Noble Consort Xi was not chatty. Lin Feilu could not be rowdy if she wanted to gain her favour, and opted to enjoy the hot spring in silence. The palace was quiet for a while, and Lin Feilu became drowsy from the steam. After all, she was young and was not supposed to be soaking in the hot spring for too long.
Noble Consort Xi glanced at the little dumpling, then instructed the maid servant, "Take the Fifth Princess out."
Lin Feilu was instantly awakened and held on to her long arm.
"?"
"I still want to soak with the Lady," she insisted.
"Why?" asked Noble Consort Xi.
Lin Feilu replied shrewdly, "Who knows that I might have legs as long as the Lady's if I stayed here longer. Xi Xingjiang always scolds me for being short. "
"You don't have to worry about him. You'll be taller than him when I break his legs," Noble Consort Xi muttered coldly.
Lin Feilu's pleadings failed to extend her stay in the hot spring as she was picked up by the maid servant from the pool.
Noble Consort Xi noticed the longing in her eyes and frowned, "You can come again tomorrow, the pool is not going to run away."
Lin Feilu leaned on the maid servant's shoulder, her body wrapped in a dripping wet bath towel, baby hair sticking on the forehead of her ruddy face. Her large eyes glistened hopefully, "Can I still come again tomorrow?"
"If you want to," Noble Consort Xi answered indifferently.
Only then Lin Feilu happily allowed herself to be carried down by the maid servant.
After changing into a set of dry robes, the maid servants in Noble Consort Xi's residence took her to the next room for tea. Maybe because she was soaking in the hot spring earlier, her stomach was rumbling in hunger. She sat on the stool and relished in the tea and snacks served to her. The maid servant was filled with adoration watching her two dangling legs swinging back and forth, her eyes darted around in curiosity as she ate.
She whispered quietly to Songyu, who was standing at a corner, "The Fifth Princess is lovely!"
Songyu was proud and delighted, "Yes! Our Fifth Princess is the loveliest little girl in the world!"
Lin Feilu listened to two teenage sisters showering her with praises, feeling very pleased with herself.
D*mn, I sometimes think I'm extremely lovely too.
Seeing that she was looking around curiously, when she finished eating, the maid servant crouched down and said softly, "Fifth Princess, how about I take you around to explore this place? This is the hot spring hall given to the Lady by his Majesty. Except for the Lady, no one else is allowed to enter."
Lin Feilu thought that the hall was beautiful. It was tasteful and elegant, not too luxurious, nor too simple, and has the sense of tranquility one would see in ink paintings.
She nodded and jumped off the stool to follow the maid servant.
The entire hot spring palace was built as a retreat for the emperor, the scenery was undoubtedly good, but it was obvious that this hall stood out from the rest. It was obvious that Emperor Lin placed great importance on Noble Consort Xi.
However, according to the information she had collected before, Emperor Lin did not often turn the plate for Noble Consort Xi; he had always preferred the dazzlingly beautiful Noble Consort Ruan, or the delicate and alluring Consort Mei when it comes to serving him in bed.
Noble Consort Xi was not the typical beauty, and with her cold demeanor, she gave off a distant aura, and Emperor Lin probably did not prefer such character.
However, Lin Feilu was glad. She had taken a liking to Noble Consort Xi, and she felt that it's a good thing that such beauty did not need to serve the emperor in bed!
Just as Lin Feilu was distracted by her own thoughts, she jumped when two crisp noises came from the roof of the side room where they went in, like the sound of tiles being knocked away.
The maid servant looked up and was about to speak but was hindered by another racket emitting from the roof above them, accompanied by the caws of what seemed to be crows.
The maid servant hurriedly led Lin Feilu out in fright, the few of them went out to the courtyard to check if they could see the cause of the commotion. However, the hall was built so high that nothing could be seen, though the commotion did not stop. The blood was drained from the maid servant's face when she addressed Lin Feilu, "Princess, please return to the main hall first, this maid servant will summon the guards."
As she spoke, Noble Consort Xi had also arrived after them.
