Chapter 32 Career Crisis (I)
"Tsk, tsk, how heartless!"
Yao Niang lifted Chun Niang's chin like a frivolous playboy, as if she was not facing a disfigured middle-aged woman, but a stunning beauty in her prime, who could never get tired of looking at her.
Chunniang slapped her hand, and she leaned on Chunniang's shoulder and cried, "You have no conscience. How can you be so cruel to me!" Even her coquettish movements were pleasing to the eye.
The people in the inner prison had long been accustomed to Yao Niang's behavior , but every time they saw Yao Niang acting coquettishly towards Chun Niang, they still found it offensive and quietly went out to gather people and head to Fengbu.
Yao Niang walked as if she had no bones. When she saw Liu Zhongyou touching her face, she was so scared that he backed away and bowed respectfully: "Aunt Yao, the master is waiting for you two inside."
"Put away your claws and don't scare the younger ones."
Yao Niang never listened to Chun Niang's advice, and always acted in the opposite direction of her advice. Not only did she retract her claws, she also extended her claws towards Lei Xiao.
"You, you, you..." Lei Xiao was promoted to the pacification envoy last month. Although he had received a secret order and knew the identity of the person in front of him, seeing him with his own eyes was another matter: "I'm married." Yao Niang covered her mouth and laughed: "What a silly boy."
Chun Niang: "...Have some shame!" Every time she went out with Yao Niang, her years of calm and rationality were always on the verge of collapse.
Fu Chen had been waiting for the two of them, but he didn't expect Yao Niang to come into the room. She looked around and was very dissatisfied. She asked coquettishly, "Where is the girl you are protecting?"
"Where did Aunt Yao hear these rumors?" Fu Chen invited the two to sit down.
Miss Yao lost interest when she saw Tang Ying. She slumped down on the official chair like a boneless person and said, "Tell me, what is the matter with calling us here?"
Fu Chen said sternly: "The birthday party is just around the corner. There are so many things going on outside, but Aunt Yao is hiding away from the crowd. Isn't that a good idea?"
Yao Niang played with her delicate hands, as if the "business" Fu Chen mentioned had little to do with her: "What else can I do if I don't avoid idleness? Anyway, I am waiting for retirement. Everyone knows what the emperor means. He intends to pave the way for the prince and abolish the Imperial Cavalry Department. That's why he sent Yuan Shu, who is not very knowledgeable, to come here . She hasn't even touched the front door of the Imperial Cavalry Department, but she wants to act like a master."
She taunted, "Chun Niang is loyal and willing to serve a little girl as her master, but I won't do that."
Chunniang's forehead veins jumped a few times: "If you can't speak, just shut up. How dare you talk nonsense about His Majesty? Besides, he hasn't issued an edict yet, so how can you make random guesses?"
Yao Niang sneered, which was her only normal expression since she appeared: "Will we still have a chance to survive when the imperial edict is issued?" She raised her chin and laughed at herself, with a kind of cold beauty blooming on her ageless face: "Gan Jun is serving that person in the palace, so it's okay. Fu may be able to keep his life. As for you and me..." She leaned close to Chun Niang's eyes: "Guess, do we still have a chance to survive?"
Chunniang seemed to be under a spell, with a thought circling in her mind, which she kept suppressing. The only thing that came to her lips was: "Don't talk nonsense, I don't believe it!"
Yao Niang is not telling the truth!
She has heard Yao Niang’s lies many times in her life!
Sometimes Yao Niang’s lies are more realistic than the truth!
Chunniang comforted herself, but she felt a little flustered in her heart.
Yao Niang probably guessed what Chun Niang was thinking, and she returned to her frivolous look, leaning back in her chair, crossing her legs, revealing a huge pearl on the tip of her shoe under her skirt. She stared at the pearl for a few seconds. It was a reward from the Grand Princess many years ago. Although she didn't take it seriously and used it to decorate her shoes, it was such a good time.
She suddenly smiled with infinite melancholy: "Chun Niang, whether you believe it or not, our best times are over, and the most glorious era of the Forbidden Cavalry Division is almost over. If we go on, there will be no way out. Otherwise, why do you think the eldest princess is bedridden?" Smart people don't need to point out the details, but Chun Niang is too stubborn. After all, they are sisters, and she really can't bear to see Chun Niang go down this path and lose her life.
Chunniang never doubted the Grand Princess: "The Grand Princess's old illness has recurred, don't spread rumors to confuse the public!" A voice in her heart told her that it was very likely that what Yao Niang said was true. However, she had always been the Grand Princess's master, respected her, trusted her, and was loyal to her, but she never thought that she would be abandoned by the Grand Princess as a useless child.
——Even if she is useless, she tries her best to make herself irreplaceable.
The Grand Princess's departure from the Forbidden Cavalry Division was not forced by circumstances. It was a decision made after guessing the emperor's will. She was only retiring temporarily due to poor health. When she recovers, she will definitely come back to take over the Phoenix Department!
