# Chapter 105
Qi Xiao had been prepared with all his wits about him to deal with the Feng family, but the two most sensible people in the Feng residence had gone on strike. Qi Xiao felt somewhat遗憾—not at all. The more passionately they courted their own destruction, the better he could turn their momentum against them. Now that the Empress Dowager's father and brother had resigned themselves to their fate, Qi Xiao found it a great pity.
"Afterward, Empress Feng kept the Second Prince in the palace, talking until late into the night." Jiang Deqing低声禀报着探子传来的消息，想了想道，"殿下……冯老太爷还有几分脑子，要不要干脆同他挑明了说，让他劝阻皇后？"
"No." Qi Xiao cut Jiang Deqing off, a mocking smile on his face. "I'd rather like to see how Empress Feng plans to deal with me. Besides... before the coronation, I must get rid of her. If she doesn't make trouble, I'll be the one with a headache."
Jiang Deqing understood. Qi Xiao hated the Emperor and Empress to the bone—how could he possibly let Empress Feng calmly become Empress Dowager? That would顺了他们的心思, and would also埋下隐患 for Qi Xiao's reign. That would得不偿失.
Jiang Deqing still had some concerns.低声道："俗语说光脚的不怕穿鞋的，话粗理不粗，万一皇后拼了，真做出什么对殿下不利的事儿来……"
Qi Xiao轻笑："那就看她本事吧。"
Seeing that Jiang Deqing was still worried, Qi Xiao gave him a reassuring smile. "公公别忘了……宫里还有咱们的一枚棋子呢。"
Jiang Deqing suddenly thought of Noble Consort Xue, slapping his palm and laughing. "是是，老奴糊涂了。"
Qi Xiao slowly said, "不过也不可大意，虽说薛贵妃看上去是没有二心了，但她也是有儿子有娘家的人，不可全然放心，咱们自己这边也得盯紧些，最后关头了，万万不可出什么岔子。"
Jiang Deqing nodded. "殿下放心。"
Just as they were speaking, there was a sound from the inner room. Qi Xiao's lips curved into a gentle smile, completely stunning Jiang Deqing. Qi Xiao turned and entered the inner chamber. Jiang Deqing dared not follow, but afraid Qi Xiao might have more instructions, he waited standing outside. Bai Ren slept in the innermost alcove, separated from the outside by two rooms and