Noticing their gaze at the roof, she asked faintly, "What are you looking at?"
The maid servant recounted the incident at once, and with the same indifferent expression on her face, she said, "I'll go up and see."
With a light tap of her foot, she floated up to the roof.
"?"
Did she just fly up there?
This was much higher than the tree Xi Xingjiang flew up!
Is everyone in that family that good at flying?
Wait, what is this anti-Newton Law martial art?
Lin Fei Lu gaped at Noble Consort Xi, who landed lightly on the roof, bent over and picked up something, then floated back down and tossed it to the ground.
"Just a crow with a broken wing. Take it out and throw it away."
She turned to leave to wash her hands, only to find that someone was hugging her thigh.
Noble Consort Xi looked down only to see the eyes of the little bean, bright and shining with excitement.
"What is it again?"
Lin Feilu piped, "I want to learn!"
Xi Guifei raised her eyebrow, but her tone was still calm, "How old are you? What do you want to learn this for? There's no need for you to go to the battlefield."
"I want to learn, I want to learn, I want to learn!"
Tantrums are a child's weapon!
Noble Consort Xi looked at her for a while. The little bean's hair was no longer in one large bun, but had returned to her usual two little knots on her head, wrapped in a beautiful red ribbon. She rubbed herself on Noble Consort Xi like a puppy, trying her best to attack her mind with her cuteness.
She could not help recall Xi Xingjiang's visit at the palace, the way he described his first encounter with the Fifth Princess exultantly, "Aunt, you have not seen the two little knots of Bunbun! Ah, they are so cute, I just want to protect them and yet also destroy (mess) them at the same time!"
Hmm…
The ignorant and incompetent newphew was definitely correct.
Lin Feilu blinked as she heard the big beauty said, "OK."
Before she could celebrate, Noble Consort Xi continued: "Foundation is very important in martial arts. We will start today. Begin with a martial-art squat for two hours in this yard."
"?"
"Do you know how to squat?"
She demonstrated the perfect posture of a martial-art squat, like the teacher of a martial arts school in a Hong Kong kung fu film.
"…"
Noble Consort Xi then left to have tea in the hall, leaving Lin Feilu alone in the cold.
Although she exercised consistently, her workouts could not be compared to a martial-art squat. Not to mention two hours, she would not be able to hold out for even ten minutes. It was even more painful than when she was forced to plank by a trainer during her first visit to the gym.
Watching her trembling legs and pale face, Songyu pleaded, "Princess, let's forget it. The Lady had to suffer a lot back then to become so strong. You are too young to withstand this."
Lin Feilu yelled in her childish voice, "No! Noble Consort Xi had agreed to teach me. I can't give up halfway!" She straightened her two short hands, "Ha!"
Sitting in the hall and enjoying her tea, Noble Consort Xi listened silently. "…"
That little bean had wanted her to hear the words.
The maid servant next to her had also started pleading, "My Lady, the Fifth Princess is still so young. If my Lady really wants to teach her, why not take it slow? It's only her first time, she might get hurt."
Noble Consort Xi looked out, adjusting the lid of her tea cup. She replied in the same cold, faint voice, but the corner of her lips was hooked into a smile, "She's the first person who wants me to teach martial arts to, so I had to test her potential and perseverance."
As she spoke, Xi Xingjiang's brisk, light steps indicated his return from his exploration around the area. He entered the courtyard and thought he had entered the wrong place when he saw the squatting little bean.
He rubbed his eyes and looked around, and was sure that he had not gone into the wrong courtyard. He looked at Lin Feilu, whose legs were shaking so terribly, and howled with laughter.
Lin Feilu actually had the strength to glare at him in return.
Xi Xingjiang squatted in front of her, and asked curiously, "Little bean, are you also punished by my aunt?"
He emphasized the word "also" very vividly.
Lin Feilu refused to show any weakness, "I am learning martial arts from the Lady!"
