IBTBTED Chapter 4

It’s Better to be the Empress Dowager

Chapter 4    Jing Wang’s Mansion

Tang Shishi was stunned for a while. She thought he was the male lead, but in the end, he was the male lead’s father? In other words, she just exposed the male lead’s hiding place in front of everyone. Now everyone knew that when the male lead saw his father, he was scared like a cat that had seen a tiger, and ran away miserably?

Oh, my goodness!

Tang Shishi was at a loss in disbelief. Why was the male lead’s father so young and handsome? Why did the male lead’s father look more formidable than the male lead? Moreover, the book clearly stated that “The first encounter between Shizi and a delicate beauty on a frightening night, they slowly fell in love.” When Tang Shishi saw the title, her first reaction was that Shizi had led people to chase the fugitive, and the female lead presented a meritorious service, which aroused Shizi’s admiration.

Tang Shishi was shocked, just now she was laughing at Zhou Shunhua’s stupidity. With an assassin of unknown origin hiding in Zhou Shunhua’s room, she did not rush to find help and even covered up for the assassin. The assassin was a man on one hand and a fugitive on the other, it was a no-brainer to help him.

So, was this the reason Zhou Shunhua was the protagonist, and she was the supporting character? Tang Shishi thought numbly, she reported Shizi in front of everyone and caused him to run away in embarrassment. In the future, would Tang Shishi still have a chance to get any favor from Shizi?

She did not dare to think about it, just stood in the shadows and remained silent for a long time. Feng Momo finished the rest of the arrangements. When she turned her head to see Tang Shishi still standing in a daze, she berated her, “Why do you look stupefied? Still don’t want to go back to the room.”

Tang Shishi bowed and responded in a low voice, “Yes.”

Tang Shishi followed Sulan Gugu to Feng Momo’s room and was sullen all the way, with no more enthusiasm as before. Sulan thought Tang Shishi was frightened, after entering the room, she said to Tang Shishi, “You don’t have to be afraid. You were originally sent to serve Jing Wang… Today you showed your face in front of Jing Wang, maybe that’s a good thing. “

Tang Shishi smiled stiffly, and reluctantly said, “Yes.”

If Tang Shishi’s goal was Jing Wang, even though it was embarrassing today, there may be an opportunity to redeem oneself. However, the man she wanted to fight for was Shizi.

Which man would still have a good impression of the whistleblower after causing him trouble and fleeing in embarrassment? It turned out that the real storyline was not that Zhou Shunhua reported a meritorious deed, on the contrary, it was covering for the assassin. Zhou Shunhua used her identity as a woman to cover the assassin. After the soldiers left, Shizi supposedly jumped off the beam and praised the witty and courageous woman. Later, the two met again in the Jing Wang mansion. Shizi recognized Zhou Shunhua and doted on her more, it was as expected.

Tang Shishi covered her eyes and felt desperate. It turned out that she was really a vicious female supporting character. Learning the plot did not help her to turn the tide or succeed in concealment, however, it made her look even more vicious.

Sulan saw that Tang Shishi could not lift up her spirit, so she did not say much, and left quietly. Tang Shishi held her bag and sat there for a while, regaining her spirit.

It was a matter of her own effort, just think optimistic and there will be ample time in the future. At least Tang Shishi had made a name in front of the male lead anyway, whether it was good or bad, as compared to other beauties with unknown faces was still better. As for the harem’s backyard, lack of reputation was more to be dreaded than having a bad reputation.

It was better to be hated than to be forgotten. Tang Shishi mustered her courage again. After all, she was holding the plot development in her hand, Tang Shishi could not imagine that she could guess wrong once and guess wrong again and again thereafter.

At this time, there was a noise coming from the door, and Feng Momo came back. Tang Shishi immediately stood up submissively and paid respect to Feng Momo, “Greetings, Momo.”

Feng Momo was wearing a heavy overcoat, Tang Shishi had very good eyesight, she stepped forward to serve Feng Momo to take off her overcoat and put on a light cozy robe. Then Feng Momo sat on the couch, Tang Shishi took a beauty hammer* from the side and gently knocked her leg on her.