three screens. Jiang Deqing couldn't see what was happening inside at all—he only heard Bai Ren murmuring something, and then his master softly and lovingly coaxing him with a smile. Jiang Deqing found it amusing. This was exactly like Emperor Wu—fierce as a demon outside, but the moment he was with his beloved, his steel-like will instantly softened into something tender.
The exhaustion from days of travel combined with last night's indulgence left Bai Ren aching all over. He couldn't help but whine to Qi Xiao, "My waist hurts, and my thighs hurt too……"
Qi Xiao slipped his hand beneath the blanket and gently massaged Bai Ren,低声哄道，"已经让人给你熬好汤药了，一会儿倒进汤池里，再多多的放些红花，多泡一会儿就不累了。"
Bai Ren nodded while lying across Qi Xiao's lap, then小声问，"方才你是跟江公公说话了吗？说什么呢？"
Qi Xiao paused, then smiled. "刚才公公听说了一些康泰的新鲜事——"
Jiang Deqing understood and entered through the screen to bow to Bai Ren,笑着说，"回王爷话，早起听人说李大人府里的热闹，老奴觉得有意思，就跟殿下说了说。"
Bai Ren愣了一下才想起来李府就是康泰的夫家，失笑道，"康泰又惹什么事了不成？"
Jiang Deqing笑了笑说，"二小姐当真是个能干的呢。来京后先是去了京中的岭南王府，因去年那场大火之后那边的府邸一直没修缮，看房子的老管事以此为由将二小姐打发了，二小姐轿子也没下，又直接转道去了贺府，想从贺府发嫁，之后让柔嘉郡主呵斥了一番后无法，只得老老实实的自己去李府了。"
Jiang Deqing语带嘲讽，摇头笑道，"说起来也是二小姐有些拿大了，人家李府太太本好心派人去城外接她的，可惜她不理会人家，还想着跟正头娘子一样的嫁人，可惜在城中绕了一圈无果，最后灰溜溜的去李府了。好在李府太太一心要用她辖制二儿媳颜氏，也没说什么，依旧好生操持，给她布置屋子，摆了好几桌子酒，还引着她见了族中众人，当夜倒是好好的，但第二天一早给颜氏请安的时候出了些岔子。"
"前一日给二小姐抬二房的时候那颜氏还好好的呢，众人当日还暗暗纳罕，原来竟是应在第二日。颜氏一早起来就说胸口疼，万般受不住，李太太无法，只得去请太医，可太医诊过脉后也说不出什么来，颜氏却越发疼的厉害，直闹了两日。颜氏的奶嬷嬷去请人看了，人家说……" Jiang Deqing失笑，"说是让新人冲撞着了。颜氏也不说什么，只是整日整夜的闹，请太医请大仙来来回回花了不少银子钱，什么用也没管。颜家的人就来问了，虽未明说，但那意思是让李府将康泰二小姐送回去。"
"二小姐这次倒是聪明了一次，她没闹，只是跟二少爷哭。那二少爷的好脾气早让颜氏磨没了，如今有这么一个容色俏丽的年轻侧室在身边，哪里顾得上别的，当即顶了回去，说不孝有三无后为大，自己虽看重发妻，但更要孝敬父母，颜氏进门五年无所出，还不许他亲近旁人，莫非真要让自己绝后不成？颜家的人听后气了个仰倒。李太太这时候出来和稀泥了，说自己最疼二儿媳，只是见她不好生养才给儿子娶二房的。她心里虽重颜氏，但如今业已圆房，是万万不能再将人送回去了。儿媳若总是不好……就先回娘家小住吧，等二房奶奶生下儿子来，过到颜氏名下，都是一样的。"
"那李太太也是没法了，总不能眼见着自己儿子无后，好不容易接了一个身份得当的人来，哪里肯就这么让人走了。那颜氏也真是烈性子，听了这话后大闹了一场，嚷嚷什么宠妾灭妻，收拾了东西就回娘家了。李家自然不能真的让颜氏总在娘家，但为了给颜氏教训，迟了好几日才将她接回来的。颜氏显然在娘家也受了教导了，回来后很是老实，再也不作怪了。"