Xi Xingjiang raised his eyebrows in surprise, then toyed with the two little shaking knots on her head teasingly, "Look at you, why are you seeking death at such a young age?" He leaned closer and whispered, "Do you know what was my aunt's nickname when she was at the frontier juncture?"
"What is it?"
"The female Yama." (God of Death)
"…" Lin Feilu retorted loudly, "You are speaking nonsense! The Lady is not a female Yama! The Lady is a goddess!"
The blood drained from Xi Xingjiang's face, and indeed, Noble Consort Xi's cold voice echoed from the hall, "Get in here now!"
Xi Xingjiang gritted his teeth and tugged at her knots, "I'll deal with you later!"
Then he went in with a sour face.
Thanks to Xi Xingjiang's distraction Lin Feilu was able to hold on for a while longer, but finally lost all her strength and sat on the floor.
Songyu immediately massaged her legs, and Noble Consort Xi had also come out of the hall. The little bean hung her head as she saw her, "My Lady, Little Lu tried her best."
Without responding, Noble Consort Xi turned to Songyu, teaching her massages that could help to relax the muscles. Songyu listened obediently.
Lin Feilu looked at her, and pulled at her sleeves when she finished speaking, asking, "My Lady, did I fail the test?"
"By the time we leave the retreat palace, you will have to complete the two hours of martial-art squat, and not even a minute less." Noble Consort Xi said shortly.
"!"
They were going to stay in the palace for many more days, which means she could split the two hours into many minutes!
The little bean hugged her thigh again, "You are so nice, my Lady, you are a beautiful and kindhearted goddess!"
"I'm not a goddess, but you're definitely a bootlicker."
"…"
Lin Feilu suddenly realised that Emperor Lin's lack of visit to Noble Consort Xi's palace was probably because she was too mean.
She saw Xi Xingjiang kneeling inside the hall as she left the residence. She made a face at him happily and hopped away, leaving Xi Xingjiang gnawing his teeth.
But her legs were too sore after only a few hops, and was carried the rest of the way back by Songyu.
That night, Songyu massaged Lin Feilu according to the method Noble Consort Xi had taught her. It was very effective; her legs were only a little sore the next day.
She was smarter this time. She practiced her martial-art squat in the Tingyu Pavilion before going to the hot spring, to make full use of its relaxing effects.
The servants in Tingyu Pavilion watched the Fifth Princess squatting in the yard. After exchanging confused looks, they finally turned their eyes to Songyu.
Songyu looked exasperated, "I would have to begin from the crow with a broken wing. "
(T/L: Beginning from the crow with a broken wing means start telling from the very beginning.)
Emperor Lin quickly learned from Kongfu that his Little Fifth Princess was learning martial arts from Noble Consort Xi.
He was very disapproving at first. Was it not enough that there was a Noble Consort who could kill with a knife?!
He distinctly remembered the year Noble Consort Xi was conferred as an Imperial Concubine just after entering the palace, and was oppressed by a certain concubine at that time.
Most other concubines would choose to endure, and find a right timing for retaliation; some others would turn to the emperor for help.
Xi Tan was neither of those; she took down all the guards in that concubine's palace, then left the concubine on the roof of her own palace.
The concubine was stuck on the roof for several hours in the middle of a hot summer's day; the sun was scorching. She was so dehydrated by the end of it that she could not even shed a tear.
Although the concubine was banished to the cold palace for her malice, Xi Tan was also under house arrest for three months for what happened. However, this incident had left Emperor Lin with a deep understanding of Xi Tan's combat skills.
No wonder she was nicknamed as a female Yama in the frontier juncture!
His heart ached when he thought about it.
No, I can't let my adorable Little Fifth Princess be the next female Yama!
Emperor Lin headed to Noble Consort Xi's hall hurriedly. As he arrived, she interrupted before he could speak, "Is your majesty here to ask me not to teach the Fifth Princess martial arts?"
Emperor Lin nodded, but Noble Consort Xi pressed on the matter with indifference, "I may be able to protect her for a while, but I can't protect her forever. If someone in this harem plots to harm her, it's just a matter of time before they make their next move. Learning some defensive martial arts is without a doubt better than nothing."
