Chapter 130

Chapter 130 The front court and the rear chambers had not been quiet these past days. Prince Jing had not summoned anyone to attend him except for the night he stayed at Spring Mountain Court. Concubine Xie of Spring Mountain Court had just given birth, so the Prince's stay there was naturally a simple one. Now that he had entered Consort Yun's courtyard, the women of the rear chambers began to stir with restless thoughts. When Autumn Wind Court received the news, joy spread throughout, from top to bottom. The maidservants could not help but sigh. "Things are not what they used to be!" "In the old days, the Prince would come to see our mistress every few days, and everyone in our courtyard walked as if carried by the wind." "Now the Prince barely comes once a month, and when he does, he might only take a look at the Commandery Princess before leaving... For him to come to Autumn Wind Court for a meal today is truly no small matter." "Isn't that so? We can only hope our mistress finds favor again and puts those little vixens in the other courtyards in their place!" "But with our mistress's health—only six or seven good days in a month—how can she possibly win favor?" The maidservant thought to herself, never mind winning favor, she could hardly even serve the Prince. "Our mistress cannot serve him, but is that not why a substitute has already been prepared?" With that, both maidservants quietly glanced toward the girl standing beside Princess Ruyi outside the corridor. She wore clothes much the same as theirs, yet that girl stood out all the more. A slender waist, an air of quiet grace, calm yet tinged with gentleness and warmth, paired with a face of exquisite, breathtaking beauty. It was hard not to notice her. If she were merely striking in appearance, that would be one thing—but this girl bore a subtle resemblance to both Consort Xie and Consort Fang in her brows and eyes. That made it difficult to guess what their mistress was planning. In the main hall, Consort Yun lay listlessly on the couch, the coldness in her brows and eyes chilling the very air of the room. A beauty occasionally falling ill is like Xi Shi clutching her heart—possessing a charm all its own. But if she remained ill forever, even a celestial being would eventually waste away, her complexion turning sallow and unsightly. Fangse brought over a bowl of freshly brewed medicinal broth and urged, "Mistress, drink it while it's hot." Consort Yun glanced at the medicine but made no move to take it. Instead, she asked about another matter. "Is that girl Fangcao behaving herself?" Fangse set the bowl on the table. "Naturally, she is." "You redeemed her mother and rescued them from that place—their deeds of indenture are in your hands. How would she dare not behave?" "I almost wish she were only pretending to behave." Consort Yun's gaze was faint and shallow, her thoughts always inscrutable. "I have done too many wicked things. If the day ever comes when it all comes to light, who knows whose hands Ruyi will fall into." Consort Yun picked up the bowl of medicine from the table, a startling hatred surfacing in her eyes. "None of the women in this household are worthy of raising my Ruyi!" Fangse said with distress, "Why must you speak such inauspicious words, mistress?" "Rather than placing your hopes on others, it would be better to nurse yourself back to health and watch our Commandery Princess Ruyi marry with great fanfare." "The Princess is the Prince's eldest daughter. The Prince would never treat her poorly." Consort Yun lowered her eyes and drained the bowl of medicine in one go. Bitterness exploded on her tongue, and her gaze turned cold and murky. "I knew Xie was different from An—not one to put on a hollow show—but I never expected her to be so bold and resourceful." "Her old lover comes calling, her own father breaks his leg, and not a bit of it affected her labor." If either of those things had happened to any other woman in this household, she would hardly have remained steady. But that Xie woman truly delivered a son safe and sound. "This time, my scheme against Xie failed. If the Prince catches even a hint of it, I fear not just my position as Concubine Consort, but even my life may be in danger." Fangse's heart trembled. "Mistress, is it truly that serious?" "The Prince has always cherished old ties. How could he possibly take your life?" Consort Yun let out a cold scoff. "Cherish old ties? The Prince only cherishes ties with those who have not erred." "As for those who have erred... look at Lady Ning and Lady Han—did either of them come to a good end?" In truth, from the moment Lady Ning died, Consort Yun had felt a chill run through her. But her ambition would not allow her to fade into obscurity as a shadow within the Prince's household. Consort Yun continued, "The matter of conspiring with Lady Han to harm Lady Li's fall—though it did not implicate me, I fear the Prince may still harbor suspicions." That she had once shown kindness to Cailan was not difficult to uncover. Since then, the Prince had never stayed overnight at Autumn Wind Court. Even when he came to see Ruyi, he would have her brought to Green Pine Court instead. Consort Yun vaguely sensed that Prince Jing likely already knew. "I must find a patron for Ruyi's future. I cannot trust anyone else in this household. Fangcao... I have shown her kindness, and I have personally lifted her up." "If she proves capable and steals away Xie's favor, that is her own skill. If she proves incapable, with Ruyi around, her days will not be difficult." And with Fangcao's looks, just having her there would be enough to disgust both Xie and Fang! Fangse frowned. "Mistress, what if Fangcao later has a child of her own..." "She never will!" Consort Yun said calmly, "When my people found her, the madam of the brothel had already forced safflower upon her. She will never bear children for the rest of her life." "She's a clever one. She knows that her lifelong support isn't the Prince—it can only be Ruyi!" Fangse was silent for a long while before letting out a sigh. "Master, why must you do this?" The light from outside the window fell upon Consort Yun's pale, gaunt face, cold and fragile. After a long pause, she finally spoke in a faint voice. "It's just that I can't accept it." In the early years, the concubines and Concubine Consorts in the manor changed one after another, and she was the most favored by Prince Jing. But Consort Ning always loomed above her. Later, Consort Ning fell, and then came Lady Fang and Lady Xie—she couldn't compare to them either. Then came Concubine Li, Concubine Han... one by one, they became pregnant, and one by one, they gave birth to children. It made Consort Yun seem like a joke. "I nearly lost half my life for the position of Concubine Consort, and I even miscarried a male child... yet they can easily obtain everything I wanted." In terms of status, few among the concubines and Concubine Consorts in the manor were of good standing—they were all the same kind of people. In terms of pregnancy, she had conceived and given birth too—she had been pregnant twice and safely delivered the Prince's eldest daughter. Moreover, she had once been favored. "I just refuse to accept it!" Consort Yun's tone grew colder and sharper, her bearing turning more forceful as well. "Why should something I nearly lost my life for come to them so effortlessly?!" "I won't accept it, and I refuse to resign myself to it!" Consort Yun suddenly raised her head and gripped Fangse's hand tightly. "If the day ever comes when the truth comes to light, don't be foolish and follow me to my doom." "I entrust Ruyi to Fangcao, but in truth, you are the one I trust most!" Fangse's face turned bitter. Consort Yun said, "You had no part in the scheme against Lady Xie. The Prince won't wrong an innocent person." "When it comes to it, you may tell the Prince everything and expose me to save your own life!" "No!" Fangse refused instinctively. "You must do it!" Consort Yun's tone was unyielding. Fangse could only fall silent. After a bowl of medicinal soup, Consort Yun's spirits lifted somewhat. She said to Fangse, "Dress me up nicely. It's been a long time since I've dined with the Prince." Fangse's eyes were full of heartache, but she could only obey. "Yes." "I've recently learned a new hairstyle—let me comb it for you, Master."