The next day, in the Fenghua Palace, the second-rank titled Lady Fang from the Feng Manor entered the palace early in the morning to deliver a greeting note to Empress Feng.

The trusted palace maid of Empress Feng carefully observed the Empress's expression and asked in a low voice, "Does Your Majesty wish to see Madam Fang?"

The maid still remembered last time after Lady Fang left, Empress Feng had a big fit of anger alone in her bedchamber. The maid wasn't attending to her that day, so she wasn't sure if Lady Fang had inadvertently offended the Empress with her words. That's why she asked.

Empress Feng let out a bitter laugh. How could Lady Fang have the guts? She was just a messenger. Empress Feng still had to listen to the words of Old Master Feng and Feng Guozhong.

Empress Feng nodded wearily, "Summon her."

Although Lady Fang was Empress Feng's sister-in-law, she was five years younger than the Empress. Having lived a worry-free life with proper care over the years, she looked only about thirty years old. Empress Feng looked at Lady Fang's exquisite and proper makeup, feeling both relieved and envious. She nodded with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you look very well."

"Thanks to Your Majesty's blessings." Lady Fang properly paid her respects to Empress Feng. After being offered a seat and tea, she sat down and asked with concern, "I wonder if the Second Prince is still in Your Majesty's palace? I brought an ointment from my maiden home that is the best for treating club and stick injuries."

Empress Feng smiled, "Thank you for thinking of him, but unfortunately he's not here today. His injury hasn't healed yet. I usually don't allow him to move around much. He's still recuperating in Zhaoyang Palace."

Lady Fang nodded. Empress Feng then asked about the family as usual. Finally, she took a sip of tea and said, "This time... do Father and Brother have any messages?"

Lady Fang glanced around at the people in the hall. Empress Feng waved her hand to dismiss the palace servants. Only then did Lady Fang unhurriedly say, "Your Majesty, my husband asked me to inquire... I heard that since that day, the Emperor has never visited Your Majesty's palace again. Is it because the Emperor is too busy with political affairs to come to the rear palace, or... Your Majesty, please don't be angry, has the Emperor gone elsewhere and only hasn't come to Your Majesty's palace?"

Empress Feng paused for a moment and slowly put down the teacup, smiling mockingly, "In between, he went to Consort Xue's palace once and Concubine Jiang's palace once."

Lady Fang nodded and quietly counted the days, whispering, "Your Majesty... The Emperor has had a deep conjugal love with Your Majesty for many years. It's rare for him not to come to Your Majesty's palace for such a long time."

"It's just because the Emperor is still angry with me over the last incident." A hint of unwillingness flashed in the Empress's eyes. "That would be fine, but these past few days, the Emperor has been deliberately favoring Consort Xue. He clearly knows that I despise that lowly woman the most..."

Lady Fang sighed inwardly and quickly persuaded, "Your Majesty, please mind your words..."

Consort Xue, the mother of the Third Prince Qi Qi, also had a powerful maternal family in the court. She was young and had been very favored in recent years.

Lady Fang secretly sighed. She actually knew all this, which was why her father-in-law was anxious. Everyone could see that the Emperor intended to cultivate other princes. At this time, Consort Xue suddenly gained such favor... The Feng family couldn't sit still.

Over the years, Lady Fang had also figured out Empress Feng's temperament. She tried her best to persuade gently, "Your Majesty, calm your anger. No matter what, Consort Xue can never surpass you. Does Your Majesty still remember? The year before last, when Your Majesty suddenly developed a headache, the Emperor left Consort Xue in her bedchamber in the middle of the night and braved the cold wind to come see Your Majesty.

"Your Majesty has been affectionate with the Emperor for many years and is used to it, so you may not feel anything special. But you don't know how envious this made the wives and ladies outside the palace when they heard about it."

Sure enough, after hearing this, Empress Feng's expression improved a lot. Lady Fang smiled and continued, "I only dare say this to Your Majesty. Even if Consort Xue's rank is higher, she is just a concubine after all and can never surpass Your Majesty.

"Occasionally gaining favor, Your Majesty need not take it to heart. The concubines... you never know when one will suddenly gain favor or suddenly lose favor. The only one who can truly have a lasting affection with the Emperor is you, Your Majesty."

Empress Feng felt much better and looked at Lady Fang with a gentler gaze, smiling, "Fortunately, I always have Sister-in-law to comfort me..."

"It's good that Your Majesty can see things clearly. But now with the Emperor and Your Majesty like this..." Lady Fang paused and said with a wry smile, "Let alone us, even outsiders would feel it's not good. Now it's still alright to say the Emperor hasn't come to Your Majesty's palace for several days. But if this continues for a while longer, the imperial clan will come to persuade.

"Your Majesty, don't wait until then. When the time comes, with everyone discussing it, what was originally a small matter between the Emperor and Your Majesty as husband and wife will be treated as some big deal by those ill-intentioned people. A small issue will turn into a big one. Something that could have been forgotten with a laugh might end up becoming a knot in your and the Emperor's hearts. Why bother?"

