Chapter Six: The Immaculate Little Angel

"Since the Empress is too busy with the inner palace affairs to look after the Tenth Prince, let Consort Xiao and Consort Shu share the burden for you."

As expected, Feng Yu immediately stripped away the power Jiang Daiyin held.

"Yes." Jiang Daiyin accepted the decree respectfully, without arguing, fighting, or making a fuss.

Deep down, she was overjoyed, and the corners of her mouth were harder to suppress than a smile at a funeral. This was perfect! Now she could focus entirely on tutoring the Tenth Prince! She didn't want to get involved in the palace intrigues; she just wanted to be a salted-fish Empress, lying low and doing nothing.

Feng Yu felt a bit strange; why had the Empress become so docile? In the past, she certainly would have argued her case, and she would never have been willing to give up her power. However, he only felt puzzled for a moment before leaving the Fengyi Palace.

After ascending to the throne, he realized that the complex and redundant state affairs weighed on him like a boulder. As for romance, he was truly spread too thin and had no energy to spare for such matters. Perhaps he was not a good husband or a good father, but he was certainly a good emperor.

Once Feng Yu left, Jiang Daiyin let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Wuchen."

Feng Wuchen had been in a state of anxiety, bracing himself for a storm of insults and beatings. Suddenly, Jiang Daiyin's words of thanks left him momentarily at a loss. He looked at her in shock, unable to believe his ears.

"Thanks to the Tenth Prince for speaking up for us, otherwise..." Chunyu also felt as if they had narrowly escaped a disaster.

"Exactly. Let's see if you dare treat the Tenth Prince like that again."

"Your Majesty..." Chunyu raised her head cautiously, but her words trailed off.

Jiang Daiyin blushed. It seemed she was the one who had been the cruelest of all.

"Ahem, in any case, all that is in the past. Such things will absolutely never happen again!" Jiang Daiyin promised, patting her chest.

The Empress really seemed to have changed. Feng Wuchen’s heart was filled with complex emotions, and he remained silent. However, Jiang Daiyin heard the system broadcast:

【Feng Wuchen’s favorability +1】

Who said this child was difficult? He was so warm; he was simply a little angel. Jiang Daiyin’s eyes lit up.

"Reporting to the Empress, the Emperor says that since this palace maid belongs to Fengyi Palace, it is only right that you handle her yourself."

Fu Linhai walked in with his entourage. Jiang Daiyin’s smile faded as she looked at the person brought in.

"Qiutong? You..." Xia Mo said in disbelief.

Fu Linhai gave a cold snort. "This little maid actually spread rumors and slandered the Empress. Your Majesty, you must not let her go!"

Qiutong looked panicked. She knew that if she fell into the Empress's hands, she would meet a miserable end. She knelt on the ground in terror, begging for mercy.

"Grand Eunuch Fu, please beg the Emperor for me! Everything I said was the truth!"

"The Empress hits and scolds the Tenth Prince, and I just couldn't stand it anymore... Please, save me!"

Jiang Daiyin realized that she had been the one to report her to the Emperor. This Qiutong was her own senior maid; how could she do something so stupid?

Fu Linhai raised an eyebrow. "Bold! The Emperor has decreed that you are to be dealt with by the Empress." He turned to her. "Your Majesty, since the person has been delivered, I shall return to report to the Emperor." With that, he kicked Qiutong aside.

"Chunyu, see Grand Eunuch Fu out."

"Yes." Chunyu understood and followed him out, clutching a large silk pouch.

"Tenth Prince, please, save me..." It was clear Qiutong was truly at the end of her rope, as she was now begging Feng Wuchen.

A look of pity appeared on Feng Wuchen’s young face. When he was on the verge of death, this sister had saved him. Moreover, she had gone to the Emperor for his sake; she had almost caused the Empress to suffer, and the Empress would surely not spare her.

"Empress, please, spare her this once!" Feng Wuchen struggled with himself before finally making the request. He could not bring himself to turn a blind eye.

Hearing this, Jiang Daiyin dismissed the others. She said coldly, "Qiutong, considering that you did this for the Tenth Prince, I will spare you this time."

"From now on, you will work in the outer courtyard doing cleaning duties."

Qiutong could not believe her ears—the Empress was actually letting her go! How was this possible? But she didn't dare hesitate and immediately knelt to express her gratitude.

"This servant thanks Your Majesty for your mercy!"

"This son thanks the Empress for her kindness." Feng Wuchen was also stunned; he hadn't expected Jiang Daiyin to be so reasonable.

Jiang Daiyin knew that someone who could stab her in the back at any moment was a landmine, but it wasn't the right time to deal with her yet. She would wait and see if she caused any more trouble.

Jiang Daiyin found herself liking Feng Wuchen more and more, to the point where she felt a twinge of regret. If Feng Yu weren't such a legendary, wise emperor, she would have truly considered staging a coup to take the throne herself.

"Wuchen, how have your studies been lately? If there is anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me. Don't be shy." Her inner teacher mode had been activated.

"Uh, Your Majesty, the Tenth Prince hasn't even begun his formal education yet!" Chunyu clarified for him. She looked embarrassed as she spoke.

Jiang Daiyin understood in an instant. She stared with dead eyes, wanting to scream at the sky. The previous Empress was truly a disaster!

"Whatever we lack, we cannot lack in a child's education. Next year, Wuchen is to go to the Imperial Academy. Chunyu, go find some books for the prince's enlightenment."

Fortunately, children in this ancient era were precocious and well-behaved. If they were modern-day brats, she wouldn't have taken on the job.

"Your Majesty, you intend to tutor the Tenth Prince yourself?" Chunyu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The Empress had always said that even if the Tenth Prince were educated, he wasn't her own flesh and blood, and they would always be at odds. It would be better to let him grow up a failure than to have him turn against her once he gained power. How was it that she was now teaching him herself?

"That is natural. And who was taking care of the Tenth Prince before?"

"Your Majesty, there was no one specifically looking after him. You only assigned a coarse servant woman to watch over him."

Jiang Daiyin frowned. She needed to replace those people with reliable ones. Since there were none, that made things easier.

"From now on, let Dongqing serve the Tenth Prince personally."

"Yes."

A round-faced little maid who had been standing silently to the side stepped forward. Dongqing had a steady and honest personality; she had often tried to advise the former Empress to be kinder to the Tenth Prince, which had led to her being disliked and forbidden from serving him closely.

Seeing the Empress now "awake" and clear-headed, Dongqing couldn't have been happier. The four of them had entered the palace with the Empress; her parents knew the Empress's temper and had sent her to provide counsel. But the Empress had never listened. Chunyu and Xia Mo were foolish, simply following whatever the mistress did. Seeing things go wrong, she had secretly sent a letter to the master of the house, but it seemed to have been an unnecessary precaution now.

Dongqing hesitated for a moment before kneeling. "Your Majesty, I have committed a fault. Please punish me!"

"What fault have you committed?" Jiang Daiyin looked earnestly at the maid who had grown up with the original owner of her body.

"I acted on my own initiative and sent a letter to my master and mistress."