Chapter 599: Chapter 599
These noblewomen fawned over her, currying favor, but in their hearts, they may not truly respect her. They came from prestigious families, their marriages were blissful, their lives affluent. Even during the shifts of power within the Yuwen Royal Family, the status of the aristocracy remained unshaken. The present noblewomen all had husbands from families with centuries of history, deeply rooted in influence. Xie Xun’s reforms aimed to uproot the aristocratic clans entirely. From now on, not only would their resources be diluted, but they would also lose their ability to overshadow imperial authority.
These women were shrewd and calculating, not fools. At home, they may have expressed anger, resentment, but they likely had plans in place. The best solution was to send their marriageable daughters into the palace. Fengyu was frail and sickly; if someone else could bear the emperor a child, at least their family could ensure twenty years of prosperity. If the child were made Crown Prince, their fortune would rise immeasurably. Such overwhelming wealth and status—who wouldn’t covet it?
Before Xie Xun embarked on his imperial campaign, many expressed the desire to expand the imperial harem. Xie Xun deliberately delayed the matter during wartime in Jiangnan. Now that the campaign was underway, the officials had no choice but to send their noble wives out to mingle. During this period, Su Yuejiao had received many invitation notes.
Su Yuejiao avoided where she could, and when she couldn’t, she kept silent and spoke little. The matters were always the same, and of course, she understood them thoroughly.
"Miss Feng San is truly arrogant and ungrateful. Back then, you and the Emperor were wedded merely because you borrowed the legacy and honor of the late Feng Shu, earning the imperial decree for marriage. After the Marquis Mansion’s upheaval, you fled the capital for refuge. The Emperor remembered your loyalty during adversity, and after you were crowned Empress, you ought to repay him with gratitude. Any woman with proper upbringing and foresight would already understand that with the Emperor’s bloodline so sparse and weakening, it’s imperative to extend branches and leaves rather than stubbornly impede and monopolize him. You are the Empress, the mother of the nation; your every word and action is subject to scrutiny by the people. Even your conduct could bring slander upon the Emperor. Miss Feng San, I advise you to reconsider and not be reckless." An elderly noblewoman offered sincere counsel. A seasoned dowager, highly respected within the circle of noble ladies, her presence commanded restraint from others.
Fengyu turned to the elderly noblewoman, who was of the same generation as her grandmother, and replied softly, "Madam speaks rightly, but no matter how eloquently you phrase it, your concerns are not genuinely for the Emperor’s welfare. You simply wish to safeguard your own small turf. Since you advocate for the Emperor to open the harem, then I am merely guarding my own piece of land—is that a fault? Just because I am Empress, must I be virtuous and magnanimous?"
"A woman’s virtue is the foundation of her standing; Miss Feng San, do not let jealousy ruin your life." The noblewoman’s tone was earnest, "The Xie family’s lineage has thinned greatly. If you love the Emperor, how could you bear to leave him in difficulty?"
"The Xie family’s thinning lineage is because generation after generation of their men have shed blood on the battlefield, protecting Beining’s lands and ensuring its people’s peace—not something caused by me. Why must it fall to me to ’extend the branches’? Whether my husband wishes to take concubines or not, what has that to do with me? You ought to persuade him instead. Why trouble me?" Fengyu asked with a gentle laugh.
Sitting to the elderly noblewoman’s right, Second Mrs. Zhang chuckled lightly and asked, "Why does Miss Feng San oppose the Emperor taking concubines? Among the aristocratic families in the capital and even among ordinary folk, the saying ’many children, many blessings’ is valued. Vigorous women are said to walk by the edge of the Gates of Hell during childbirth, and with Miss Feng San’s frail health, such moments are bound to be doubly dangerous. If a concubine were to bear children, they’d all call you mother as the Empress. They would all be your children. Others would face the Gates of Hell on your behalf and birth children for you—this, surely, is a blessing."
Fengyu furrowed her brows slightly. Second Mrs. Zhang’s tone was gentle, her face smiling, yet her words reflected the sentiment of many women. The capital’s noblewomen might suppress concubines in public social circles out of decorum and propriety, preventing them from mingling freely, while outside, others looked down on concubines. Yet in the eyes of the main wife managing the household, a concubine was essentially a sacrificial pawn. Orıginal content can be found at noⅴelfire.net
Concubines walked through the Gates of Hell during childbirth for the main wife; if the child was male, he would be brought to the primary wife’s courtyard for the upbringing, eventually becoming an asset for any legitimate heirs. Many noblewomen balked at bearing child after child. Firstly, it was hazardous; secondly, frequent childbearing drained their vitality.
