Chapter 137

Chapter 137 "Concubine Lian just took that injustice lying down? Without a single word of complaint?" Xiaoshu said, "This servant saw her heading back toward her own courtyard." If she were going to complain, she would have gone to Green Pine Courtyard. Xie Run frowned. "Didn't anyone remind her?" Xiaoshu said softly, "Doesn't mistress know her background? Even the Princess Consort looks down on her." "How could the other mistresses of the inner court, all respectable women, be willing to associate with her?" Xie Run found it hard to understand. "I wonder what the Prince is thinking?" He brought her back to the residence, seemingly doting on her greatly, yet he himself didn't care at all. Prince Jing had instructed the Princess Consort to arrange a good residence for Concubine Lian, to provide her with fine food and drink, then washed his hands of it and left, leaving Concubine Lian in the inner court to be bullied. But Xie Run also recalled the Prince's temperament. "If she can't stand on her own, the Prince won't say anything either." Let alone protect her. Even if Concubine Lian's background was humble, now that she had entered the Prince's residence, they were all the same kind of people. As long as she had reason on her side and hadn't made a mistake herself, she could at most make a scene before the Princess Consort and seek justice. That would also serve as a warning to others and establish her own authority. If she swallowed her grievances in silence from the start, then she would have plenty more grievances to endure in the future. The Princess Consort was a generous and magnanimous mistress, but she absolutely did not like meddling in other people's affairs. Just as Xie Run had guessed. The Princess Consort had long since heard that Consort Jiang had specifically summoned Concubine Lian to Songya Courtyard to bully her. She had thought there would be another commotion in the inner court. But unexpectedly, Concubine Lian was someone who could endure humiliation, and she stubbornly never brought the matter up. So the Princess Consort pretended nothing had happened and spent her days leisurely in her own courtyard. The next day, Consort Jiang grew even more brazen. Not only did she summon Concubine Lian to Songya Courtyard again, but she also sent someone to call for Concubine Fang. Concubine Fang had at least spent some time in the Prince's residence and naturally knew what kind of person Consort Jiang was. She stubbornly refused and didn't go along. When Consort Jiang learned of this, she flew into a rage. She became even more displeased with Concubine Lian. All her anger was directed at Concubine Lian. On the first day, Consort Jiang only had Concubine Lian copy scriptures, saying it was to pray for blessings for Prince Jing and to protect his safe return. On the second day, she said she wanted lotus seed porridge and had someone bring a basin of lotus seeds for Concubine Lian to shell, until Concubine Lian's hands were bleeding from the work. Consort Jiang tormented Concubine Lian for two days, and having roughly grasped Concubine Lian's temperament, she grew even more reckless. On the third day, she casually found an excuse that Concubine Lian didn't know how to serve people and punished her by making her kneel in the courtyard for an hour. Although the snow had long stopped, it was still early spring. When the wind blew, it could leave marks on one's face. The bluestone floor was both cold and hard. After kneeling for a full hour, Concubine Lian could barely walk steadily. When she returned, her knees were all bruised, and that night she developed a fever. Whether out of guilt or on someone's advice, Consort Jiang actually called for the residence physician for Concubine Lian. The two of them made such a fuss, yet no one reported it up. The Princess Consort pretended not to know, while the others were happy to watch the show. Everyone thought that since Consort Jiang had tormented Concubine Lian into illness, she would finally rest for a couple of days. Who would have thought she would now set her sights on Xie Run? Last time she stole openly; this time she stole in secret. Xiaoshu went to pick up the meal at the usual time, but when she arrived, she discovered that two portions of food were missing. One was Xie Run's medicinal meal, and the other was the nourishing soup. These items were specially provided for Xie Run, who had just given birth, and no other courtyard had them. When they discovered the food didn't match up, the main kitchen staff were also anxious and searched everywhere for it. Finally, they got the truth out of a young servant. "This servant only saw Dong'er from Consort Jiang's side come by here." "She was carrying Consort Jiang's meal, circled around the kitchen once, and left." "If