, the coffin will heal the Prince Regent's soul. As a result, the Prince Regent will be able to regain consciousness," Lin De said patiently.
Yu Yunxi felt these words were ridiculous as soon as she heard them. She said, "No, how can we do that? His Royal Highness is still alive. If we put him in the coffin, how can he breathe?"
Lin De turned to look at Yu Yunxi and asked curiously, "You are…"
"She's the new Princess Consort," Consort Dowager Ning said before she shot an angry look at Yu Yunxi. Although she did not say anything to Yu Yunxi, her gaze alone was enough to scold Yu Yunxi for not knowing etiquette and speaking out of turn. Nonetheless, Yu Yunxi's words made sense. She pondered for a moment before she said to Lin De skeptically, "Eunuch Lin, the Cold Jade Coffin, as its name suggests, is cold. Moreover, to nail it shut… If anything happens to my son in there, I…"
Lin De shook his head and said calmly, "Consort Dowager Ning, don't worry. The Imperial Preceptor said that the Cold Jade Coffin was left to him by his master. It's a treasure that can treat illnesses and injuries. One can only benefit from it…"
The worried expression on Consort Dowager Ning's eased slightly upon hearing these words. However, she still asked, "Did the Imperial Preceptor really say that?"
"Of course. The Imperial Preceptor has always been concerned about the Prince Regent's situation. He left the capital just to look for the Cold Jade Coffin."
Upon hearing this, Consort Dowager Ning seemed to have grabbed onto a life-saving raft. She hurriedly said, "Alright. Hurry up and send it over so His Royal Highness can lie in it!"
"Yes, Consort Dowager Ning," Lin De said before he ordered his men to carry the Cold Jade Coffin to Feng Yili's courtyard.
Yu Yunxi was a little flustered and wanted to stop Lin De.
As though she could read Yu Yunxi's thoughts, Consort Dowager Ning's expressions darkened as she said icily, "Guards, keep an eye on the Princess Consort. Without my orders, she's not allowed to leave this hall at all."