“The Emperor really agreed?”

The voice of Guangping Hou Furen came from the Guangpinghou Mansion.

Guangping Hou Menghui raised his eyebrows and smiled: “Although the Emperor has not said it clearly, I can see that the Emperor’s expression is not unhappy. In a day or two, there should be a decree in the palace.”

Guangping Hou Furen also breathed a sigh of relief.

She still hated Su Zhaorong.

However, the daughter was about to marry the Third Prince. After all, Su Zhaorong was the biological mother of the Third Prince. Her status was too low. How could Meng Yunluo hold her head high in the palace in the future?

It was not very respectable for the Meng family.

Therefore, Guangping Hou Furen pinched her nose and proposed this matter to Guangping Hou.

Marquis Guangping acted very swiftly. He agreed yesterday and went to the palace to meet the Holy Emperor today to get the matter settled.

Guangping Hou Furen looked at Guangping Hou’s stretched face, and finally couldn’t help but mock a few words: “I am talking too much! I didn’t have to say anything, I guess the Marquis has already had this intention.”

Guangping Hou did not deny it: “Yunluo is the apple of our eye. She had already suffered a lot when she got engaged. When she gets married, she must not suffer any more injustice. Even if you didn’t say it, I did have this plan. Ask His Majesty to please raise the status of Su Zhaorong.”

Guangping Hou Furen snorted.

The Marquis of Guangping came forward with a face that was not old but still handsome: “Furen, must you still be jealous in this old age? Come on, let me serve you well, and let it make clear that I only have my wife in my heart.”

Guangping Hou Furen was not fooled at all. She coldly pushed away the Marquise’s oily handsome face with a sneer. “That’s unnecessary. If you still have the energy, go amuse yourself in the study! I’ll go check on Yunluo and tell her about this news.”

Then, she turned around and left without any hesitation.

Marquis Guangping sighed helplessly.

The woman was nearing her forties, no longer youthful, and was akin to an old vegetable stall. However, it was an old vegetable stall he had not been touched for several years. Occasionally, when he felt the urge to indulge, he found his old wife completely indifferent to him.

This made Guangping Hou, who prided himself on being handsome and romantic, quite regretful.

…

Guangping Hou Furen quickly went to Meng Yunluo’s boudoir.

As her marriage approached, Meng Yunluo felt happy but nervous, and she called her mother in a low voice.

Guangping Hou Furen frowned coldly at her husband. When she saw her daughter, she relaxed her brows and said very gently, “Yunluo, I have some news to tell you.”

“Your father went to the palace today to meet the Emperor and ask the Emperor to elevate Su Zhaorong to fēiwèi. The Emperor has agreed.”

Meng Yunluo’s eyes lit up: “Is it true?”

“Of course, it’s true,” the Guangping Hou Furen smiled as she touched Meng Yunluo’s black hair. “She is the birth mother of the Third Prince. The Third Prince is exceptionally filial, and he knows it was the Meng family’s efforts that helped elevate Su Zhaorong to the position of fēiwèi. Naturally, he will reciprocate the Meng family’s kindness and feel grateful to you.”

Meng Yunluo hummed shyly.

During the Lantern Festival, she and Li Hao had a bad fight.

After she came back that night, she was so angry that she cried and her eyes were swollen for two days.

Within a few days, Li Hao came to the Guangping Marquis Mansion, bringing many delicious palace snacks and a lantern made by himself. “Yun Luo, I spoke too hastily that night and made you angry.” Li Hao said softly: “I will never do it again. Don’t be angry with me, okay?”

Watching quietly, Meng Yunluo’s heart seemed to be soaked in honey water, but she was still angry.

She blushed slightly and whispered: “I can’t blame you entirely. I also did something wrong. I shouldn’t have lost my temper at you without asking any questions.”

Li Hao stretched out his hand and held her hand: “Then let’s patch things up. Isn’t that right?”

Meng Yunluo’s cheeks turned red and she nodded.

Guangping Hou Furen nodded inwardly upon learning that the two had resolved their differences and come back together harmoniously.

It was always a good thing if a man was willing to coax a woman. It would be really bad if he didn’t even want to coax.

The Meng family’s efforts for Su Zhaorong were being conveyed to Li Hao. With Meng Yunluo’s loving parents behind her and the support of the Meng family, once they were married, he couldn’t neglect his wife.

…

In the palace, such news spread quickly.

That night, Emperor Yongjia went to Yihua Palace. Then, the news spread that Su Zhaorong was about to be promoted to fēiwèi.

When Meng Guifei learned about this, she curled her lips and sneered.

Li Hao and his mother tried their best to seek a marriage to the Meng family. Wouldn’t this bring them glory?

That’s all, for the sake of the Meng family’s face, she didn’t have to stumble, lest her dàgē and dàsǎo would be unhappy.

After Qin fēi found out about this, she also pouted. The only concubines with high status in the harem were Meng Guifei and her. When Su Zhaorong is made a fēi, she will be on an equal footing with her. How could this be satisfying to her?

Tomorrow she had to go to Shouning Palace and blow some air in the ears of Dowager Empress Zhao.

She has been the Qinfei for many years, shouldn’t she also receive more titles?

She didn’t expect to be named as a guìfēi, but the xiánfēi and the shūfēi were all quite good titles.

Of course, this kind of thing couldn’t be hidden from Empress Qiao.

Empress Qiao didn’t sleep well that night. When she woke up the next morning, there was some green shadow under her eyes. The palace servants who dressed her up applied makeup and powder on her with skillful hands.

After dressing up, she looked at herself in the mirror and saw the same elegant, dignified, and beautiful Empress Qiao.

Empress Qiao then went to the main hall.

Meng Guifei came to greet her early in the morning and said with a smile: “Empress, I heard that there is a happy event in the palace!”

Empress Qiao said calmly, “Oh? Where does the joy come from? I don’t know.”

What are you pretending for?

Even she knew the news that Marquis Guangping had entered the palace to meet the Holy Spirit^[1]another way to address the Emperor yesterday. Empress Qiao had many eyes and ears in charge of the palace, how could she not know this? Was it fun to pretend like this?

This was why Emperor Yongjia respected his wife but did not like Empress Qiao. No wonder. Which man liked a woman who always had a straight face?

Meng Guifei sneered in her heart and said with a pleasant smile on her face: “I heard a few words, but I don’t know whether they are true or not. I never thought that the Empress didn’t know about it. It seems that I am talking too much.”

Empress Qiao and Meng Guifei had been fighting for more than ten years and she had a deep understanding of Meng Guifei’s style. Meng Guifei made it clear that she was going to resist her, so she would not be polite.

“Whether there is a happy event or not, it doesn’t matter who has said it.” Empress Qiao said calmly: “When the Emperor opens his mouth, I will issue the decree on my own. If you are impatient, it doesn’t hurt to prepare the congratulatory gifts first.”

Meng Guifei’s smile faltered slightly for a moment but quickly returned to normal. “What the Empress said is true,” she replied.

What Empress Qiao hated most in her life was that she, the main wife, was not favored by her husband.

What Meng Guifei hated most in her life was that no matter how much she was loved by Emperor Yongjia, she could only be a concubine.

The two stabbed each other once and passed a move.

After a while, Qin Fei came.

“Three women, one stage play.” In the palace, everyone schemed and plotted against each other, yet it was rare to see harmony on the surface.

When Emperor Yongjia and Su Zhaorong came to Jiaofang Palace together, Empress Qiao, Meng Guifei, and Qin Fei all sighed in their hearts.

(End of chapter)