Chapter 10

Chapter 10 During the period when Xie Run had fallen out of favor with Prince Jing, Concubine Fang was especially favored. Fang Yuan'er's prominence was unmatched, even overshadowing the former Concubine Yun. After her change of heart, Fang Yuan'er conducted herself much more steadily than before, and there were no more incidents of feigning illness to compete for favor. Xie Run heard that Fang Yuan'er had even specially sent gifts to Concubine An as an apology. Within a few days, Prince Jing even went to spend a night in Concubine An's chambers. Concubine An had originally been dissatisfied with Fang Yuan'er, but after these few moves, she was practically eager to pay her respects to Fang Yuan'er every day, with "Sister Fang" on her lips constantly. And it wasn't just Concubine An. Fang Yuan'er held tens of thousands of taels of silver in her hands and didn't bat an eye at spending money. Nine out of ten concubines in the estate had received her favors, and her popularity had soared overnight. Soon it was the Qixi Festival. Qixi was a major holiday, and both Prince Jing and the Princess Consort were required to attend the night banquet at the palace. A banquet was also being prepared within the prince's estate. Following past precedent, Consort Ning would be in charge, but this year, with the Second Young Master gone and Consort Ning demoted to Concubine Ning, she was technically no longer qualified. Yet Prince Jing, in a show of favor, still had her oversee the arrangements. Xie Run thought it must be for the sake of the Eldest Young Master. There was only this one young master left in the estate now. If they trampled Concubine Ning underfoot, it would also be demeaning the Eldest Young Master. Prince Jing might not favor Consort Ning, but he still doted on the Eldest Young Master. Xie Run had hidden away in Linxuan Pavilion for a long time, but there was no avoiding this banquet. Early in the morning, she changed into a pale pink dress, casually styled her hair into a simple single-loop bun, wrapped a strand of pearls around it, and pinned two gold-and-silver hairpins—her appearance was very simple. Even so, Xie Run's face, delicate yet tinged with allure, still stood out remarkably. She deliberately made her complexion look a bit worse, ensuring she wouldn't draw attention, before reluctantly heading out the door. Once outside, she saw colorful lanterns hanging throughout the courtyard, quite a lovely sight. Xie Run remarked, "Perhaps I'm overthinking things. Today I'll just eat and drink well, and allow myself to relax a little." Dantao and Yuli both nodded. Dantao said, "Exactly so. Mistress shouldn't stay so tense, or you'll wear yourself out." Yuli added, "These lanterns are truly beautiful. I heard they've even hired singers today—this servant is in for a treat." Xie Run smiled, then noticed not far away, brightly lit and bustling with activity, three round tables had been set up with no shortage of attendants. Concubine Ning, dressed in an orange long gown embroidered with peonies, sat smiling at the head of the table. She wore a complete set of ruby jewelry featuring butterflies among flowers, with two gold-inlaid-jade bracelets on her wrists—radiating nobility with not the slightest trace of decline. She didn't look like someone who had lost her son just a month ago. Xie Run slipped quietly into her seat, finding Concubine An beside her. Fang Yuan'er, riding her wave of prominence, had been seated just below Concubine Ning. Before long, the singing troupe arrived and the performance began with great fanfare. Concubine An smiled warmly and said, "Sister Xie has stayed in Linxuan Pavilion ever since entering the estate—this is the first time I've seen you." Xie Run lowered her head with a shy smile. "I'm rather lazy by nature and don't care much for going out." Concubine An laughed. "Same here. I'm afraid of causing trouble the moment I step out, so I'd rather stay alone in my courtyard." Xie Run smiled but didn't reply. Dishes were brought up one by one during the feast. Xie Run noticed a bowl of iced sour plum drink placed before her and quietly moved it aside. Just as she was about to have Yuli ladle her some soup, she saw Concubine An staring at her. Xie Run was taken aback and smiled. "Sister An, why are you looking at me like that?" "Sister Xie doesn't care for sour plum drink?" Concubine An gazed longingly at Xie Run's bowl. "This sour plum drink is quite delicious. I heard it's a secret recipe Sister Fang specially sought out—no one else can make it quite as well." Xie Run said, "I don't care for cold drinks. I'll let it warm up before drinking. Does Sister An like it?" Since Xie Run had said that, Concubine An naturally wouldn't be so brazen as to ask for it. There were plenty of desserts at the table, but each person was allotted only one portion of each kind. Xie Run was careful about her health and had no intention of drinking the iced sour plum drink. But seeing Concubine An eyeing her bowl so eagerly, and unable to simply give it away, she had no choice but to say those words. Giving away the sour plum drink was a small matter—but if Concubine An ate something and something went wrong, Xie Run couldn't bear that responsibility. Just then, as the performance on stage was in full swing, a sudden burst of crying came from below the stage.