CHAPTER 695: CHAPTER 575

Consort Jiang set down the teacup, her tone carrying a hint of severity: "Is such an action not inappropriate?"

Lu Fengyin smiled faintly and said: "Where does Consort Jiang think it inappropriate? Ah, I forgot, since my Imperial Brother ascended the throne, Consort Jiang is now titled Princess Consort Hui."

What a master of sarcasm.

Consort Hu, who recently suffered several setbacks before Consort Jiang, was now pleased to see someone finally restrain her arrogance.

She sighed with deep meaning: "Princess Consort Hui, it’s not for me to say, but it’s one thing not to give face to me and the Empress. Fengyin has come back with great difficulty, yet you argue with her over an outsider. Fengyin grew up under our watch; do you hold an outsider above her in your heart?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Fengyin frowned slightly: "Is there such a thing?"

She looked at the Empress, "Sister-in-law, does a concubine dare to disrespect you?"

Consort Hu seized this chance, pretending to sigh: "And it’s not just her, there’s also Princess Consort Chen, who rose with the help of her son. Fengyin, you were not in the Imperial Palace, you don’t know how much grievance the Empress has suffered during these times!"

Consort Hu, being a secondary consort, didn’t care if she was aggrieved or not.

The Empress was different; she was the legitimate one and Consort Hu had grown up under her care, their bond was extraordinary.

Consort Hu could gauge Lu Fengyin’s attitude from the earlier conversation, so she didn’t lament her own grievances but earnestly defended the Empress.

Sure enough, Lu Fengyin’s expression turned even colder.

If she only disliked Yan Xiaojiu before, now she resented Princess Consort Hui as well.

The more Consort Jiang obstructed, the more determined she became to execute punishment.

"Are you all deaf? If you can’t hear my orders, then have your ears cut off!"

As soon as Lu Fengyin finished speaking, several strong eunuchs rushed in from outside the hall.

Though they were eunuchs, each was well-versed in martial arts, no less than the Imperial Guards.

The Empress whispered: "Fengyin, in my sister-in-law’s opinion, it should be let go."

Lu Fengyin held her hand: "Sister-in-law, are you afraid of dirtying your Kunning Palace?"

The Empress shook her head: "What are you saying? I have long regarded you as my own; isn’t my Kunning Palace also your bedroom? I am merely worried that spreading this incident out would cause rumors about you oppressing the Phoenix Girl in the public’s eyes."

Consort Hu chuckled: "How could that be, Your Majesty? The Eldest Princess is second only to one person, who in the populace would dare speak disrespectfully of her?"

Meng Qianqian watched as the Empress and Consort Hu sang in unison, fanning the flames, and shook her head quietly.

This is just too unsophisticated.

If Lu Fengyin could fall for this, she must have left her brains in her fiefdom.

Lu Fengyin earnestly said to the Empress: "Sister-in-law, I have military merit. Why would the people doubt me, a princess guarding the nation, over a Phoenix Girl with a false reputation?"

Meng Qianqian: Well, she really did leave her brains in her fiefdom.

Lu Fengyin’s accompanying eunuchs surrounded Meng Qianqian.

Meng Qianqian said unhurriedly: "Eldest Princess, I am a person of the Diligent Governance Hall. Are you sure you want to abuse your power against a common woman?"

Lu Fengyin frowned: "You claim to be my Imperial Brother’s person? How audacious! An added offense!"

The Empress and Consort Hu remained silent.

Consort Jiang sneered: "What should be said isn’t said, and what shouldn’t be said is said recklessly. Empress, do you not intend to tell the Eldest Princess that the Phoenix Girl was personally appointed by His Majesty to a seat at the Diligent Governance Hall?"

Consort Hu mocked: "What is there to say? It’s just because His Majesty got a little great-granddaughter and, for novelty, brought in a maidservant to play with her. She really takes herself for a lecturer!"

Lu Fengyin had heard of that much-beloved little one.

Sons and grandsons of Phoenix and Dragon, whose playmates are not children of great families?

What is there to be esteemed?

Lu Fengyin immediately commanded: "Take action!"

The six skilled eunuchs didn’t regard a weak woman highly. With a mere exchange of glances, the weakest in martial prowess stepped forward to seize Meng Qianqian first.

Yet unexpectedly, as soon as he reached out, he was kicked sideways by Meng Qianqian, caught off guard and sent flying.

Lu Fengyin was surprised, not anticipating that Meng Qianqian possessed such skills.

Suddenly recalling that Gongsun Yanming had warned her on the way back to the palace about the Phoenix Girl, saying this woman not only excelled in medicine but also knew some martial arts.

Having been on the battlefield as a Military General, she considered herself exceptional and thought other women’s skills were merely superficial.

Consort Hu muttered: "Can she really do martial arts?"

Gongsun Liuying had seen her spar with Elder Qiu and was certainly aware she was not weak in martial arts.

However, even she was surprised that Yan Xiaojiu’s martial skills had further advanced.

She was already the most gifted of her generation, yet Yan Xiaojiu... seemed even more talented.

Jealousy surged deeply within Gongsun Liuying.

"Didn’t you have your meals?"

With her people losing face, Lu Fengyin angrily rebuked them harshly.

The remaining five didn’t take Meng Qianqian seriously either, assuming it was due to the sixth one’s carelessness. Only after Meng Qianqian downed two more did they realize they had hit a hard barrier today.

Their martial skills were on par with the Imperial Guards’, yet this young girl managed to overthrow three within ten moves.

"Everyone attack!"

The leading eunuch ordered.

Three of them cornered Meng Qianqian from the left, right, and back.

Consort Jiang suddenly threw a cup forcefully: "Shameless!"