Second Mrs. Zhang’s stance stemmed from conversations she had with Su Yuejiao about the noblewomen’s affairs before attending the banquet. She herself had borne two sons and then ceased childbirth once her health was restored, instead actively seeking concubines for her husband. Her choices were women of outstanding character and appearance, and Mr. Zhang now had two sons, both nearly raised in her own quarters. She treated them equally, with identical education and meals, so that the illegitimate sons would eventually support the legitimate heirs—precisely why she urged Fengyu as she did.
Fengyu thought of the late Marchioness.
The late Marchioness had shared Second Mrs. Zhang’s mindset. Deeply loving the Marquis, she didn’t want the Marquis’s bloodline to wither, so she sought concubines for him and treated them kindly while raising their children. This birthed exceptional talents like Xie Zhang and Xie Jue among the illegitimate sons.
"Madam and I were brought up under different teachings, in environments dissimilar. Our principles diverge, akin to the sun and moon—while both reside in the sky, they alternate day and night. The sun cannot ask the moon to appear during the day, nor can the moon demand the sun to shine at night. Likewise, Madam cannot expect others to adopt your values and perspectives." Fengyu’s tone was composed yet polite.
"How utterly unyielding!" Third Mrs. Li spat with a cold laugh. "All the noblewomen present speak kindly for your own good. Your father came from merchant origins, and for the Feng Family to produce an Empress is already a case of ancestral blessings. Ungrateful and so haughty—beware of karmic retribution."
Princess Xue Lan turned red with anger and was about to counter but was stopped by Fengyu. Reputation did not concern Fengyu, and with Xie Xun’s protection, her status was fundamentally secure. Princess Xue Lan, although sheltered by Marquis An Yuan, could not match Fengyu’s position and thus should not defy her elders.
Fengyu sneered, "Heroes are not questioned of their origins. Three years ago, the Emperor was regarded as a traitor and a usurper by the entire realm. Madam, are you implying the Emperor’s ascension was illegitimate?"
Indeed, Xie Xun’s rise to power had been contentious, but who would dare say it aloud? Even within their homes, people feared eavesdroppers through the walls. Third Mrs. Li’s face flushed red with fury, and she retorted angrily, "What nonsense! Twisting words and distorting logic!"
"I am no saint, no savior of all. On the contrary, I bear grudges and am petty. Since all of you recognize me as Empress, act with more respect. I am no powerless figurehead; quite the opposite, I have authority over all palace affairs—great or small—and I will personally oversee them all. While I may not meddle with the careers of your husbands or the fortunes of your children, I entirely control whether you can step into the palace for banquets or receive imperial favors during festivals. If you fail to enter these palace gates even once, consider whether your family might harbor grievances. Should your children struggle to forge advantageous alliances, I wonder if they would blame your past ignorance and brashness. My piece is said; ladies, take heed and conduct yourselves wisely." Fengyu was no gentle saint. She sat there quietly, her beauty that of a national treasure, serene in demeanor, devoid of the youthful awkwardness of an eighteen-year-old girl. Instead, she was like a soul tempered by experience, governed by her own code, untethered by moral condemnation.
The noblewomen’s faces turned ashen. They looked at each other in mutual shock, the banquet of noblewomen plunged into a deafening silence. Clearly, they had never encountered such a sharp and audacious Empress like Fengyu.
Even the late Empress Dowager, who had been hot-tempered and poorly cultured during her tenure as Empress, never dared behave so brazenly before the noblewomen.
An Empress should carefully weigh each word and action.
Yet Fengyu showed utter disregard for her reputation, brazenly declaring that should anyone offend her, they could forget about attending palace banquets in the future. The annual palace feasts during festivals were paramount affairs for the noblewomen; Fengyu’s exclusion of someone could impact not only their personal status but also their children’s prospects.
You could never truly know what lies in the hearts of these noblewomen. They remained composed, docile—until your actions touched their children.