Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 728: Grand Wedding (2)

"Empress, Aunt Mei and the others have returned, and they are now kneeling outside the hall." The senior palace maid finished inserting the last traditional hairpin into the Empress’s cloud-like hairstyle before addressing her.

Feng Xuxu’s movements in front of the bronze mirror paused slightly, she smiled, and elegantly stood up, walking out of the bedroom with her lotus steps.

The senior palace maid helped the Empress to sit at the Eight Immortals Table. Looking at the exquisite and appetizing meal, she began to eat with great pleasure, as if she had forgotten about the people kneeling outside.

Xuefei excitedly held the recently developed powder in her hand. She hadn’t reached the entrance of Yangxin Hall when she saw from a distance that several aunts were kneeling on the ground, their bodies ramrod straight.

"Eh? Why are all of you kneeling here?"

"Princess, we have made mistakes and are kneeling here to request punishment," Mei Lenglei slightly raised her eyes and said softly.

Xuefei frowned slightly, turned back to look into the hall, and didn’t see her mother come out. She presumed the mistake they made must have been severe; otherwise, her mother wouldn’t have punished them like this. Understanding the situation, she didn’t linger outside and decided to go in to gauge the mood.

"Mother, I’ve developed the Fantasy Powder," Dugu Yue said, holding out the small bottle of powder as if presenting a treasure.

Feng Xuxu expressed her surprise. This "Fantasy Powder" was one from the Space Drugs Manual, which despite being called a poison, didn’t necessarily act like one. Whoever was afflicted by this "Fantasy Powder" would experience an unconscious fantasy, simply put, it would make them reveal their innermost secrets without hesitation. After the effect wore off, one would have no memory of what they had said.

If this "Fantasy Powder" were mixed with sandalwood, it would become a lethal poison, and the antidote required a combination of precious pollen and an exceptionally rare herb known as Purple Lotus to neutralize this toxin.

"Let me take a look," she put down her chopsticks, waved her hand to signal the palace maid to clear the table, and then carefully examined the powder in the bottle.

After a long while, she exclaimed with admiration, "Xuefei, you’ve done really well, but you must not be complacent. Store this item properly and do not take it out carelessly, understand?"

"Don’t worry, mother, Xuefei knows what to do," she replied, storing the small bottle carefully. She snuggled up to her mother’s side and played with the ribbons on her mother’s dress, seemingly nonchalant as she asked, "What mistake did Aunt Mei and the others make that they have to kneel outside?"

Feng Xuxu’s eyebrows fluttered before she extended her hand to stroke her eldest daughter’s dark hair. "Mother isn’t sure either. Call them in; we’ll find out after asking.

"Alright, I’ll call them now," Xuefei stood up and ran a few steps to call them all into the room.

"We request the Empress’s punishment," they entered the room and chanted in unison, all kneeling on the floor with heads hung in shame.

Xuefei inquired with confusion, "What exactly did you do wrong?"

Each person bowed their heads, none of them willing to speak first, making Xuefei so anxious that she had to point out someone directly: "Aunt Baihe, you tell me!"

"Empress, Princess, well... this..." Baihe didn’t know how to explain the situation, looked back and forth among them; during breakfast that morning, she had sensed something amiss. And once her husband explained the situation to her, she was so shocked her jaw nearly hit the floor.

Seeing Baihe struggling to explain, Xuefei nonchalantly pointed to another: "Aunt Yingsu, you speak."

Aunt Yingsu looked up in difficulty, glancing at the Empress and then at the Princess, but after a long struggle, she failed to articulate a word.

Feng Xuxu glanced at their blushing faces, which resembled the rising sun, and with a light turn of her gaze, she said, "Xuefei, go tell your brother that we are leaving tomorrow. Both of you pack your things."

"Really! That’s great, I’ll go tell Brother right away." As soon as Xuefei heard they were going to leave the Imperial Palace, she clapped her hands in excitement, not minding them anymore, and in the blink of an eye, she darted out.

With Xuefei gone, Feng Xuxu then asked the group, "Tell me, why are you requesting punishment?"

The five of them looked at each other, and ultimately, it was Mei Lenglei who spoke up, "Empress, we... we disobeyed an imperial order." She bit her lip and started speaking with bashful hesitation.

"Defying the imperial edict? Could it be that you all did not comply with the marriage bestowed by His Majesty?" She raised an eyebrow and asked them with a cold voice.

Several people nodded with difficulty.

Feng Xuxu was silent for a long while, then asked with sparse interest, "Was this your own idea, or someone else’s?"

"It was..." Yingsu nervously raised her head and was just about to speak when she was interrupted by an authoritative voice.

Feng Xuxu half-closed her eyes at Yingsu, "Tell the truth."

"It was... it was..."

"Madam, it was a few of us who came up with the idea." Tian Yi had just set one foot inside the Yangxin Hall, and with the other still outside, he loudly continued Yingsu’s words for fear that she might take the blame herself.

Di An, Huang Yi, Xuan Yue, and Xuefei, who had followed closely, also entered the hall and knelt behind their respective wives, bowing their heads and awaiting the Empress’s (Madam’s) judgment.

"Haha, truly loyal and devoted. Well then, defying the imperial edict is a matter of losing one’s head. Considering you have all confessed honestly, I will spare your wives from the death penalty." Feng Xuxu’s hand tightened around the cup, and she let out a light, cold laugh.

After a brief lapse into shock, Lan Lengyun knelt forward a few steps, clutched at Feng Xuxu’s skirt and cried, "Your Highness, even though it was their idea, we silently consented. We’re not entirely blameless here; I’m complicit as well."

"Your Highness, we’re all complicit; please grant us this mercy."

"Why...why would you do this to yourselves?" Huang Yi clenched his fists tightly, his eyes reddened with pain as he looked at Zhu Lengqing.

Yingsu smiled bitterly at Tian Yi behind her, "My Lord, if we cannot live together, let us die together."

Tears streamed down Tian Yi’s cheeks, and he struggled to force out a word, "Fool."

Feng Xuxu knew she had to discipline them, after all, her husband was the Emperor, and his word was law. If they weren’t punished symbolically, it might set a precedent for others, causing gossip and issues in the future. Therefore, punishment was absolutely necessary.

"Enough, in light of your years of service to me and to the Emperor, you may be spared the death penalty, but not punishment. With tomorrow’s royal procession in mind, Huang Yi, Tian Yi, Di An, and Xuan Yue, you will redeem yourselves."

"Thank you, Empress, for your mercy."

"Thank you, Madam, for sparing our lives."

They all knocked their heads heavily on the bluestone tiles in gratitude.

Seeing their agitated state, Feng Xuxu shook her head and waved her hand, "Go on, attend to your affairs, and get ready. We leave for the southern tour early tomorrow."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Yes, Madam."

The group wiped away their tears and withdrew one by one. In less than an hour, they had entered with their lives at stake and left having faced death; their emotions had swung wildly. Once in the courtyard, they faced the rising sun, touched their necks, and realized their heads were still attached. What a relief.

On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, early in the morning, a plain carriage left the Imperial Palace, flanked by several handsome men and pretty women who headed south, facing the dawn sky.

The southern tour had begun.