Consort Hu coldly remarked: "Princess Consort Hui! This is the Empress’s bedroom; you cannot be unruly!"

A eunuch, slapped by Meng Qianqian, happened to crash at Consort Jiang’s feet.

Without a second thought, Consort Jiang stomped on his head, rendering him unconscious!

Lu Fengyin asked icily: "Princess Consort Hui, do you intend to oppose me?"

Consort Jiang chuckled: "Intend? Don’t you see I am already opposing you?"

Lu Fengyin’s eyes flashed with cold light.

Another figure fell, and Meng Qianqian clapped her hands, "Eldest Princess, your people really can’t fight. They were defeated so quickly."

Lu Fengyin looked at her subordinates, who were leaning crookedly, having lost both face and substance, fuming with rage as if smoke was coming out of her head.

"Alright then, you dare to defy my orders relying on your identity as the Phoenix Girl, and heavily injure my guards. I will deal with you personally and see how capable you really are!"

"Sister-in-law, is my Divine Whip here?"

The Empress said, "I kept all your weapons for you, untouched."

Lu Fengyin instructed her personal maid, "Go fetch it!"

The female official beside the Empress looked at her, and the Empress nodded helplessly.

The female official led Lu Fengyin’s maid away.

When the Divine Whip was brought in, Consort Hu sneered, "Fengyin, she doesn’t deserve the Divine Whip. From today on, why not call it the Dog Beating Whip instead?"

Except for Consort Jiang’s female officer, all the palace maids and eunuchs in the room chuckled.

The whip’s handle was much longer, perfectly combining the stick and whip, requiring greater strength and exerting more power.

Meng Qianqian had seen the real Divine Whip at the Divine Woman Hall; the one in Lu Fengyin’s hand should be a replica. But if it struck the body, it would still cause some pain.

Lu Fengyin leapt and struck hard at Meng Qianqian with the whip.

Meng Qianqian didn’t move, staring coldly at the approaching whip.

"Is she scared stiff?"

Consort Hu asked.

Gongsun Liuying said, "Perhaps, mother consort."

The Eldest Princess making a move personally, if she dared to mess around any further, it wouldn’t just be about teaching a few eunuchs and guards a lesson.

If the Eldest Princess were injured, it would be impossible to escape the death penalty.

Fight back, Yan Xiaojiu, weren’t you brave?

Why have you turned into a coward now?

Gongsun Liuying’s eyes were like torches, reflecting the unmoving figure of Meng Qianqian in her pupils.

Just as the whip was about to hit Meng Qianqian.

Meng Qianqian suddenly dodged.

A bright yellow figure stepped into the Kunning Palace.

With a loud snap, Lu Fengyin’s whip landed on Emperor Liang.

Emperor Liang’s Dragon Robe split open on the spot, and a sharp pain surged through his left shoulder.

His eyebrows turned cold, and imperial might burst forth, suppressing the entire Kunning Palace.

Lu Fengyin’s color drastically changed, "Imperial Brother!"

Consort Hu covered her mouth, "Oh heavens!"

Gongsun Liuying clenched her fingers tight, a breath stuck in her chest, almost choking her to death.

The Empress’s eyes showed shock, and she quickly stood up, "Someone, quickly call the Imperial Physician!"

Only Consort Jiang regretted immensely that the strike missed.

How nice it would’ve been to hit his dog head.

The Empress, leading everyone, paid respects to Emperor Liang.

Emperor Liang sternly questioned Lu Fengyin, "What are you doing?"

Lu Fengyin looked at the Divine Whip in her hand, pointed angrily at Meng Qianqian, "Who told you to dodge?"

Meng Qianqian replied innocently, "The Eldest Princess wanted to hit me, I was scared, so I dodged."

Lu Fengyin said viciously, "You’re scared? You’re so bold, how can you be scared?"

Meng Qianqian pitifully edged closer to Emperor Liang.

Emperor Liang asked, "Why strike the Phoenix Girl?"

Lu Fengyin complained, "Imperial Brother, you didn’t see how arrogant she was! Not only was she disrespectful to me, but she also severely injured my guards. I was just giving her a small lesson—"

Consort Jiang laughed, "The disrespect the Eldest Princess refers to was when, after much insistence from you, she mentioned your overexertion in the bedroom. You became angry and ordered people to unjustly punish the Phoenix Girl, and the Phoenix Girl resisted, knocking down your guards?"

Lu Fengyin said coldly, "Consort Hui, shut up!"

Emperor Liang sternly said, "Consort Hui is your elder!"

The Empress tried to mediate, "Your Majesty, you are injured. Let the Phoenix Girl take a look at your injury first."

Emperor Liang’s gaze fell on the Empress’s dignified and graceful face, "Fengyin doesn’t understand palace rules, does the Empress not understand either? How is the Empress teaching Fengyin?"

The Empress hurriedly knelt, "I know my mistake."

Consort Hu quickly knelt with Gongsun Liuying.

Consort Jiang rolled her eyes but had to reluctantly follow and kneel.

At her age, kneeling back and forth, what a lot of nonsense!

Lu Fengyin angrily threw the whip in her hand.

Consort Jiang added fuel to the fire, telling her personal maid, "Dong’er, quickly store the Eldest Princess’s Dog Beating Whip carefully, and make sure it’s broken."

When Emperor Liang heard it was the Dog Beating Whip, he was furious, "What whip?"

Seeing her Imperial Brother truly angry, Lu Fengyin said timidly, "It’s the Divine Whip..."

Consort Jiang, eager for trouble, said, "Didn’t the name just change to Dog Beating Whip today?"

Consort Hu kept her head down, wishing she could find a hole to hide in.