After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 276 Feng Jie's Greed Leads to Schemes, Chu Yan Cleverly Takes in Feng Nu (Part 2)
Sister Feng stepped forward and said with a smile, "This is truly a miscarriage of justice. I meant well but ended up doing something wrong. Qin girl, you must give me justice."

Just as Baoqin was about to speak, Chu Yan said, "In the imperial court, one must be addressed by one's official title."

Everyone laughed, and Sister Feng quickly changed her tune, saying, "I'm bad at greeting people. Since Sister Qin has come to interrogate me on the Emperor's orders, then I'll call her Imperial Envoy Sister!"

"puff!"

Tan Chun and the others laughed so hard they bent over. Xiang Yun leaned on Bao Chai's shoulder and laughed. Li Wan also laughed and said, "It's really Feng Yatou who's so witty."

Daiyu quickly replied, "No wonder the old lady dotes on her. Throughout history, which woman has ever served as an imperial envoy? Only our Qin-mei sister has been able to become the emperor's imperial envoy sister!"

Everyone laughed again. Baoqin, who was sitting cross-legged, also threw herself into Chu Yan's arms and laughed for a while before getting up and suppressing her laughter. She then said seriously to Feng Jie, "Since I am the imperial envoy, I must interrogate you properly."

Everyone fell silent and just watched with smiles.

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Imperial Envoy, please ask whatever you wish, I will answer to the best of my knowledge!"

The woman's charm was fully revealed in that single word, "This servant is here." Sitting on the chair, Qin Keqing saw the emperor glance at Aunt Feng without making a sound.

Baoqin asked in a clear voice, "We all said that you went to the palace to supervise Xia Shouzhong's confiscation of property in order to make a fortune from it. I'm asking you, is that what you were thinking?"

Tan Chun understood immediately.

Actually, when they were talking just now, it was the emperor who said those words. Baoqin did not use the emperor to suppress her, leaving some room for Sister Feng.

Otherwise, if the emperor's judgment is stated, even if it's a joke, Sister Feng will have no choice but to accept it.

Sister Feng pointed two fingers to the sky and swore: "When I entered the palace to keep an eye on Xia Shouzhong, I was only thinking of our Daming Palace. Recently, the Third Miss told me to be careful with money. Coincidentally, I also heard that the Emperor wanted to confiscate Xia Shouzhong's property. I thought to myself, this eunuch who has lost his manhood is good at cheating and swindling. Who knows how much he might have skimmed off? So I rushed into the palace to ask them for the account books. After I came back, I went to see a play with Consort Li. I didn't take a single penny! I ask the Imperial Envoy to testify!"

Regardless of whether they had other intentions, they insisted that going to the palace to find Xia Shouzhong was to relieve the emperor's worries!
Everyone was watching as Daiyu and Tanchun whispered to each other.

Baoqin turned to look at Chu Yan, and seeing that he did not speak, she then said to Feng Jie, "Your loyalty is beyond question, but you have done something wrong. Do you admit it?"

Sister Feng asked, "What did I do wrong?"

Baoqin laughed and said, "His Majesty mentioned to Miss Lin's house that he wanted to confiscate her property, but he didn't assign the task to anyone. He only ordered Xia Shouzhong to do it. But you took it upon yourself to do it. Tell me, shouldn't you be punished?"

Sister Feng breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "In that case, the Emperor should punish me. It was my fault. I shouldn't have bothered with these things. It's alright if I earn less money."

Chu Yan chuckled and gestured for Baoqin to continue.

Baoqin had no choice but to say again, "You're wrong again."

Sister Feng listened to her with a smile.

Baoqin said, "Eunuchs are close advisors to the emperor. Although His Majesty is not afraid of them rebelling, he also does not want to exterminate them. Therefore, he ordered Xia Shouzhong to confiscate half of the property of the eunuchs in charge. As long as the money is handed over, His Majesty will turn a blind eye to the rest. If Sister Feng were to handle this matter, wouldn't it cause resentment among the eunuchs?"

Tan Chun couldn't help but glance at Bao Chai. When the late emperor issued the order to search the Jia family, he didn't send anyone. He only designated Bao Chai to be in charge, which was to save face for them.

