"How could he treat me like this! He's truly a wolf in sheep's clothing! What help he gave me to the emperor to consolidate his power? He's clearly just greedy for power, trying to control the court, and doesn't care about my son and me at all!" Fu Yuhua was so angry that she gasped for breath and couldn't help but shout out.
Granny Wen quickly helped her sit down and tried to calm her down. "My lady, please calm down. Don't hurt yourself. Be careful, walls have ears!" She lowered her voice. "My lady, if you ask me, the more arrogant and conceited the Regent is, the less vigilant he will become. This is a good thing for us. Isn't this exactly what you want? Only when the Regent becomes arrogant will the officials be dissatisfied with him, and only then will the rumors spread and the people's resentment rise. This way, you and the Emperor can regain power. Now, now it's just that the Regent is becoming arrogant a little faster, which is a good thing."
Fu Yuhua gritted her teeth, her face full of resentment. "I did want to flatter him to death, that's true, but he... he was clearly so devoted to me, yet now he really doesn't respect me at all. Is there really not a single man in this world I can trust?"
"My lady, what's the point of thinking about these things now? The Emperor is determined to bring down the Regent for the sake of his reputation. Even if the Regent relinquishes power, it won't work. So what does it matter how he treats you? My lady, you are already the most honored woman in the world. To put it bluntly, what kind of man can't you have? As long as you keep them hidden, it's fine to keep a few male favorites. Why bother whether the Regent's feelings are genuine or not?"
Fu Yuhua naturally understood this reasoning. She wasn't sad, but she was frustrated and angry. Xu Zifan had always cherished and protected her, so why did he change his attitude when the topic of their children's marriage came up? Didn't this mean that she was less important to Xu Zifan than his daughter born to his wife? It was as if he was saying that she had been deluding herself all these years. A sense of shame filled her heart, making her extremely irritable.
But business was more important than her emotions. She smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, took a deep breath, and said gently, "Once the Emperor is finished with his business, please invite him over for a meal. I'll discuss this with him. Since Xu Zifan refuses to marry his daughter into the family, we should choose a suitable force as soon as possible, preferably one that opposes Xu Zifan. We need to give the Emperor more support."
"Yes, Master, I will arrange it right away."
As Fu Yuhua watched Granny Wen leave, the image of the naive Xu Zifan from years ago flashed through her mind. He had promised to treat her like a precious jewel and cherish her for life, but what had happened? She had been bestowed upon the Second Prince as a concubine by imperial decree, and he hadn't uttered a single word. He even refused to see her when she went to him. This kind of man was unreliable from beginning to end. A cold smile played on Fu Yuhua's lips as she turned and returned to her palace.
While Fu Yuhua and her son were having their heart-to-heart talk, Xu Zifan had already asked the Emperor for two nannies to take back to the Prince's residence. These two nannies were trusted servants of the late Emperor's favored concubine. When Fu Yuhua rose to the position of Empress Dowager, the late Empress also held the title of Empress Dowager. Fu Yuhua was focused on defeating her rival and hadn't paid attention to the late Consort. However, the late Consort genuinely loved the late Emperor and died of depression not long after his death, even earlier than the late Empress.
After that, the two old women were transferred to the Shanggong Bureau. Although they weren't in any important positions and their lives weren't as good as before, they weren't too hard-working either. They were still frequently exposed to all aspects of the inner palace's affairs, making them quite experienced. Xu Zifan chose them not only because they were very capable, but also because the original owner had no grudges against them. No matter how much he helped Fu Yuhua, he had never directly or indirectly harmed the late Consort, and the late Emperor's death had nothing to do with him. Therefore, he could use these two women with peace of mind. And because the late Consort and Fu Yuhua had also competed for the Emperor's favor, they couldn't be bribed by Fu Yuhua, making them the most suitable choice.
The two nannies were Granny Yang and Granny Qian, both around thirty-five years old. Xu Zifan assigned the cheerful Granny Yang to Xu Shiyue; the young girl was still young, and a cheerful nanny would be easier for her to accept, and would be more likable as she helped with affairs. Yu Lan, at twenty-two, had already experienced the ups and downs of life and valued character more, so Xu Zifan gave her the slightly more serious Granny Qian.
This is even better. Yu Lan's background is too low, and she doesn't have a suitable status in the Prince's Mansion. She will inevitably be looked down upon. The strict Granny Qian can help her suppress the servants. Outsiders will also think that she is upright, disciplined, and not frivolous, thus avoiding a lot of gossip.
The two young ladies and the nanny immediately sensed their extraordinary qualities upon meeting them and naturally valued and accepted them sincerely. Xu Zifan allowed them a few days to get to know each other, then wrote a letter to Xu Ziyun, proposing that Xu Shiyue stay at her home. In the letter, he made it very clear that his purpose was to have his sister teach his daughter the cunning and manipulative ways of women in the inner court, stripping away her naivety. He also listed the criteria for choosing a future son-in-law, instructing Xu Ziyun to keep a close eye on things, to avoid any trouble, and not to casually choose anyone. Most importantly, he stressed the need to avoid the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, ensuring that Xu Shiyue had no chance of entering the palace. As for other matters, as the daughter of the Regent, she could be as haughty as she wanted, and she couldn't be mistreated at any banquet.
Xu Ziyun and her brother had been in a cold war for almost six years. She was shocked to receive the letter. "Why would my brother suddenly write to me?"