A flash of anger passed through Empress Feng's eyes as she said sternly, "It wasn't my fault to begin with..."

Lady Fang sighed deeply in her heart. Empress Dowager Feng had passed away early. Her maiden family's sisters all envied her for not having to serve a mother-in-law, but who could understand her hardship? She would rather have three layers of in-laws above to serve than have this task of relaying messages and persuading fall on her.

The Emperor had made it clear he wanted to teach the Empress a lesson, but her stubborn sister-in-law just wouldn't lower her head. Her own father-in-law and husband were so anxious they were sweating, yet she was still holding her head high thinking she did nothing wrong.

Lady Fang paused and said with an apologetic smile, "Of course it's not Your Majesty's fault. Didn't I convey my husband's words to Your Majesty last time? Everything about this matter just happened to coincide. It couldn't be helped. Your Majesty surely can't say it's the Emperor's fault, right? I also know Your Majesty suffered an injustice this time, but if you don't yield now, it will be even worse when it really blows up."

Seeing the Empress was still indignant, Lady Fang knew persuading like this was useless. She took a handkerchief and dabbed the corner of her mouth, saying, "I heard from my husband... Father-in-law's intention is, if Your Majesty feels overwhelmed now that those few are all restless, you might as well promote a few girls with good looks and obedient personalities to gather the Emperor's affections."

Upon hearing this, the Empress nearly smashed the teacup, frowning and exclaiming, "You want me to use others to curry favor?!"

"Your Majesty, I misspoke." Lady Fang quickly stood up to apologize. "Your Majesty, don't overthink. This is nothing new... Not to mention each palace's Imperial Consort always has a few good-looking, low-born girls placed in her own palace, even in the small households outside... there are always cases of the principal wife keeping a few pretty maids in her own room. Your Majesty is able to command the rear palace, so naturally you can be tolerant of this."

Empress Feng took a deep breath. After a long while, she shook her head, "The Emperor and I... our relationship is beyond this."

Madam Fang said softly, "Your Majesty, my father-in-law's intention is merely to prevent future troubles. Your Majesty, both my father-in-law and my husband are men, they don't understand, but I comprehend Your Majesty's heart. When a principal wife allows her husband to take concubines, others will praise her for being virtuous, but which woman doesn't know in her heart that if it's not out of absolute necessity, if it's not for the sake of reputation, who would be willing to let her husband take concubines?

"I also tried to persuade my husband, but he said... he's afraid that if one day the Emperor suddenly favors one of them, as long as she can enter the palace, who doesn't have some family background? Rather than that, it's better for Your Majesty to select one for the Emperor yourself. You'll gain the reputation of being virtuous, please the Emperor, and keep the person under your watch, easier to control. And..."

Madam Fang glanced at the Empress and said slowly, "The Emperor is in his prime, there will be more and more princes in the future, Your Majesty won't be able to prevent it."

Empress Feng closed her eyes for a moment. Yes, the Emperor was in his prime while she was no longer young.

Seeing that Empress Feng was finally listening, Madam Fang hurriedly added, "But this matter can't be rushed, Your Majesty can take your time. The most urgent task at hand is to win back the Emperor's heart. Your Majesty, everyone high and low is watching you."

Empress Feng suppressed the unwillingness in her heart with great effort and gritted her teeth, nodding, "Tomorrow... I will personally cook and invite the Emperor to come for dinner."

Madam Fang let out a long sigh of relief and nodded with a smile, "That's it. As long as Your Majesty and the Emperor are harmonious, those with impure motives will give up."

A flash of fierceness passed through Empress Feng's eyes as she lowered her voice and said viciously, "It's all... it's all that Bairen's fault... He first caused Hua'er to suffer that humiliation and lose the Emperor's favor, then he stirred up that senseless Academy's Alley incident, insulting me to this extent! I... As long as I have the chance, see how I repay him for his gift today!"

Madam Fang was greatly alarmed and hurriedly persuaded, "Your Majesty must not speak rashly! Dongling Bairen is not like others. With something like this happening, even the Emperor is giving him extra appeasement. My father-in-law even found many precious tonics in the imperial stores to send to him as an apology. You can see how important he is in the capital. Your Majesty absolutely must not do anything foolish."

Madam Fang was apprehensive. She actually knew that the Academy's Alley incident was clearly Qi Xiao's doing. But before coming, Feng Guozhong repeatedly told her not to speak carelessly to Empress Feng.

In recent years, Empress Feng's temper had grown increasingly worse and she lacked sense. If she learned the truth, she would kick up an irreconcilable fuss. At this critical juncture, the Feng family could not afford any incidents.

Weighing it in her heart, compared to Bairen, Qi Xiao was even harder to offend. So she didn't dare say more and just persuaded Empress Feng for a good while longer before leaving the palace.