Emperor Lin froze at her words.
All his princes have learned to ride and shoot, and they also have personal generals to coach them in martial arts on a regular basis, not only to strengthen their bodies, but also to protect themselves when necessary.
The princesses were not required to do so. After all, princesses posed no threat in the royal family. They only had to build up their virtue and talents, and get married off when they were at the right age.
However, the identity of the culprit from the attempt to murder the Fifth Princess was still unknown, and there remained the hidden danger lurking that the culprit might act again.
Emperor Lin's mind spun rapidly. He was a very decisive emperor after all, and came to a decision quickly, "Tan'er is right, then I'll hand Little Fifth Princess to you." He cleared his throat, "Just teach her some defensive martial arts. The other killing and fighting kinds… ahem, is not necessary. It's too dangerous."
Noble Consort Xi looked at him, her lips curved into a smirk, "This concubine received the order."
And Lin Feilu's daily routine of squatting and soaking in the hot spring had begun.
In just a few days, her skin was hydrated, pink and smoother than ever. It was indeed true that exercising was the best way to beautify oneself.
Besides the hot spring, Lin Feilu also enjoyed exploring the mountains with Lin Ting. The palace was built on the mountainside. The undeveloped deep mountains in the olden times had a very primitive beauty. She discovered many new wild flowers that bloomed freely even in the cold winter.
Small animals seemed to have a natural attraction towards Lin Ting. The two of them were always careful to not dive too deep into the forest, and just stayed around the edge; but small animals always appeared and Lin Ting easily coaxed them to come nearer.
Lin Feilu thought that if he was not a prince, he could earn a fortune from establishing a zoo.
After several days, Lin Feilu finally saw the animal she had always wanted to see – a fox.
She had seen foxes when she went to the zoo in her childhood. She only remembered that there were many people crowding around the foxes, and the foxes were old and their fur lacked smoothness and lustre.
But it was her first time seeing a wild fox; it was completely white, simply the best choice of fur wear in winter.
It seemed like the fox was injured. The blood on its snowy fur created a stark contrast as it laid weakly in a cluster of grass. It was said that foxes were smart and instinctive. Probably attracted to Lin Ting's friendly aura, instead of being afraid, it cried out for help at Lin Ting, whimpering in pain.
Lin Ting's heart broke immediately, and picked up the fox to check his wounds. "Fifth Sister, let's take it back, and let the imperial physician treat its wounds."
Lin Feilu nodded, and the two went down the mountain with the fox.
The fox probably was paralysed in the bundle of grass for a long time, its furs were covered with tiny thorns from the grass. Lin Feilu picked out the thorns one by one, but its fur was still full of the thorns after an entire journey of plucking.
Down at the palace, Lin Ting seemed to be in a dilemma. He turned to Lin Feilu, "Fifth Sister, bring this fox to the Tingyu Pavilion. It's not convenient for me to bring it back to my palace."
The eunuchs and maid servants who served him were all Noble Consort Ruan's people. He would be punished again if they reported to her about it.
Lin Feilu nodded understandably, took the fox from his arms, and patted it, "Little fox, I will take you back to treat your injury, you must be good, okay?"
The fox leaned its little head on her arm and whimpered.
Back at the Tingyu Pavilion, Lin Feilu immediately ordered Songyu to summon the imperial physician, and explain in advance that he was going to treat a fox. The imperial physician arrived well prepared; he shaved off the fur around the injury, cleaned the wound, applied medicine, and bandaged it.
The little fox was extremely obedient; the imperial physician asked curiously, "Where did the Fifth Princess find this fox? It seems very tame."
Lin Fei Lu merely smiled adorably, "I'm counting on imperial physician Chen to treat the little fox."
A cute princess and an adorable fox, it was impossible for the imperial physician to turn that down.
For the next few days, the imperial physician visited the little fox everyday to change its medicine. Lin Feilu also had Songyu prepare herbal chicken tonic to aid in its recovery. The wound healed quickly and the little fox was able to run about in just a few days.