Chunniang never thought that Yuan Shu could stay in the Phoenix tribe for a long time, she was just a temporary replacement.
However, Yao Niang's silent expression made her feel uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but raise her voice and said, "Fu boy, can you say something?"
Fu Chen sat quietly, not intervening in the argument between the two people. When Yao Niang pressed him hard, he changed the subject.
"Both aunts have been in the Imperial Cavalry Department longer than I have. They should have a more thorough understanding of the Grand Princess and the Imperial Cavalry Department's fate than I do." He said in a businesslike manner: "The Phoenix Department has seconded the two aunts here. Let's take care of the Wanshou Festival first, shall we?"
The implication is that he doesn't seem to care about the future of the Forbidden Cavalry Division.
Chunniang couldn't help feeling a little confused.
Throughout her life, she had a clear goal and rarely made mistakes in judgment or felt confused. However, ever since Princess Yuan Shu took over the Huangzi Department, she had been feeling a vague sense of uneasiness.
The Forbidden Cavalry Division is such an important department, can Your Majesty really listen to the words of the Royal Concubine and send a girl who knows nothing to take charge of it?
It's too much of a joke.
But if Your Majesty intends to abolish the Imperial Cavalry Department, that makes sense.
She didn't hear a word of what Fu Chen said about the arrangements for the Wanshou Festival. It was like a tangled mess in her mind, with no clue what to do.
The main matters were almost discussed, most of which were decided by Fu Chen and Yao Niang. She was unusually easy-going and generous: "You guys can arrange it." Anyway, it was never her turn to be in the spotlight. She only had the opportunity to show up when cleaning up a mess.
Seeing the sun setting in the west, Yao Niang yawned delicately and said, "Let's stop here today. If you run into Gan Jun when you go to the palace, tell him to come to the old place when he is free."
"I will definitely bring it to you."
Yao Niang stood up and looked down at Chun Niang: "Why don't you leave? You can't come up with a solution just sitting here. Why don't you go back and think about your way out? Are you a butcher or a fishmonger?"
Just as Chunniang was about to curse, someone knocked on the door: "Sir——"
Yao Niang turned around quickly and saw that the lines on Fu Chen's handsome face, as cold as ice, had softened visibly. She immediately realized who was knocking on the door and was overjoyed. She rushed over like a whirlwind and opened the door.
The girl standing at the door was as thin as a bamboo in the wind, flexible and slender, with a sickly face and bright eyes full of confusion.
Yao Niang came closer to take a closer look: "Hey, this girl seems to have been seriously injured?"
As soon as Tang Ying opened the door, someone almost stuck close to her face. The person brought a fragrance with him, and the smell lingered at her nose before the person arrived. However, it was not unpleasant, on the contrary, it was quite fragrant.
"You have a very good eye."
Fu Chen: “…” Is this the reason why the little girl looks sick?
It's not like he hadn't guessed about her physical condition. Don't look at Yao Niang as someone who seems a bit weird, but in fact, she has excellent medical skills.
"Did you almost die at that time?" Yao Niang grabbed Tang Ying's wrist and felt her pulse without saying a word: "About... within half a year, right? "
Tang Ying was about to give this man a thumbs up: "You are amazing!"
Yao Niang leaned close to her face and took a closer look: "Look at this child, with delicate skin and tender flesh. It makes me feel sorry for her. I really want to hold her in my arms and love her tenderly." This was her usual tone, but for some reason, it sounded different in Fu Chen's ears.
But she was halfway through praising Tang Ying when she saw her small, round earlobes and suddenly became frightened : "Oh my God, why don't you have your ears pierced?"
Tang Ying held her wrist, and with her other hand she touched her earlobe, and answered innocently, "It's good to have no ear holes, and I can save money on buying earrings."
Yao Niang looked like she saw a piece of rotten wood. She stretched out her slender white finger and tapped her forehead: "What do you know, little girl? How can a woman not dress up?" She pulled Tang Ying away without saying anything: "Follow Aunt Yao, Aunt will pierce your ears."
Tang Ying seemed to hear the ghosts in the horror story appear, and she broke free from Yao Niang's hand and tried to run away: "No, why did you pierce it when it was fine?" She was raised by her biological father since she was a child. Tang Yao never thought that having a hole in the ear was beautiful, and even felt very proud of it: "My daughter Tang Yao, why do I need to pierce my ears to please men?"
Marshal Tang firmly believes that any behavior of beautifying oneself with the goal of destroying the body is a way to flatter men and is not worth promoting. It is not known whether this is out of love for his daughter or because of his own personality.
In short, Tang Ying had never been restricted since she was a child. She didn't have to learn any rules and regulations imposed on girls, nor did she have to learn any survival skills.
As Marshal Tang’s daughter, my only responsibility is to grow up happily.