Sister Feng sighed, "I was wrong. I will accept whatever punishment the Emperor gives me!"

Qin Keqing then said softly with a smile, "Although Auntie is a bit strict in managing the household, she doesn't force them too much. Besides, the money is handed over to be used by the concubines in the palace, and His Majesty is also troubled by this. I think even if the eunuchs have complaints, they wouldn't dare to say much, let alone cause trouble. After all, in this world, no servant lives more comfortably than their master."

Sister Feng smiled to herself. Ke Qing understood her and spoke up for her. She hadn't been kind to her for nothing!
Baoqin nodded and said, "Sister Feng has been managing the household for five or six years, and everyone admires her. In my opinion, it would be good for Sister Feng to go and supervise." She looked at her husband.

Seeing that they were all silent, Chu Yan said, "Continue the interrogation and find out all the mistakes she made."

Everyone was somewhat taken aback. The Emperor was still so insistent on this point.

Even someone as obtuse as Yingchun could see that Sister Feng had probably served the Emperor and would one day become a concubine in the palace, just like them.

At this moment, Feng Jie, who was being looked at by the girls, truly felt the shame of being interrogated. Her face flushed red, and she forced a smile, saying, "Your Majesty, I wonder where I have gone wrong?"

Chu Yan didn't reply to her, but instead gestured for Baoqin to come over.

Baoqin thought for a while but couldn't figure out how to interrogate her, so she had no choice but to apologize.

Chu Yan looked at them and smiled, "Who among you will interrogate her?"

The people in the room couldn't think of anything else to investigate. Even if Sister Feng had made some mistakes, they were minor matters. Just now, they had even investigated matters without the emperor's consent.

Chu Yan said, "If you don't speak, I will personally interrogate her later, and it won't be a simple matter of letting her go."

"!"

Fengjie's heart began to pound with apprehension, and she started to regret causing this trouble for the sake of earning a few tens of thousands of taels of silver—she had seen Dai Quan's wealth, which amounted to at least a million taels, and he owned more than a dozen houses and shops in the capital alone.

Qin Keqing laughed and said, "I really can't think of any other mistakes Auntie has made."

Li Wan also laughed and said, "I can't tell either. The trial that should have been conducted has been conducted. Feng'er meant well but did something wrong."

Chu Yan looked at the others, "Yun'er?"

Xiangyun shook her head, saying she didn't know how to conduct the interrogation either.

"Xichun!" Chu Yan called her name directly, and little Xichun shook her head.

"Perhaps there is another mistake."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was Lin Daiyu.

She smiled at Sister Feng and said, "Sister Feng and Sister Ping'er entered the palace to supervise the eunuchs in confiscating property, but there are no other concubines in the palace, nor are there any of the people we brought. It's all the eunuchs and maids in the palace. Isn't this just putting ourselves in a trap?"

Sister Feng hurriedly said, "What is this? Do you think the eunuchs and palace maids are so audacious as to dare to harm me and Ping'er? I can let it go, but Ping'er was personally appointed as a Noble Lady by the Emperor. If they dare to defy His Majesty, His Majesty will surely chop off their heads!"

She didn't believe that eunuchs would rebel, but Baochai, Baoqin, and Qin Keqing seemed to be deep in thought.

Xi Chun also thought of the previous times: first, when the Yellow River flooded, the Emperor wore inner armor before leaving the garden; second, when he appointed Sister Lin to take charge of the Imperial Guards, although nothing happened afterward.

Chu Yan said, “You can get away with it a hundred times, but if there’s even one time when a eunuch has murderous intent, he can lure you to a secluded place and strangle you. At that point, no amount of talk about Your Majesty, Your Highness, or your servants will matter.”

Fengjie finally came to her senses and realized that he was concerned about her. So she glared at him and then smiled and said, "Yes, I was wrong. Your Majesty has led troops in battle for many years and has encountered more dangers than the people we have cursed. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

Li Wan spat at her, saying, "Only you, the fiery Feng, like to scold the servants. We young ladies don't do that."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Who's the young lady? How many other young ladies are here?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangyun, Qinghe, and Li Wan blushed, while Daiyu, Tanchun, and Baoqin became anxious and grabbed her, intending to punish her. Fengjie quickly begged for mercy: "Good sisters, I made a mistake again. You are all young women!"