Although it was a fox, it was as clingy as a dog, always jumping into Lin Feilu's arms. But since it was brought back from the mountain, it was covered with a lot of grass and dirt. Songyu suggested worriedly, "Princess, let's give it a bath. Then there won't be any concerns for you to hold it after a bath."
Lin Feilu waited for Songyu to prepare some hot water in the yard, and both of them squatted and began to bathe the fox.
The little fox was obedient and sat quietly in the water basin, but neither Lin Feilu nor Songyu thought that a disgusting nauseating smell would emerge from the hot water. It was like the smell of a pair of worn socks that had not been washed for seven days and nights, almost knocking out Lin Feilu and Songyu, who were squatting in front of the little fox.
Songyu was tearing up. She covered her nose and cried, "Princess, I often hear people say that body odor is the same as the smell of foxes, is that true?"
"…"
No, don't insult body odor.
Someone's body odor cannot be this bad.
The little white fox sat innocently in the basin.
Lin Feilu found that all the remaining little thorns adhering to its fur had fallen off and floated on the water. Songyu carried the little creature out of the water so Lin Feilu could take a sniff of it. She found that the stench was from the thorny leaves.
Songyu quickly went to change a clean basin of water to give the fox a bath again, and this time, there was no smell.
After washing, Songyu carried the little fox indoors to dry by the fire. Lin Feilu was lost in her thoughts for a while, then got up and went to the yard to pick up all the thorny leaves in the water.
The leaves were in the shade of light green, covered in fluffy thorns. It was crisp, falling apart with just a pinch. She stuck the leaves right in front of her nose. There was no smell, but a strong and thick stench steamed up when she threw them into the hot water.
What species is this?
While Songyu was busy drying the little fox's fur, she wrapped the smelly leaves in her handkerchief. Then she took a teacup and rolled over the handkerchief back and forth until they were all crushed, and wrapped them up in her handkerchief before stuffing them into her sleeve.
After a bath, the little white fox looked a lot more beautiful, its eyes were a very clear green that looked very intelligent. Everyone could not help being in-awed of it.
After lunch the next day, Lin Feilu took a nap in her room before going to greet Emperor Lin at the Zhonghe Hall with the little white fox in her arms.
Upon entering the front hall, Pengman greeted her with a smile, "Fifth Princess, your Majesty is taking a nap."
Lin Feilu tilted his head and asked, "Is Father alone?"
Pengman answered, "Consort Mei is with him."
Lin Feilu continued, "I want to show Father my little white fox. Can I wait for him here? I'll be good. I'm not noisy."
Pengman knew Lin Feilu's position in Emperor Lin's heart, and did not turn her down. He led her to the inner hall and sat down. He had served her some snacks and fruits. He smiled at her politely, "The Princess may wait here. This servant will inform you when his Majesty wakes up."
She stroked the little fox's head and nodded.
Pengman then retreated to stand guard outside the hall.
She ate some snacks and broke a small piece for the little fox. She leaned over into his ear and whispered, "Little fox, they all say you could understand humans. Can you understand what I'm saying?"
The little white fox stared at her while munching on its snack.
Lin Feilu pointed into the hall with a smile, "Do you see that? When you're done eating snacks, run into that room to the bedside and hide under the bed, OK? If you agree, I'll make you chicken every day."
The little white fox finished its snack slowly, and then jumped out of her arms. It was still limping from its injury, but it was still quite agile.
Lin Feilu cried out in panic, "Little fox! Don't run!"
She jumped down from her seat and chased it.
The maid waiting in the room jumped at the sudden appearance of the white fox, but since his Majesty and the Consort were still having their afternoon nap, she just chased after the little fox hurriedly.
The fox sneaked under the bed. The Fifth Princess entered and whispered to the maid quietly, "Have you seen my fox?"
The maid servant pointed to the bottom of the bed in panic.