(beauty hammer* – a small hammer that is used for massage)

Feng Momo still had a rigid serious face, but she sighed comfortably in her heart. She had experienced many ups and downs in the deep palace for her whole life. Although outsiders respectfully call her Feng Momo, she was still serving people in the end. Feng Momo had been serving people for so many years and had accumulated a lot of health problems. One of them was joint pain during rainy days.

It had been raining recently and Feng Momo had been on the road all day. Plus, she was standing outside earlier for so long, and her legs had long been overdue.

Tang Shishi’s abilities to calculate and scheme were all easily seen, but she had to admit that Tang Shishi was quick to react, able to speak appropriately, and willing to humble herself. Empress Dowager Yao and Feng Momo knew that Tang Shishi was very ambitious, but they still chose to promote Tang Shishi and offered her as the leader of the beauty entourage.

Tang Shishi was undoubtedly much easier to control compared to Zhou Shunhua, who was more arrogant and lofty. Empress Dowager Yao would not be at ease if the person was swapped to Zhou Shunhua, only a person like Tang Shishi was able to go through at a glance, and the Empress Dowager could safely cast her at the Jing Wang mansion.

Just take today as an example, Tang Shishi’s matter of overstepping her boundary, if it were to be replaced by someone else, Feng Momo would definitely be suspicious of their motive. But this person was Tang Shishi, Feng Momo felt that everything was under control, and she could even guess what Tang Shishi was thinking at that time.

Feng Momo asked slowly, “Tonight, why did you take your own initiative to talk to Jing Wang?”

Tang Shishi knew that this was her biggest crisis, and it was also her biggest opportunity. As long as she passed this hurdle, Feng Momo and Empress Dowager Yao would truly trust her and give her the power to monitor the Jing Wang mansion. Tang Shishi was not afraid of death herself, but she could not help but worry about her mother who was far away in Linqing.

Tang Shishi lowered her head, revealing a slender fair neck, showing an appropriate meekness and fear, “Momo forgive me. I mistakenly thought that the man who led the troops was Shizi, and I wanted to gain meritorious deeds in front of Shizi, so I acted rashly. I didn’t think that……”

The flattery hit the horse’s leg and ran into the Shizi’s father, Jing Wang.

(T/N: TSS flatter the wrong person… :o)

It was as same as Feng Momo expected. Feng Momo was calm and had everything under control, such a beautiful, sharp, and ambitious but not very clever woman was very suitable to be controlled. The most important aspect of a qualified chess piece was to let the upper player use it at ease.

Feng Momo said unhurriedly, “Get up. You made a big mistake today, but since this was your first delinquent, I’ll forgive you this time.”

Tang Shishi lowered her head and said, “Thank you, Momo.” Then she stood up slowly, still bowing her head to serve on the side, and didn’t dare to look around. Tang Shishi knew that her assessment had not passed yet.

Feng Momo asked, “Do you know where you were wrong?”

Tang Shishi said in a low voice, “I shouldn’t disobey Momo’s teaching and rushed out hastily.”

Feng Momo smiled and shook her head, “It’s not that. You are not the same as this old lady. This old lady serves the master for life, and you, nominally a court lady, are in fact the master.”

Tang Shishi lifted her skirt and knelt down, “This little girl dare not.”

Feng Momo looked down for a while, held Tang Shishi’s arm, and said, “Get up. After entering the fief of Jing Wang, your identity will be different, in the future, you don’t have to kneel to anyone except to Jing Wang. After a few years, maybe this old lady will also have to bow to you.”

Tang Shishi understood that this was a lure, and if she really complied, everything would be over. Tang Shishi refused to get up, and said with some trepidation, “Momo, what are you talking about? This little girl dares not have such thinking…”

Tang Shishi seemed to be so terrified that she could not even speak her words. Feng Momo knew she had never seen the world before and was already this frightened. Thus, Feng Momo was extremely satisfied with Tang Shishi in her heart.

Feng Momo put her hand down, took a cup of tea and took two sips, put it on the table, and said, “Okay, get up now. I’m just reminding you, not trying to do anything to you, why are you scared like this.”