"Still being so sharp-tongued, Sister Qin, let's tear that mouth of hers apart!" Daiyu said with a smile. The three of them went up again, and Fengjie quickly dodged away with a smile.

After they finished making a scene, Chu Yan beckoned to Feng Jie: "Feng Nu, come here. I'm going to punish you personally, so you won't forget your lesson!"

Once again, in front of everyone, he called her Feng Nu. Li Wan and Qin Keqing both knew what those two words meant, but Xiang Yun finally couldn't help but ask, "What is the Emperor calling you? Feng Nu? Could it be another nickname for Sister Feng?"

Wang Xifeng's nickname was Feng-ge'er, but they had never heard of her nickname Feng-nu. Upon hearing this, Feng-jie blushed, while Ke-qing was still grinning mischievously at her!
Chu Yan laughed and said, "Feng Nu is my nickname for her. Feng Nu, come here!"

Fengjie blushed with embarrassment and anger, but she also felt a sense of shame as she had felt months ago by the spring pool when the dog emperor had ravished her in front of her sister-in-law, Keqing, and her sister-in-law.

She felt hot all over and unconsciously walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). Chu Yan grabbed her and made her kneel on the kang, pressing half of her body against him.

With many people watching, including Daiyu and several other unmarried women, Wang Xifeng snapped out of her daze and quickly blushed, saying with a smile, "Your Majesty can punish me as you please, but why resort to underhanded tactics..."

Although it was no longer a secret, the fact that she had served the emperor was still not officially made public, unlike Li Wan, who was openly summoned by the emperor to serve him in bed.

If the emperor had issued an edict ordering her to serve him in bed, she would not have said those words.

Chu Yan said sternly, "Feng Nu dares to talk back. With two crimes combined, she should be severely punished."

Having said that, he unbuttoned her gold plum blossom collared shirt, then lifted her flower-patterned horse-face skirt, intending to take off her inner trousers to reveal her white, round breasts before hitting her.

The concubines and young ladies inside the room were terrified. Daiyu turned her back to him, refusing to watch such a foolish scene. Xiangyun, Qinghe, Baoqin, and others also came to dissuade him. Only then did Chu Yan give up. He raised his hand and slapped Fengnu's buttocks, which were covered by trousers, hard.

"Snapped."

The sound of meat hitting the ground was crisp and clear.

That dog emperor!!!
Sister Feng cried out in her heart, broke free as if she had been electrocuted, and quickly put on her clothes and skirt. Her face was already flushed, yet it had a rosy glow.

Upon seeing this, Qin Keqing's heart stirred with desire, and she glanced at the Emperor with alluring eyes.

Tonight, she's going to sleep with her aunt!

The room fell silent for a moment, everyone embarrassed and unable to speak. They knew beforehand that this was the usual punishment for concubines in the harem when they made mistakes.

Tan Chun had done the same thing before; when she did something wrong, she would take the initiative to run into the Emperor's arms and be teased by him several times.

Daiyu turned her head, glanced at him, blushed and smiled, "Good sister-in-law, now that you know how domineering the emperor is, will you dare to do it again next time?"

Sister Feng calmed down a bit and said, "I wouldn't dare to do it again."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "Alright, since you've already accepted the task, then you can do it. Tell them to confiscate all the property of the retired eunuchs and nannies, keep them in the palace, give them two servants, and allow them to live out their old age in peace. If you do this well, I will reward you with a thousand taels of silver."

Only one thousand taels!!
Sister Feng complained bitterly. She had originally wanted to make tens of thousands of yuan, but if she had known it would only be a thousand, she would never have gotten involved.

However, this dog emperor, though seemingly indifferent, knows that some of the eunuchs have lost power and are keeping their wealth in mind. If Xia Shouzhong and the others try to conceal this, they will inevitably be punished in the future!
Chu Yan then said, "Qinghe, you are familiar with the palace and know about all kinds of tributes. I imagine the eunuchs have quite a lot at home. Go and Fengnu go and count the things that have been confiscated. The things in the palace are still kept in the palace."