Lin Feilu crawled across the floor under the bed, her butt jutting up high as she called out in a small voice, "Little fox, come out quickly!"
For fear that his Majesty would be awakened to punish her, the maid servant went out quickly to summon Pengman.
Lin Feilu heard her leaving the room, and turned her head to look at the embroidered shoes beside her. Taking out the handkerchief from her sleeve, she quickly scattered some crushed thorny leaves into the shoes.
When Pengman arrived with the maid servant, Lin Feilu was already walking out with the little white fox in her arms.
She hung her head guiltily as she confessed, "Eunuch Peng, my fox is disobedient and almost woke up Father. I will educate him well when I get back!"
Pengman was relieved to see that Emperor Lin had not been woken up. He consoled her with a smile, "Little animals love to run around. It will be okay as long as the Princess keeps a tighter watch on it."
Lin Feilu nodded and returned outside to her snacks. After a while, Emperor Lin woke up and got ready with the assistance of Consort Mei. He was delighted when Pengman informed him of the Fifth Princess' arrival.
Lin Feilu showed off her little fox then returned to the palace, while Emperor Lin and Consort Mei headed off to the hot spring. This was his daily routine after taking a nap every day. Every concubine took turns to accompany him in the hot spring. It happened to be Consort Mei's turn today.
Except for the accompanying concubine, everyone else had to leave the room when the Emperor took a hot spring bath, and the servants backed down after setting up the hot spring. Consort Mei only wore a thin wispy dress that showed off her curves ambiguously. It was alluring and enchanting.
Emperor Lin loved women with soft and delicate bodies and Consort Mei had maintained her figure and skin in good condition over the years. She was like a curvy, boneless beauty, and never failed to excite Emperor Lin every time. It was not without reason that she had been in favor for many years.
At this moment, she entered the water slowly with the thin dress, steam surrounding her voluptuous body, her eyes soft and seductive like silk, stimulating Emperor Lin's heart rate to rise up.
All of a sudden, a wave of stench surrounded them.
Stunned, Emperor Lin immediately covered his nose. He thought the smell came from outside, but the hot spring was well isolated, and the only source from the outside would be the sky above them – and the smell was close at hand.
He sniffed around, and his eyes finally fell slowly and hesitatingly on Consort Mei.
Of course, Consort Mei had also smelled it. She covered her nose and approached Emperor Lin, "Your Majesty, what's that smell?"
As soon as she got closer, Emperor Lin almost passed out.
Emperor Lin's eyes widened in horror at the pair of jade feet stepping on the water.
The ring of water around Consort Mei's feet was murky and cloudy, as if she had not washed her feet for a long time.
Emperor Lin, who was sitting in the water, stood up hastily in fear as she got closer, together with the murky water floating towards him.
He would never forget those stinky feet.
Consort Mei, Consort Mei! You are so disappointing!
Before the sun set, the entire palace entourage knew that for some reason, Consort Mei had angered Emperor Lin that morning in the hot spring. Emperor Lin had come out of the hot spring looking extremely displeased, and refused to see anyone ever since he returned to Zhonghe Hall.
After all, Emperor Lin still cared for Consort Mei's reputation and did not say anything; Consort Mei would never disclose to others that she had scared away his Majesty because of her foot odor and could only lament and sob over the incident after returning to the palace.
Stinky feet! Stinky feet!
The elegant and alluring demeanor that she had worked hard for seven years to maintain was destroyed by such a small thing that she never thought of!
She knew that by the look at the fright in Emperor Lin's eyes, no matter how much of her image would be recovered in the future, this had already mentally scarred Emperor Lin for life.
What an impressive way to ruin someone's life!
She was no longer the perfect woman in his heart.
Consort Mei broke down. It was even worse than losing in the fights among the harem.
Her servants had no clue. They merely thought that the Emperor had reprimanded her, and tried to console her with flattering words, but they were all driven out by Consort Mei in the end.
However, to be able to survive in the harem for so many years, Consort Mei's spirits were not as soft and fragile as her appearance.