As she spoke, she hurried into the inner room, clutching the letter, and anxiously opened it. "Could something really have happened? This person is so stubborn; he'll be used and discarded sooner or later!"
Her personal maid closed the doors and windows tightly, poured her a cup of hot tea, and comforted her, saying, "Madam, don't worry. Although it was De'an who came to deliver the message in person, he didn't seem flustered at all, and even had a smile on his face. It's probably not what you think."
Upon hearing this, Xu Ziyun breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took out the letter to browse through it. After reading it, she paused for a moment, relaxed her brows, and then carefully read it again from beginning to end. She clapped her hands and laughed, "Great news! My brother has finally come to his senses. Fortunately, it's not too late."
The maid asked in surprise, "Madam, is something wrong with the Prince?"
Xu Ziyun lit the letter, waved her hand, and smiled, "It's nothing. My niece will be staying with me for a couple of days to learn how to manage the household. I'm her only female elder, and my brother entrusted her to me, so I must take good care of her. Liuzhi, quickly take some people to tidy up the courtyard next door, fill it with lots of brightly colored flowers, open my private treasury, and decorate the house. Remember, Shiyue is the Regent's only daughter; she deserves all the splendor. We mustn't mistreat her. Alright, you take some people to decorate first, and I'll go see it myself tomorrow morning. Oh, and invite De'an to the flower hall; I have a few words to say to him."
Liu Zhi agreed, her mind racing. It seemed that her master and the regent had broken the ice, and the princess was so favored by her master. She had to give orders to all the servants in the mansion to treat the princess with utmost respect, and the courtyard had to be carefully decorated.
When Xu Ziyun met De'an, she inquired about Xu Zifan's health and the situation at the Prince's residence. Upon learning that everything was well, she was relieved. She rewarded De'an with a purse full of gold and silver coins, instructing him to tell Xu Zifan that she would take good care of Xu Shiyue as instructed in the letter and impart all her knowledge to her niece.
Xu Zifan trusted his younger sister completely, but he still assigned a skilled female bodyguard to serve as Xu Shiyue's head maid. Xu Shiyue, accompanied by a matron and four head maids, went to Xu Ziyun's place, carrying six boxes of clothing and ornaments, and two boxes of gifts for Xu Ziyun's family, making a lively and bustling journey. Xu Ziyun arranged for any missing maids and servants.
Every official family in the capital knew about this. A fourteen-year-old girl going to her aunt's side to learn household management was a great honor, especially since Xu Ziyun had maintained an excellent reputation over the years; a girl she taught was naturally someone to be trusted. Many families with eligible men, hoping to arrange a marriage between their daughters and the Regent, began to seriously consider the matter. A woman from an exceptional family, well-mannered and sensible, would be of great benefit to any family, making her the best choice.
Suddenly, many more families began probing Xu Zifan's intentions and inquiring about his future with Xu Ziyun. Xu Zifan and Xu Ziyun politely declined all their offers, subtly revealing their criteria for a son-in-law. Only then did the inquiries subside. Regardless of their true feelings, most families gave up, while a few remained hesitant, unwilling to make any promises. After all, loving Xu Shiyue for life without taking concubines was no easy feat. Even if the elders were willing for the sake of the Regent's power, they couldn't guarantee that the younger generation would be able to do so. What if they promised to marry her and then betrayed Xu Shiyue? Wouldn't the Regent wipe out their entire family?
Because of this incident, the Regent's reputation for doting on his daughter spread. For years, the rumors people heard about the Regent were all about how cold-blooded and ruthless he was. Suddenly learning that he loved his daughter so much and cared for her so much was like seeing the tender side of this tough guy, and people were no longer so afraid of him.
When Xu Zifan heard De'an talk about these rumors outside, he raised an eyebrow and smiled, then stroked his chin. "This is an unexpected surprise. Nobody likes a cold-blooded killer. Changing my image isn't bad."
De'an smiled like a Maitreya Buddha. "Your Highness is right. Who knows, in the future, outsiders might think of you as a kind father." He glanced outside and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, Xiangyun is still outside. She's been standing there for an hour."
"Has it been that long?" Xu Zifan looked at the storybook in his hand, turned a page, and casually said, "Which maid is clever enough to teach the maids how to make tea? I must say, the Empress Dowager's tea skills are quite good."
"The musician by Your Highness's side is quite skilled in tea ceremony. Why don't you let her learn it? Also, there's something else. Miss Yulan just came to deliver some red bean cakes she learned to make. She knew you were busy, so she didn't come in. However, after learning that you like the tea brewed by Xiangyun, Miss Yulan asked you a few more questions and seemed quite interested."
Xu Zifan was taken aback. "Yu Lan is interested? Then have Xiang Yun teach Yu Lan. You send someone to follow her. If she doesn't teach diligently or looks down on Yu Lan, give her a good talking-to and make her realize her place. After Yu Lan finishes learning, have Fu Qin learn as well."
"Yes, Your Highness. There is one more thing. An San has returned. Would Your Highness like to see him?"
"Go ahead and call her in." Xu Zifan put down his storybook and sat up straight. "I have something important for her to do."
An San was the spy he wanted to place next to Fu Yuhua. The secret guards were ranked according to their abilities. An San's combat strength was not very high, but she was very good at using the surrounding environment and people's hearts, using scheming, ambushes, assassinations, breaking through the enemy's defenses, and sending her to Fu Yuhua's side. Xu Zifan had a premonition that Fu Yuhua's power was in danger.