Chapter 700 - 478: Imperial Concubine

Chapter 700: Chapter 478: Imperial Concubine

"Feng Yun. What do you think?"

"’A mountain glows when it holds jade within; a river is charmed when it contains pearls,’" Yun Zhao quoted softly, then smiled at Feng Yi. "I think it’s wonderful."

Feng Yi hoped this child would grow to be a person of noble character. She didn’t want to over-analyze the hidden meaning in his choice, but since both her children were princes, she hoped they would share a close bond and live in harmony as brothers.

The prince having a name was a joyous occasion. Everyone in Yaohua Palace received another round of rewards, and the air was filled with cheer and delight.

The next day, Feng Yi issued an imperial edict to bestow the name. Everyone, both inside and outside the court, learned that the Second Prince was now called Feng Yun.

Song Yunmei’s wedding had been perfectly timed. It coincided with Consort Ming giving birth to the Second Prince, which was seen as a double blessing. As a result, her new in-laws dared not treat her with anything but the utmost respect.

The palace was lively during the third-day bath ceremony. Feng Yi allowed the entire Song Family to enter the palace, so Song Yunzhao was able to see her family again after just a few days, which put her in an even better mood.

The married women of the Song Family decided they would stay in the Capital City until after the Second Prince’s full-month celebration before leaving. They wrote to their in-laws, none of whom disagreed.

This made Song Yunzhao even happier. Everyone gathered around to coo at the Second Prince. The little one was remarkably composed—he didn’t startle, cry, or fuss, which made everyone adore him all the more.

Feng Yi had taken Feng Ze away early in the morning, worried he would cause trouble if left behind. Little boys his age love to reach out with their hands, and he was always trying to poke his baby brother.

Feng Ze adored his little brother and told everyone he met that he had one. Yue Guanlan and Yang Weiqing bore the brunt of it, forced to hear the Eldest Prince repeat the news dozens of times a day.

Yun Zhao’s postpartum confinement this time was exceptionally comfortable. She seemed to recover more and more each day. With Feng Yi watching over her, the color quickly returned to her cheeks.

When her confinement ended, the Emperor issued an edict promoting her to Imperial Concubine. Perhaps because everyone had anticipated it, there were far fewer voices of opposition in the court.

Yun Zhao seized this opportunity to finally secure promotions for her own people.

After Yun Zhao’s promotion to Imperial Concubine, one of the three top-ranking consort positions became vacant. She pleaded on behalf of Wang Zhaorong. Seeing that Wang Zhaorong had indeed been on her best behavior for over a year, the Emperor restored her title of Princess Consort Zhuang.

Feng Yunjin was promoted two ranks to Noble Consort. Lu Zhixue was made a Fen Yi. Han Jinyi was promoted to Wanyi. An Shutong, who had earned merit during the affair with Qin Xiyue, was made a concubine of ’Pin’ rank this time. Qin Xiaoyin, who shared a palace with Lu Zhixue, was elevated to Honorable Lady with Lu Zhixue’s support. Other concubines who had committed no offenses also received minor promotions.

As for Consort Shu and Princess Consort Wan, the only rank above them was Imperial Concubine, so a promotion was impossible. However, to recognize their contributions, the Emperor rewarded them with an increase in their stipends.

The entire harem was overjoyed, except for those who had made mistakes and were denied promotion.

The concubine from the Duke Dingguo Mansion was one of them. Unfortunately for her, it seemed even the Duke’s family was beginning to give up on her. Her secret assistance to Qin Xiyue had drawn the Emperor’s ire upon the Duke Dingguo Mansion for a second time. If it happened again, not even the Duke’s family would be safe.

After this incident, Duke Dingguo finally understood. His daughter had the face of a clever woman but only ever did foolish things. It would be better to let her live out her days quietly in the palace. At least that way, she could keep her life.

A promotion was out of the question. If her rank were to rise again, she would surely be targeted and made a scapegoat by someone else.

The Empress Dowager didn’t cause any trouble this time because An Shutong had also been promoted. Although it was only a single rank and the Empress Dowager was somewhat dissatisfied, it was still better than no promotion at all.

With the widespread promotions in the harem, the families of the concubines outside the palace shared in the glory. Mrs. Feng, in particular, was ecstatic.