After her break down, she began to suspect that she had been fooled.
As an exquisite woman with strict management of her own figure and appearance, she had always made sure that she was fragrant from head to toe every day. She was titled "Mei" because of the "Mei Dance Service" she performed years ago that gained Emperor Lin's favour. Emperor Lin complimented her for being "More beautiful than Mei (Plum blossoms), bringing fragrance to everywhere one goes", and therefore was given the title of Consort Mei.
She never had a foot odor. She did not have any abnormal smells when she washed and bathed every night, and yet why did she make a fool of herself in front of the Emperor today?
She immediately ordered her maid servant to prepare a bath with hot water the moment she returned to her palace. By this time, the smell was gone. She checked her feet, which were white and smooth, without symptoms of any foot diseases.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt doubtful. She glanced at her shoes and froze. A moment later, she took up the pair of shoes and examined them carefully, and found that there was a little residual light green powder in the shoes and under her socks.
Consort Mei's expression hardened, and threw the pair of shoes and socks into the hot water basin without hesitation.
The familiar smell of feet odor filled the room.
Sure enough, someone set me up!
It was just too poisonous!
It was more poisonous than the way she killed people!
Consort Mei clenched her teeth so tightly that she could have fractured her teeth. There was no way she could explain it to Emperor Lin. In addition to the lack of evidence, who would believe that someone would frame her to have smelly feet?! Emperor Lin would only assume that she was trying to blame others for her own disgrace!
Who did it?!
Among the concubines in this entourage, except for those who were allied with herself and Noble Consort Xi, who always stayed away from the drama, the other concubines were never Consort Mei's match. Besides, shoes and socks were personal items, only people close to her would be able to have contact with these items, and she was surrounded by trusted people.
No! Incorrect!
The little b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲ Lin Feilu came by when I was taking a nap in Zhonghe Hall!
For a fraction of a moment, Consort Mei felt that she might have been oversensitive.
It was just a naive five-year-old girl. Although she hated the little girl, Consort Mei never feared her. She was not worried when her plan failed the last time. She had plenty more opportunities to get rid of her after returning to the palace. She did not care at all.
But except for her, no one else had a chance to get close to her shoes and socks during this period!
A sheen of sweat emitted on Consort Fei's back. The little girl was only five years old, how could she be so resourceful and scheming!
Not necessarily. There is the possibility that Consort Xian could have been behind all of this!
Consort Xian is extremely opposed to Consort Hui, and is on extremely bad terms with myself too. Could Consort Xian have instigated the little girl? Otherwise, how could a five-year-old girl come up with such a vicious scheme?!
The more Consort Mei thought about it, the more she was convinced of it.
Only a concubine experienced in harem fight could come up with such means and tactics!
Consort Mei was suddenly boiling with anger, eager to confront Consort Xian in that instant. She calmed down in the end, but swore revenge in her heart. After gaining control of her emotions, she headed towards Consort Hui's palace.
Consort Hui was puzzled when she heard about the incident. As soon as Consort Mei arrived, she pulled her into the inner room and dismissed the servants, then asked, "What happened? Why was his Majesty angry at Sister?"
Although it was difficult for Consort Mei to relive the incident, she still braced herself and reiterated the horrifying incident. She was about to burst into tears again when she finished, "Consort Xian is a poisonous woman! Now I see her murderous intentions, and we have always underestimated her! I will never forgive her!"
Consort Hui was stunned.
Among all the harem fights, this was the first time such tactics had been used.
She glanced at Consort Mei's feet, imagining the scene she had just described, and could not help feeling suffocated.
She held Consort Mei's hand, fully empathising with her devastation and anger, "I told you before, the Fifth Princess is not as naive and innocent despite her age. Remember what she did to my little girl servant? You even said I was overthinking. Now do you understand what I mean?"
Consort Mei regretted that she was not more careful before. Gritting her teeth, "I should have just gotten rid of her in the post station!"
