On the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, Lu Nianfu hosted thirty tables of banquets at her residence, grandly marrying off Qing Ya.
Then, under the guise of nurturing her pregnancy, she closed her doors to visitors.
Of course, she was excluding uninvited guests, such as the Crown Princess.
The Crown Prince had been stiff for a few days, but eventually followed his advisor's suggestion to re-establish diplomatic ties with Situ Yan. Not wishing to humble himself, he opted for a "lady's diplomacy." The Crown Princess, having recently been treated coldly by both the Crown Prince and her aunt, the Empress, saw an opportunity to redeem herself. Despite her dislike for Lu Nianfu, she put on a smile, prepared lavish gifts, and paid a visit.
The result? Lu Nianfu was allegedly nurturing her pregnancy.
The Crown Princess was turned away without even entering the residence, returning in a rage, cursing Lu Nianfu for being ungrateful. She, the future Empress, expected Lu Nianfu to curry favor, yet instead, Lu Nianfu was setting traps for her at every turn.
She vowed to remember this debt and settle it with Lu Nianfu once the Crown Prince ascended the throne.
"Useless! You can't even handle such a small matter. What else can I rely on you for?" In Changning Palace, the Empress was practically yelling at the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess felt wronged. "Mother, the Rui Wangfei is officially nurturing her pregnancy. She refuses to see anyone, and I couldn't possibly force my way in."
"Couldn't you think of another way?"
"There is indeed another way, but it requires Mother to personally intervene."
The Empress raised an eyelid while sipping her ginseng tea. "What way?"
The Crown Princess said, "I believe the Rui Wangfei is annoyed with me and thus refuses to see me. Why not ask Third Sister-in-law to mediate?"
Although she and Fu Yingyu were sisters by marriage, they were not from the same branch and thus had no personal relationship.
Third Wangfei, Fu Yingyu, was the daughter of a collateral branch of the Fu family. Because of her beauty, she was specifically chosen to win over the Third Prince. At one point, the Fu family, having produced a Crown Princess and a Imperial Prince's consort, was incredibly influential and acted quite arrogantly. Then, Emperor Changwu found a handle and directly annihilated the Third Imperial Prince's consort's branch of the family.
A warning to the others, the Fu family subsequently became somewhat more restrained.
The Third Wangfei, as an Imperial Prince's consort, narrowly escaped that disaster, but she also completely lost the support of her maternal family.
Despite Madame Xie Guogong's eloquent words, claiming to treat her like her own daughter, Fu Yingyu had endured much gossip outside due to the destruction of her natal family, yet no member of the Fu family had ever stood up for her.
They only remembered she was from the Fu family when they needed her.
Fu Yingyu stood before the Empress, accepting the task she was being given like charity. With a respectful demeanor, she agreed, but inwardly, she could only sneer.
To ensure she carried out the task smoothly, the Empress bestowed several bolts of tribute silk upon her and instructed Fu Yingyu to take them out of the palace.
Third Prince Situ Feng handled practical matters. While not exceedingly favored, the Emperor treated him reasonably well. Fu Yingyu was not impressed by a few bolts of tribute silk. Upon returning to her residence, she directly ordered her maid to put the items in the storeroom. "Where is Third Master?"
"A few houses in the eastern suburbs were crushed by snow. Third Master has gone there with people."
"Were there any casualties?"
"It is not yet known. Wangfei, should this servant send word to Third Master?"
"No need. It's not a major incident. Have someone inquire about the situation in the eastern suburbs. If Third Master does not return, do not let him miss his meal, nor let him eat cold food." Situ Feng's stomach was not good, and he needed to be particularly careful with his diet.
The young maid acknowledged the order and left.
Fu Yingyu looked at the thick white snow covering the rooftops and tree branches, sighing.
The snowy scenery was beautiful, but the common people likely couldn't appreciate it.
Situ Feng returned earlier than expected, arriving with the cold wind and snow at dinner time. Fu Yingyu hurried forward to help him remove his heavy cloak stained with snow and wind, then handed him a hand-warmer. "Third Master, it's so cold outside, you should at least wear a fur coat."
"It's fuzzy and would get dirty, which is troublesome. Is there any food?"
"Yes, yes. Ling Dang, quickly serve the meal."
The couple soon finished their dinner, and Fu Yingyu spoke first, "Third Master, how was the situation in the eastern suburbs?"
"Only a few minor injuries, nothing serious. I'll approve some funds later for them to rebuild their houses." Speaking of this, Situ Feng couldn't help but frown. "I'll have to argue with those people again."
He worked in the Ministry of Revenue and knew firsthand how tightly those people held onto money.
Fu Yingyu said, "Why don't we front the money first? In this biting cold, if we wait for the court to approve funds, how many people will freeze?"
"I know you are kind-hearted, but this cannot be done."
"Why?"
"If we do it, the Empress will say we are buying popular support again."
Fu Yingyu sighed.
Situ Feng asked, "The servant delivered a message today saying you needed to see me?"
"The Empress wants me to be a mediator at the Rui Wangfu."
"Mediate?"
"Mm."
"She has quite the nerve." Situ Feng pondered for a moment. "Since she has asked, you should go. Don't force the outcome, just make sure you don't offend anyone."
Fu Yingyu nodded. "That is precisely what I was thinking."