anyone took it, it could only have been her!" Xiaoshu was about to explode with anger. A proper Side Consort, and yet she stooped to stealing things! But she didn't dare act on her own authority, so she could only return first to ask her mistress's opinion. The main kitchen didn't dare slight Concubine Xie either, and hastily prepared two portions of soup to replace them. "Please take these, Miss Xiaoshu. We in the kitchen are also at fault in this matter, but please don't let it affect Mistress Xie's meals." Xiaoshu snorted lightly. "You're at fault indeed!" "A whole group of people, and you can't even keep track of the food!" "If this is reported to the Princess Consort, everyone in the main kitchen will be moved!" The steward was frightened into a cold sweat and said helplessly, "Please understand, Miss Xiaoshu." "It's just that the lunch hour is rushed, and every courtyard needs their meals delivered. Once we get busy, we can't watch over everything." "Who could have imagined someone would be so audacious as to steal Mistress Xie's meal?!" "I know you're all feeling wronged, but my mistress is even more wronged!" Xiaoshu didn't want to offend the kitchen staff either, so she simply reasoned with them: "Since the items were lost in the main kitchen, the main kitchen naturally has to find them." "Those two new portions of soup you added—they're not taken from other mistresses' portions, are they?" "If that comes out later, my mistress will have suffered the injustice and still have to bear an additional charge of bullying others!" Xiaoshu also knew about some of the main kitchen's practices of deceiving those above and bullying those below. They always sized people up before deciding how to treat them. The fear is that if Concubine Xie's portion is short, they'll make up the difference by taking from the portions of the less favored concubines. Then when Xie Run comes to find fault, she wouldn't even have the face to blame anyone else. The steward hurriedly denied it. "Of course we wouldn't dare implicate Concubine Xie again." Xiaoshu only said, "I'm not trying to make things difficult for you. It's just that our mistress's things cannot be short. Whether you can get things from Consort Jiang—that depends on the main kitchen's own ability!" The steward had no choice but to steel himself and agree, respectfully seeing Xiaoshu off. By the time she reached Spring Mountain Court, Xiaoshu had calmed down somewhat. She told Xie Run what had happened. Xie Run smiled. "You've always been clever." "Let the main kitchen go ask Consort Jiang for the dishes. With Consort Jiang's temperament, she'll probably tear the main kitchen apart." "That way, they'll become mortal enemies." As the saying goes: the King of Hell is easy to deal with, but the little imps are the troublesome ones. If Consort Jiang sat securely in her high position for life, the main kitchen naturally wouldn't dare do anything. But if she ever fell one day, the main kitchen would make her know what it meant to be trifled with. Xiaoshu smiled. "As long as mistress doesn't think this servant did wrong." "You're devoted to me—am I someone who doesn't understand reason?" Xie Run mused, "Consort Jiang has probably been arrogant since childhood. Even if she makes a fuss today, she may not be convinced. I'm afraid she'll find some other excuse to cause trouble tomorrow." Stealing and snatching dishes—such vile deeds—once or twice is enough. Xie Run then thought of what Prince Jing had instructed her before he left. If she stood fully in the right, she could strike back with full force. Against someone like Consort Jiang, one couldn't just play at small skirmishes. One had to bring down the rod in a single blow, make her truly afraid and truly hurt, so she wouldn't stir up trouble again. Xie Run's gaze was calm as she said slowly, "I'll give her one more chance." If Consort Jiang truly pushed her luck, Xie Run would then be "fully in the right." Sure enough, the main kitchen went to Consort Jiang to ask for the dishes. Not only did they fail to get the dishes, but Consort Jiang whipped them and sent her own maids to the main kitchen to smash and destroy things. The main kitchen was turned upside down. The matter escalated, and the Princess Consort had no choice but to send someone to inquire. Consort Jiang seemed to have learned some cunning—she took the initiative to weep and complain first. "Those people from the main kitchen actually slandered me with baseless accusations, insisting that my maidservant took Concubine Xie's dishes." "What status do I hold? Would I stoop to stealing a concubine's dishes?!" "Your Highness the Princess Consort manages the inner court—you should be stricter with the servants. Otherwise, these servants grow so arrogant they even dare to question me!"