Consort Hui shushed her, and lowered her voice, "We didn't have enough time, and our preparation was not thorough enough, it was only reasonable that we failed. Recently, his Majesty had been keeping a close watch on her safety, and she's often together with Noble Consort Xi. It's really not a good time to do anything now. But we will have plenty of opportunities when we return to the palace."
Consort Mei gritted her teeth, "Who would have known that stupid b*tch Xiao Lan would give birth to a daughter smarter than her. She didn't just teamed up with Consort Xian, but also coaxed the princes and princesses. Now even his Majesty is so fond of her! I can't drag on any more, this disaster must be gotten rid of as soon as possible!"
Consort Mei gritted her teeth, "Who would have known that stupid b*tch Xiao Lan would give birth to a daughter smarter than her. She didn't just teamed up with Consort Xian, but also coaxed the princes and princesses. Now even his Majesty is so fond of her! I can't drag on any more, this disaster must be gotten rid of as soon as possible!"
"You have always been steady, should know that some things can't be rushed, the more anxious you are, the easier it is to reveal your weak points . Don't get into trouble just for a little girl."
Consort Mei took a deep breath, and calmed down a little,"Sister is right, it was my anger that made me lose control."
The two spoke in the room for a while, and Consort Mei was already very calm by the time she left the room.
Lin Feilu did not know that the innocent Consort Xian would be the one shouldering the blame for her actions. She heard that Emperor Lin left the hot spring hall rather furiously and knew that her plan was successful. She patted the fox appraisingly, and started to prepare the chicken she had promised.
After that, whether it was for hot spring or sleeping, Emperor Lin did not summon Consort Mei again. She knew that she needed to give him some time to forget this matter, so she did not actively approach him.
Lin Feilu pretended to be unaware, and continued her daily routine to learn to play chess with Emperor Lin happily with the company of the little fox, and their father and daughter bond had tightened tremendously.
After more than ten days in the palace, the hot spring holiday finally ended. The entire entourage packed up and returned to the main palace.
One day before departure, Lin Feilu and Lin Ting took the little white fox up to the mountains to return it back to the wild.
The little fox looked a lot more healthy after many days of eating chicken, compared to the first time they took it back to the palace. Its injury had also completely recovered, the newly grown flesh surrounding its wound was tender and fresh. Lin Feilu put it down in the same place where she found it.
She squatted in front of it and patted its head, smiling "We'll say goodbye here."
Little white fox sat on the ground, and looked at her with its head tilted.
The two waved goodbye, and turned to leave, but they found that the fox caught up with them just after a few steps.
Lin Feilu turned around, "You are a wild fox, you belong to the mountain forest, don't follow me."
Lin Ting laughed, "It misses you."
Lin Fei Lu added, "If all goes well, I will come again next year. If you are still waiting for me at this time next year, I'll come for you again, OK?"
The little white fox raised its paw and licked it. This time, when the two left, it didn't follow.
The next day, Lin Feilu did not ride in a carriage alone, but with Noble Consort Xi. Her biggest achievement from this tour was, of course, to have conquered Noble Consort Xi, a very nice NPC.
The woman was cold and mean; three of the five sentences coming out of her mouth were nasty, and she constantly used her pet phrase "Do you want me to break your leg?", but Lin Feilu really liked her. It was her personal preference. She liked warm hearted and beautiful men, but she also liked women just like Noble Consort Xi.
On top of that, Consort Xi was also accomplished in martial arts! Flying and walking on walls hee haw! For a person who liked reading Jin Yong(a chinese wuxia Novelist) from a young age, it was really appealing to her.
She thought her storyline only involved harem fights, but she found that she might be able to connect to the martial arts branch line. It was just a joy.
Consort Xian had taken a liking to her by gaining her appreciation from monitoring Lin Jingyuan's progression.
But there was no reason for Noble Consort Xi to be good to her. She did not gain anything from her, but liked her for herself. Although she did not display her fondness, and it was difficult to see it through her cold demeanor, but…
A Green Tea Princess should be confident.
After two days of traveling, Lin Feilu returned to the palace safely but disheveled.