The rest of the belongings—house deeds, land, jewelry, etc.—were either kept or some were sold. The wives, concubines, and servants of the eunuchs were settled; if they wanted to leave, they were released and allowed to remarry or be taken away by their families.

Eunuchs in the capital not only had mansions, but also wives, concubines, and servants.

Seeing Feng Nu's expression, Chu Yan smiled and said, "Alright, Feng Nu and Tan Chun should sell the eunuchs' belongings outside, except for some good ones that can be kept for now, and the money should be deposited into the Da Guan Palace's account."

Fengjie was overjoyed and quickly agreed. Qinghe and Tanchun also stood up to bow and receive the imperial decree.

They decide what's good, what's inferior, and who to sell it to, and they make a lot of money off of it.

Chu Yan asked with a smile, "Any further objections? Just say it."

Seeing that no one spoke, Daiyu smiled and said, "His Majesty even considers the wives and concubines of eunuchs, which shows that he already knows what's going on."

Li Wan also laughed and said, "His Majesty is kind-hearted. We never expected that eunuchs would take wives and concubines."

Sister Feng laughed: "Since you don't manage the household, you naturally don't know much about what's happening outside. Those eunuchs are humble and subservient in the palace, but when they come to us—in front of the dukes and marquises outside—they just keep asking for money. Taking wives and concubines is nothing. I heard that there was a eunuch named Zhou who spent 100,000 taels of silver to bring the entire opera troupe back to his home because there was a famous female opera singer in the city who was sought after by princes and dukes."

Daiyu, Xiangyun, and the others listened to it as just a story, and Li Wan nodded and said, "Such a thing actually happened, which shows how decadent the previous dynasty was."

Chu Yan said, "You said that Gong Cai doesn't manage the household affairs, so why don't we let her manage them for once?"

Li Wan was startled upon hearing this and quickly declined.

Sister Feng laughed and said, "I couldn't be happier. With the Third Miss in the mansion right now, I can finally rest. When the Third Miss isn't here, all the affairs of both mansions fall on my shoulders, and I can't even find anyone to complain to."

Li Wan laughed and said, "Forget it, I don't care about the household. I'm also someone who entered the palace. After winter, I'll be going to the palace with His Majesty again. What do I have to care about the household?"

Tan Chun nodded and said, "Even I don't really care. The Minister of the Grand View Palace should be Sister Feng."

Fengjie's heart stirred. It would be a lie to say she didn't want to be the Minister, but to ask for it herself, especially since it was from her sister-in-law, would be too embarrassing for her. Even if the Emperor offered it to her, she would still have to decline.

"Let's leave it at that for now."

Chu Yan didn't respond to that, but smiled at her and said, "Feng Nu, come here."

Upon hearing the familiar words, everyone in the room smiled and looked on.

Fengjie rarely visited Yangxintang and had never seen it before. When she reached the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) and was pulled into the emperor's arms, she realized that something terrible was about to happen.

The dog emperor fondled her waist, abdomen, and arms a few times, then lowered his head to kiss her face and lips.

Sister Feng's soul has been utterly annihilated!

This is happening right in front of the girls...

After a while, Chu Yan exclaimed, "Good Feng Nu, so beautiful and charming. You may go back now. Tonight, I will issue an imperial decree to favor you."

Even though Sister Feng was usually shrewd and powerful, she blushed with embarrassment when she heard the man say "I have decreed to favor you".

The room was quiet for a moment.

Ping'er smiled and said, "Congratulations, Grandma!"

Everyone in the room burst into laughter, and Qin Keqing laughed so hard she clutched her stomach, jokingly saying, "Congratulations, Auntie!"

Sister Feng blushed and said, "You're all just trying to bully me!"

Chu Yan looked at Ping'er and said with a smile, "I was originally going to punish you, but never mind."

Ping'er was startled and hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty...?"

Chu Yan waved his hand: "Go back and think about what mistake you made. If you can't figure it out, I'll tell you later."

Ping'er had no choice but to get up and apologize, guessing that she was also at fault because she had entered the palace with Feng Jie.

Fortunately, the Emperor did not pursue the matter. He would ask her about it again when it was her turn to serve the Emperor in bed.

(End of this chapter)