Her husband had already received an official promotion because of their daughter, and now their daughter had been promoted two ranks in a row. She knew this was certainly due to Imperial Concubine Ming and thus made a special trip to the Uncle Mansion to ask the matriarch to convey her gratitude.

She had also purchased a Jade Guanyin Statue at a high price, hoping the matriarch could help deliver it to the Imperial Consort.

The matriarch naturally refused to accept it, smilingly telling Mrs. Feng that it would be better to ask the Imperial Consort for her permission during the next festival banquet before she offered her assistance.

Mrs. Feng had no choice but to take the item back with her. However, this exchange only deepened her respect for the Song Family.

With an Imperial Concubine in the family, who was also the mother of two princes, the Song Family continued to act with the same integrity as before. ’How truly rare and commendable,’ she thought.

「On another front」

Ji Yunting had received his orders and traveled south to join Song Buran. As a newcomer, he didn’t make a grand show of his arrival. Instead, he immediately began accompanying Mr. Song to various social engagements, working tirelessly to understand the inner workings of the southern bureaucracy. He eventually discovered that any further progress southward would be impossible without going through the Governor of Huizhou, Ding Xian.

This governor held real power and had a distinguished record of suppressing bandits. While he might not have commanded universal support among the local officials, he certainly had a great many followers.

A letter from the Song Family had reached Song Buran, informing him of the Ding family’s desire for a marriage alliance. The hidden implications of this proposal made him even more cautious.

To avoid arousing Ding Xian’s suspicion, Song Buran and Ji Yunting operated with one in the open and one in the shadows. Publicly, Song Buran engaged in a political chess match with Ding Xian. Privately, Ji Yunting went around gathering information about Ding Xian’s reputation in Huizhou.

After more than a month of maneuvering, the two confirmed that this Mr. Ding was indeed a good official. He was dedicated to eradicating bandits, and the fierce sea bandits would flee at the mere mention of his name. In the eyes of the common people, he was a great hero who protected them and a just official wholeheartedly devoted to their welfare.

However, he was perhaps too upright, which had harmed the interests of many people. This was why someone had secretly set a trap for him, using the sea bandits as a pretext to try and drag him down.

But it was clear that Ding Xian was unwilling to stoop to their level, which was what prompted Lady Ding’s trip to the Capital City to propose a marriage alliance.

The marriage alliance was impossible, but Song Buran paid a personal visit to Ding Xian for a late-night talk. He laid out the pros and cons of the situation with perfect clarity and informed him that His Majesty was already aware of the matter.

What else could Ding Xian do?

In truth, he had never placed much hope in the marriage alliance, but his wife had insisted on trying. He knew in his heart that the proposal was merely a probe; the real intention was to use the Song Family’s influence to bring this matter to the Emperor’s ears.

Ding Xian knew that he and his wife had acted dishonorably and felt indebted to the Song Family. Now that Song Buran had come to him personally with a sincere attitude, Ding Xian readily accepted the olive branch. He joined forces with him and gave his full support to Song Buran’s actions.

With Ding Xian’s support, he and Ji Yunting split their forces. One of them, in the open, delayed the local officials by exchanging toasts and pleasantries, while the other secretly followed Ding Xian on visits to various prefectures and counties to get a clear picture of the real situation on the ground.

Huizhou was coastal and plagued by sea bandits, so the local customs were rough and aggressive. The officials serving there often had a thuggish air about them and looked down on civil servants like Song Buran and Ji Yunting.

Song Buran deliberately pretended to be offended and flew into a rage, openly turning against the local officials.

Meanwhile, Ji Yunting secretly collected evidence of their crimes. Once he had gathered enough, the two of them sent a memorial to the Capital City.

The charges included seizing farmsteads, abducting women, colluding with merchants to inflate prices, and even conspiring with sea bandits. The latter was the reason Ding Xian had fallen into a trap and been injured previously.

The Emperor was furious and issued a decree ordering Song Buran to conduct a thorough investigation, getting to the bottom of the matter.

From that point on, Song Buran’s demeanor in Huizhou changed dramatically. He executed an official who refused to cooperate with a single slash of his sword.

When news of this reached the Capital City, it sent shockwaves through the court. Memorials accusing Song Buran of being ruthless and cruel came flooding in.