Tang Shishi quietly breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up with a panic-stricken face. Feng Momo’s tone was much gentler and said the main point, “Today your idea was good, but it was too obvious. In the deep palace, if you fight too hard for a favor, you will fall behind easily, you will need to retreat to advance later, and not leave any traces behind. Do you understand?”

After Feng Momo finished speaking, she paused and said, “However, you may hit a jackpot today due to your mistake. Jing Wang is not an easy-going person. In these years, no woman can get close to him. But he asked for your name when he was leaving today.”

Tang Shishi wanted to cry without tears, what kind of favor was this, Jing Wang asked the name surely not to remember who she was, but to wait till she entered the mansion to kill her? The most important thing was that her goal was not Jing Wang, rather it was Shizi.

To curry favor with Jing Wang, but offended Shizi. When the male lead ascended the throne in the future, was not it the same as a dead-end for her?

Tang Shishi felt bitter, but she could not say it. She grinned reluctantly and inquired lightly, “Momo, on the way here, I heard that Jing Wang is a prominent talent from a young age, and I thought Shizi was an excellent young man, then why does Jing Wang…“ also look so young?

Tang Shishi truly felt that she was wronged, as long as a middle-aged man with a big belly and profound vicissitudes of life came today, Tang Shishi would not admit her setback. However, that man had a tall and straight form, sturdy and lean, young and handsome. Who could believe that he already had a son of sixteen or seventeen years old?

Feng Momo sneered and said, “What Shizi, he is merely just an adopted son. He is not a descendant of the Zhao family.”

Tang Shishi widened her eyes in surprise and waited for Feng Momo to continue talking. However, Feng Momo raised her lips and refused to talk any further. Instead, she shifted the conversation to talk about Jing Wang, “You wanted to curry favor with His Highness even before you enter the mansion, you have good thinking, but you can’t be too obvious. This Jing Wang is enigmatic and unfathomable, even the Empress Dowager can’t tell what he thinks.”

Feng Momo said with a little emotion on her face, “He has been at the border since he was fourteen and has not been back to the capital for ten years. When he left the palace that year, Jing Wang was no more than a frail and fragile boy. Unexpectedly, after ten years, he became like this.”

Feng Momo was an old lady who served Empress Dowager Yao and knew many secrets of the imperial palace. When Emperor Shizong passed away, Jing Wang and a troop of soldiers were sent to the border, and Feng Momo witnessed it all. In a blink of an eye, after Emperor Xiaozong died many years later, the sick and pale boy became a formidable prince.

Jing Wang was sent to the border when he was fourteen years old. He was still ill at that time, and everyone in the palace, including Empress Dowager Yao, thought that he could not survive. Who could foresee that Jing Wang was the one who lived the longest instead?

Feng Momo sighed endlessly, and Tang Shishi extracted a lot of information about Jing Wang from just a few words.

Jing Wang was sent to the border when he was fourteen years old, and Feng Momo lamented that she had not seen him in ten years. In other words, Jing Wang was now twenty-four years old. This age was not too old, he could also be considered at his prime, no wonder Tang Shishi made a mistake. According to the rules left over from the founding of the country, all princes would have to go to the border state to guard the frontiers when they reached adulthood and were not allowed to stay in the capital.

Listening to Feng Momo’s insinuation and as well as today’s meeting between Jing Wang and Feng Momo, perhaps Jing Wang was sent to the border at that time due to his many tricks, perchance one of them was the handwriting of Empress Dowager Yao.

Tang Shishi groaned deeply thinking of her future, there was hatred between Jing Wang and Empress Dowager, and Tang Shishi severely offended Shizi before entering the mansion. She was afraid that her life in Jing Wang’s mansion would not be easy in the future.

Tang Shishi asked with concern, “Feng Momo, I still don’t know what Jing Wang’s name is.”

Feng Momo dipped her finger in the tea and wrote a word on the table, “Taboo Jun.”

Tang Shishi knew that the surname of the current country was Zhao, Jing Wang and Emperor Xiaozong were descendants of the same generation, and he named Jun.

It turned out that his name was Zhao Chengjun.

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