The Marquis' Wife
Yang Guifei's devious plan

Yang Guifei was unaware of the huffled and cold expressions of the Empress Dowager and Emperor Murong. The expressions of the harem and throne winners are very difficult to capture by the princes and ministers and officials because both are very good at hiding their feelings, especially the Emperor who has reigned almost 40 years.

Emperor Murong lowered his gaze so that everyone sitting below was unaware of the murderous cold gaze that had emerged from behind his pupils. His memory goes back to the first years he won the throne and became Emperor thanks to the help of the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother then married her to her distant niece Wu Zetian to make the girl as queen to avoid power irregularities because the queen had a great share and influence in the kingdom other than the Emperor and the Queen Mother.

Emperor Murong was very happy with the marriage as Zetian was his childhood friend and first love. Both lived a loving and harmonious life but as Emperor of course Emperor Murong could not make Zetian as the only woman in the harem palace.

The second year of his reign, after stabilizing his influence and power at court meetings, the court opened the election of concubines to better control and balance the factions in the government. Although the status of women is very low compared to men on the other hand the strength of women is undeniable, the higher the status of women in the harem palace the greater the chance of the woman's family to succeed.

Yang Guifei whose name is Yang Rouwei is one of the girls who was chosen in the selection of concubines, her career as a concubine in the harem palace was started with an ordinary concubine because her family did not have a strong status in the government.

Yang Guifei was aware of the situation and decided to offer to join the queen faction and hide her grand ambitions of becoming the first woman in Murong kingdom. He pretended not to compete in the harem and only supported Queen Wu. 

His actions made Queen Wu slowly open up and start believing it without knowing it was a shrimp behind a rock. Thanks to his closeness to the queen, Yang Guifei finally got into the attention of Emperor Murong and thought that the woman could be a shield for his queen in the face of the concubines and their various tricks.

Emperor Murong decided to give more affection to Yang Guifei and raised the status of the woman's family and it initially worked. The ambitious woman did her job well but secretly poisoned the unwary and cautious queen Wu with a slow-acting poison up to 3 years later that is exactly 8 years old the queen, who was initially ill, died.

No one knew the slow but deadly poison because Yang Guifei added a tonic that hid the poison to be detected by the healers. After losing his beloved wife, the grief-stricken Emperor begins to reopen himself under the amusement of Yang Guifei who has become a fei-level concubine, the first-rate concubine under the concubine's head. 

Until the Emperor discovered the shocking thing 2 years later after appointing Yang Guifei as the head concubine. He discovers the painful fact that the woman he thinks is Zetian's best friend is actually the enemy and the cause of his wife's suffering helped by the He family. 

"Bad!!. How dare he lie to me for years!!!". Emperor Murong was furious and wanted to slash the rotten woman's neck with his own sword but his personal eunuch prevented it and said that it would only make things worse.

After raging all night in the main palace, Emperor Murong was finally able to think clearly. As eunuch Han said that he could not do anything at the moment because the strong evidence pointing to Yang Guifei and the He family was already absent, moreover, the influence of both families that develop from year to year.

"I swore I would cut off the heart and tear it apart and give it to a dog. Yang Rouwei!!!".

Emperor Murong hid his grudge and hatred and tried hard to keep treating Yang Guifei gently as usual and instead indulged Murong Xianting in order to grow up to be a selfish and arrogant child.

Emperor Murong calmed his vengeful throbbing heart and smiled gently towards Yang Guifei trying to support what the woman wanted to do.

"Please" the Queen Mother nodded slowly, as the winner of the acting award in the harem, the Queen Mother was very good at hiding her true feelings in front of others, especially if the interlocutor was a concubine.

Yang Guifei smiled in gratitude, he resumed his question without looking at Lu Xiang. "Suri's mother, I heard that Jinshi Lu's wife was a very good woman in making wine until the Prefect of Fucheng city praised the wine made by Jinshi Lu's wife".

"Oh really?" The Queen Mother was a little interested, she knew that making good wine was not easy so she was curious about what kind of woman could make wine to get praise from a Prefect.

Yang Guifei smiled as he covered his mouth with a luxurious looking hand fan. "True Queen Mother".

Adelia was surprised to hear Yang Guifei say, she was a little scared and nervous when she walked to the Queen Mother, and then knelt down to greet the most influential woman in the Murong kingdom.

"This ordinary woman faces the Queen Mother, may you live ten thousand years".

"Wake up and lift your face. Aijia wants to see your face".

Adelia tried to remain calm and raised her face, her gaze met the gaze of the Queen Mother for a moment before lowering her gaze as it was very impolite to stare for a long time at a great Queen Mother.

"You're beautiful and charming, I didn't expect that you could make good wine. You fit in well with the handsome Jinshi Lu".

"Thank you for your high praise, Queen Mother, this ordinary woman is very honored by your appreciation but this ordinary woman does not deserve such praise because this ordinary woman has little knowledge in distilling the wine of the Queen Mother. Your praise is too high for this ordinary woman".

The Queen Mother was a little surprised and curious to see no happy or upset expression from Adelia's face that was commonly seen on people she praised. It was not usual for one to be able to have a calm expression after receiving praise from members of the royal family and even from him.

"What's your name?".

"The name of this ordinary woman is Miao Adelia".

"What a pretty name". The Queen Mother nodded with a small smile.

"Thank you for your compliment, Queen Mother". Adelia again bowed in gratitude, although nervous, but she who was modern-minded became tired in having to bow and humble herself before the royal family. His ego, which is still influenced by modern thinking, has freedom of speech and equality system makes him not want to connect with royal members. He felt that his life from Cheng and Fucheng city was a quiet and peaceful time, not necessarily having to exaggerate others but he knew that hope was not in accordance with reality. If he wants to feel a more peaceful and calm life then his husband and family must be at a high point until the members of the kingdom were a little reluctant to them.

Lu Xiang who was standing beside Adelia was also uncomfortable to see his wife being framed by Yang Guifei so that it became the focus of the Emperor and Empress Dowager, too, he knew that the damned woman was planning something to humiliate him but he was misdirected!!!. He tried hard not to show his emotions in the face and stood still.

"Lu Jinshi's wife, you are too humble, how could you make only a little wine if you get the praise of a Prefect? Am I right, Emperor?". Yang Guifei asked the Emperor's opinion in a slightly coquettish voice, he was unaware of her age that had already entered the head of four due to her still very pretty face.

"What aiqing said is true".

Yang Guifei was happy and grew bolder. "Mother Suri, Emperor. Three months away was the Emperor's birthday, this concubine thought that the Emperor was very fond of enjoying high quality wine from various royal merchants. Since Jinshi Lu's wife has high skills in making wine, what if you present a unique wine that the Emperor has never tasted before. That would be a tribute to His Majesty, what do you think of the Emperor?".

Adelia's eyes widened slightly, not only him but Lu Xiang and the other guests also stared in disbelief.

Emperor Murong was an Emperor who had tasted all the high quality wines in this world, both through his strength and the granting of tribute and tribute offerings to him so it can be ascertained that Yang Guifei wanted to punish Adelia through the hands of the Emperor and the punishment that came from the Emperor was certainly not light.

Everyone was convinced that Yang Guifei wanted to destroy the Lu Xiang family just for rejecting his son's offer and making Murong Xianting unhappy!!!.