Chapter 11: Simply Wishing to Dismiss Them
Li Feng had never seen Li Xuanyue so well-behaved. She stood there quietly, like a child who had done something wrong, neither looking up nor making a sound. It was a sight that made it difficult to even think of scolding her.
She took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress her anger. In the end, she couldn’t hold back the fury in her heart and questioned her.
“I heard you want to dismiss the Shijun and Xiao Shi in your palace?” Although it was a question, Li Feng’s tone carried a good deal of displeasure and anger at Li Xuanyue’s plan and actions.
When Li Xuanyue had wanted the Shijun before, she had been desperate to get her hands on them immediately. Even Li Feng, her Mu Huang, had been at a loss as to what to do with her. Now, she wanted to dismiss them. Sometimes, Li Feng genuinely wanted to take a knife, split open her daughter’s head, and see what was going on inside.
“Tell me, which Gongzi from the Hundred Clans have you set your sights on now?” Li Feng’s frustrated and disappointed expression was truly because of Li Xuanyue’s lack of ambition. As her daughter, how could a Mu Huang like her not understand her? She must have promised something to a certain Gongzi from the Hundred Clans. Otherwise, why would she suddenly think of dismissing the Shijun and Xiao Shi in her palace for no good reason?
“None!” Li Xuanyue replied quickly.
“Hmm?” Li Feng raised an eyebrow, thinking she had misheard.
“Mu Huang, your child hasn’t set her sights on anyone,” Li Xuanyue answered honestly. “I simply want to dismiss them.”
Her words, however, left Li Feng feeling confused. She didn’t believe her daughter could be so kind-hearted.
“You don’t have to hide anything from your Mu Huang,” Li Feng said, waving her hand, thinking her daughter was afraid of being punished. “Your Mu Huang is not an unreasonable person. If you’ve truly taken a liking to someone, bring them back. There’s no need to dismiss your entire inner palace for just one person.”
Li Xuanyue knew that no matter what she said now, Li Feng wouldn’t believe her. So, she simply stated the fact that she was unlikely to have a child directly to Li Feng.
“Mu Huang, your child isn’t joking with you,” she said solemnly. “I’m telling you the truth. With my current physical condition, it would be truly unfair to keep them in the palace. It would be a kind act to let them go and find a suitable partner.”
This was a decision she had carefully thought through the night before. Firstly, she wanted to be a diligent princess of the Phoenix Clan, earning the love and respect of its people. Secondly, some of her Shijun and Xiao Shi were spies planted by Li Qinghe. Reborn into this life, how could she let them continue to stay in her palace and spy on her? Using this opportunity, she could have her own people secretly watch them to see what else Li Qinghe’s spies planned to do.
Li Feng’s expression darkened. “Does your Fu Jun know about this?” The inability to have children was a serious matter. Throughout the generations of Phoenix Sovereigns, the most important thing, besides strength and strategy, was having a successor. If this news were to get out, it would certainly cause an uproar throughout the entire Phoenix Clan. Who would entrust the position of sovereign to a princess who was unlikely to have a child? Li Feng was no exception.
“Your child has already instructed Physician Fang and the various Shijun to keep it a secret,” Li Xuanyue said with some hesitation. “My Fu Jun should not know about it.”
“Since you already have a plan, your Mu Huang won’t try to stop you,” Li Feng said indifferently. “However… this matter of secrecy.” Li Feng found it hard to believe Li Xuanyue’s words alone. Once Li Xuanyue left, she would definitely send someone to find Physician Fang and get the full story.
“Then… I’ll have to trouble Mu Huang with the elders and officials,” she said. It would be nearly impossible for her to handle the elders and officials on her own. But it would be different if Li Feng were to step in. She was the Empress of the entire clan; even if she said something, the elders and officials wouldn’t dare to oppose her.
“Princess, won’t this be too big of a sacrifice for us?” Yinxin asked worriedly. “What if you lose your Huangtainu position because of this? Wouldn’t that be a massive loss?”
Li Xuanyue glanced sideways at Yinxin. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” “Yinxin, sometimes you can’t just look at the surface of things. You have to take the long view.”
While everything seemed very disadvantageous to her at the moment, if she didn’t do this, how could she lure her dear sister’s pawns into the trap she had set?
“Come on, let’s go sit in the pavilion across the way.” Having been reborn, Li Xuanyue’s disposition had become much calmer. Unlike in her previous life, she no longer got angry at the drop of a hat. The reason the poison in her body had spread so quickly was precisely because of her frequent outbursts of anger.
“Hmm, isn’t that Shijun Jun up ahead? Why is he here?” Following the direction of Yinxin’s gaze, Li Xuanyue did indeed see a man in white Xuan-yi slowly approaching from the rockery, accompanied by guards.
After they had all come out of Fenghe Palace earlier, this particular Shijun Jun hadn’t returned to his own palace with the other four Shijun. Instead, he had his confidant accompany him for a stroll by the rockery in the palace grounds. He hadn’t expected to run into Li Xuanyue, who had just sat down in the pavilion.
He froze for a moment, then, after a second’s thought, he led his confidant and walked over to the pavilion. “This official greets Your Highness the Princess.”
Now that the person had come this far, there was no reason for Li Xuanyue to pretend she didn’t see him. “Have a seat,” she said with a casual wave of her hand. She showed neither warmth nor coldness, treating him as she would any other person.
Soon after, a maid came forward with hot tea, poured a cup for each of them, and placed it in front of them.
“It’s the second month of spring, which is a cold and chilly season. Shijun Jun, if you have nothing else to do after your stroll, you should return to your palace early to rest and avoid catching a cold.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” This Shijun Jun seemed very easy to talk to. He neither refuted Li Xuanyue’s words nor showed any intention of conversing with her at length. He was very distant.
The two of them sat in the pavilion, drinking tea, without another word exchanged.
“Princess, this servant has found out that after being summoned by the Phoenix Sovereign, the Eldest Princess is now drinking tea with her Shijun Jun in the pavilion in the back garden.” Inside Chaoren Palace, Ruyue, after getting the news, rushed back to report it, not daring to waste a single moment on the road.
“Drinking tea?” Li Qinghe narrowed her eyes, as if a plan had formed in her mind.
“Physician Fang, can you tell this princess now what’s wrong with my elder sister?” This Physician Fang had gone to Fenghe Palace and, after being invited by her, had kept his mouth shut. Could it be that he had betrayed her?
Physician Fang felt a chill run down his spine under Li Qinghe’s icy gaze. If he could, he wouldn’t want to get involved in this matter at all. But Li Xuanyue’s warning words kept echoing in his ears. It didn’t matter if he died, but the lives of his wife, children, and elderly mother were all in Li Xuanyue’s hands. He didn’t dare to take the risk. Out of helplessness, he could only follow the plan Li Xuanyue had previously laid out for him.
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