Phoenix Reigns Over The Nine Heavens - Chapter 34

“Li Xue is back?” General Xiao had not been to the military camp for three days. When he heard the news of Li Xue’s return, he walked out of the study with a grim expression on his face. “Tell her to pack up her things and go back to the Li family immediately.”

Madam Xiao turned her head to look at him, her expression also turning dark: “Li Xue is already Yunheng’s person. If she goes back to the Li family now, what will become of her in the future?”

General Xiao rebuked angrily, “She has brought such a disaster to the Xiao family, and you’re asking me what we should do?”

“Can the Xiao family’s affairs be blamed on Li Xue alone?” Madam Xiao was indignant. “It was clearly Yun Zishu…”

Seeing Xiao Yuanting’s face suddenly turn cold, Madam Xiao resentfully changed her tone: “It was clearly the Ninth Princess who was being unreasonable.”

“If it weren’t for Li Xue framing the Ninth Princess in the first place and you and your son bullying her later, would the Ninth Princess have the opportunity to be unforgiving?” Xiao Yuanting said angrily, “You push all the responsibility onto others, and you still don’t know how to reflect on yourself?!”

Madam Xiao suppressed her anger and forced herself to speak calmly, “It’s already like this now. What good will driving Li Xue away do now? Yun Heng is currently injured, and I mean to let Li Xue go to the princess’s residence to take care of him. If there is any negligence, she can report it to us in time. Otherwise, we will have no idea what Yun Heng’s situation is in the princess’s residence. What if he is being mistreated?”

Xiao Yuanting was silent after hearing this, as if considering her words.

“And here’s what I am thinking.” Madam Xiao continued, stepping closer, her tone becoming somewhat awkward. “During the time that Yunheng is recovering from his injuries, I don’t know if the Ninth Princess checks on him daily or if their relationship has improved. With Li Xue by Yunheng’s side, it might be able to arouse the Ninth Princess’ sense of crisis, as well as make her jealous. In this way, the Ninth Princess might take the initiative to take care of Yunheng and be a little nicer to Yunheng. Isn’t this what your military strategists call the ‘provocation tactic’?”

Xiao Yuanting frowned. It was true that the method of provocation wasn’t wrong in theory, but given Yun Zishu’s previous decisive break with Yunheng, would sending Li Xue to care for him really not backfire?

“Let’s try it. Maybe it will work.”

Madam Xiao also had her reservations, but they had to take action—how would they know if they didn’t try?

Xiao Yuanting, being a military general, knew nothing about the intricacies of inner household affairs of the wives and concubines. Hearing Madam Xiao’s reasoning, he reluctantly agreed for the time being. However, he had to set some ground rules first: “You must instruct Li Xue that after going to the Princess’s Mansion, she must not be rude or disrespectful to the Ninth Princess again. Being humble and submissive is the duty of a concubine. Even if the Ninth Princess wants to beat or scold her, she must honestly endure it and not resist.”

When Mrs. Xiao heard this, she was immediately displeased and subconsciously thought, why should Li Xue suffer?

But when she thought of Yun Heng, she calmed down immediately: “I understand; I will make sure she knows.”

Once the decision was made, Madam Xiao ordered the maid to prepare a table of delicious food for Li Xue to make up for the hardships she had suffered during this period.

Li Xue came out after taking a bath. Her white clothes made her look even more frail. Her damp hair was draped over her shoulders, giving the impression that a gentle breeze could topple her over.

Sitting at the table, Madam Xiao urged her to eat well. As she ate, she said, “The Ninth Princess gave Yun Heng a letter of divorce—”

Divorce letter?

Li Xue was stunned. Yun Zishu had really written a letter of divorce?

Does that mean Yun Zishu will never appear in the Xiao family again?

“Yun Zishu’s intention to break up was so strong that it alarmed the emperor. The emperor did not allow her to divorce her husband, but she refused to compromise. In the end, she had no choice but to let Yun Heng live in the princess’s mansion temporarily.” Madam Xiao did not notice Li Xue’s expression and rolled up her sleeves to pour herself a cup of tea. “Yun Heng is still recuperating in the princess’s mansion and needs someone to take care of him, so I plan to let you go over to look after him.”

Li Xue stared blankly. “Brother Heng is injured?”

“Yes.” Madam Xiao nodded, her face showing anger and heartache. “He was punished with fifty cane strikes by the Emperor’s decree… If Yun Zishu hadn’t insisted on divorcing her husband, and Si Cang hadn’t tried his best to protect Yun Zishu, how could the Emperor have ordered Yun Heng to be beaten? It was all caused by that little bitch Yun Zishu!”

Hearing her tone, Li Xue felt relieved. Madam Xiao still harbored intense hatred for Yun Zishu.

Previously, she had been afraid that her aunt would blame her for framing Yun Zishu, so she cried as soon as she came back. She cried so pitifully that her aunt couldn’t bear to blame her. She did not expect that Yun Zishu would cause such a commotion during her detention in the Dark Shadow Pavilion.

This way, even if Yun Zishu returned in the future, she would have completely lost her aunt’s favor. Her cousin, having been beaten, would surely resent Yun Zishu too. From now on, Yun Zishu will not have peace!

Thinking this way, Li Xue nodded obediently and said, “Aunt, don’t worry. Brother Heng is injured, so I will definitely go to take care of him. I will never let him suffer any grievances in the Princess’s Mansion.”

“In that case, I’ll leave Yunheng’s care to you,” Madam Xiao said. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to the princess’s residence so that Yun Zishu won’t dare to bully you.”

Li Xue smiled considerately, ‘I can go by myself. Aunt has been worrying about me these past few days, and I feel bad about it. Besides, it is my responsibility to take care of Brother Heng, I don’t want you to have to endure Yun Zishu’s attitude.”

Madam Xiao paused, feeling stifled at the thought of Yun Zishu’s haughty demeanor.

“That’s fine too.” She gave up the idea of going to the princess’s mansion. “Eat your fill and have a good rest today. Recover your spirit.”

Li Xue continued to nod her head obediently: “Yes.”

……

The next morning, Li Xue, dressed in a lake-green gown, arrived at the gate of the Ninth Princess’s mansion by carriage.

Steward Cheng looked at the woman in front of him, who was dressed in bright colors but had a pale and frail appearance, and asked indifferently, “Who are you looking for?”

“I am Li Xue, the concubine of General Xiao.” Li Xue straightened her posture with a hint of arrogance and said, “Please announce my arrival. I am here to take care of Brother Heng.”

Butler Cheng looked at the woman before him. The side consort of the young general Xiao?

So it was this frail Li Xue who had been stirring trouble in the General’s Mansion, a mere concubine who had bullied the princess?

“No wonder you’re an unworthy concubine who can’t be brought out in public,” Butler Cheng said coldly, his tone filled with contempt. “Properly established official wives or daughters of noble families always send a visiting card in advance. Yet you, a mere concubine, show up so recklessly. Didn’t Madam Xiao teach you the rules?”

Hearing this, Li Xue’s expression visibly froze, then turned pale and flushed.

She didn’t expect that a steward would dare to humiliate her in person.

Steward Cheng paid no mind to her feelings. In front of Li Xue, he directly ordered people to close the main gate of the princess’s mansion, and even the side gate was closed.

Li Xue could only watch helplessly as the gates closed before her; her face was burning with humiliation.