Qi Xiao轻嘲，"倒是让康泰得了意。"
Jiang Deqing诡谲一笑，摇头道，"并没有……李二少爷专宠二小姐，李太太也总替她做脸，这本挺好的，但二小姐那脾气……殿下许不太清楚，王爷大概明白吧。"
Bai Ren失笑，"恃宠生娇，受不得一点宠。"
Since Bai Ren himself had said it, Jiang Deqing didn't hold back,继续道，"好日子过了没两天，二小姐就开始想心事了，撺掇着李二公子去跟李大人和李太太说，让把颜氏休了，扶她做正房奶奶。"
Qi Xiao嗤笑，"她到底有没有脑子？若李家真的能休了颜氏，又何必弄她来？直接一封休书写了，再有什么样的名门闺秀弄不来。李家就是不愿意将颜家得罪狠了，又不想丢这个人才想出这抬贵妾的法子来的。她到底明不明白？！"
Jiang Deqing一摊手，"谁说不是呢？明眼人都知道的事，偏二小姐不明白，非要折腾，这下让颜氏戴着把柄了，又闹了起来，日日跑到李太太跟前去求休书。李家有往来亲戚串门时她也跟人家念叨，说这府里是容不得她了，正商议着要买砒霜来毒死她呢。这……闹了个鸡犬不宁。李太太无法，只得当着众人将二小姐斥责了一通，不许她粘着李二少爷弄这些有的没的，只安心侍奉，快点生了儿子是正经。二小姐让众人劈头盖脸的数落了一通，无法只得作罢。正想踏下心来怀个孩儿，颜氏又想别的法子了。"
Jiang Deqing摇头笑，"颜氏一改之前妒妇作风，呼啦啦的突然给李二少爷纳了好几个通房，个顶个的漂亮。李二少爷让颜氏严加看管了好几年，哪里见过这阵仗？一时间却也顾不上二小姐了……自然，若二小姐能安下心来踏踏实实的，将来怀个哥儿也不难。"
Bai Ren心中暗暗摇头。别人不清楚自己是明白的，让康泰踏踏实实？做梦吧。她当初选了李家，无非是想学自己生母，但颜氏并非是太妃那样的性子，哪里会容忍。说不得……康泰这后半生，大概都要填送在这姬妾堆的争斗里了……
Qi Xiao saw that Bai Ren's expression was淡然的，怕他烦心，对江德清道，"随她去吧，先让外面将早膳送进来，他吃点东西好去泡汤泉的。"
Jiang Deqing连忙答应着。Bai Ren突然又道，"等下……康泰闹成这样，没……没再去央告柔嘉吧？"
Jiang Deqing宽慰一笑，"王爷放心，二小姐如今只是一个二房，平日是出不了门的，想见郡主也无法啊，再说……郡主如今是当家太太了，早跟以前做女孩儿时不一样，很能料理自己的事了。王爷放心就好。"
Bai Ren想起之前柔嘉拦着康泰不许她进府的样子笑了下，点了点头，彻底的安下心来。
Qi Xiao见百刃懒懒的，索性让人将早膳送了进来，摆在小炕桌上同百刃亲亲热热的用膳。Bai Ren越是身上不舒服越是喜欢腻歪Qi Xiao，不自觉的想让祁骁哄。Qi Xiao心中好笑，小声道，"知道你不好受，一会儿我给你揉揉，好不好？"
Bai Ren满意的哼哼两声，殷勤的将祁骁喜欢的春卷送到祁骁面前的小碟子上。两人正温存着，外面一个大丫鬟进来了，一福身道，"殿下，敦肃长公主来了。"
Bai Ren一口奶酪卡在嗓子里，撕心裂肺的咳了起来。Qi Xiao哭笑不得，忙替他捶着，笑着说，"你怕什么……"转头对外面道，"将长公主迎到花厅去，跟长公主说，我刚得了几盆极好的兰花，请长公主看看，挑两盆一会儿带回去。"
大丫鬟又一福身下去了，Qi Xiao拿过一盏茶来喂给Bai Ren，笑着说，"不知道的还以为是皇帝醒过来跑来抓奸了呢，你至于的……"
Bai Ren好一会儿才缓过来，喘着气道，"你……你小心些，千万别让她进来，好了我好了，你快去，别让公主起疑……"
Qi Xiao哪里放心，又陪他坐了会儿，看他真没什么事儿了才整了整衣裳带人去了花厅。
敦肃长公主心思细腻，轻易不好糊弄过去。Qi Xiao正想着如何解释呢，谁知敦肃长公主见了他什么也顾不上了，急急的屏退众人，压低声音道，"今天我进宫，薛贵妃悄悄给了我个消息，事关紧急，我就直接过来了……"
Qi Xiao一顿，"怎么了？"
敦肃长公主眼中闪过一抹寒色，咬牙狠声道，"薛贵妃说，冯皇后暗自让人制了一批筷子，薛贵妃留心让人偷偷扣下了一双，回来一看……那筷子上的镂空包银是假的！托人看了，说是拿炼制极好的铁掺了什么别的东西打出来的，看上去同银筷子无异，但……"
Qi Xiao勾唇一笑，"但却试不出毒来了。"