Chapter 155

Chapter 155 Cuiniao said, "I've heard that in the entire household, aside from a few Concubine Consorts, only you and Concubine Fang received some—no one else got any." Cuiniao emphasized deliberately, "Even Concubine An didn't get any!" Concubine Fang had some only because she was raising Princess Ruyi. Concubine Lu sneered, "These people in the household are always so good at currying favor with the powerful and trampling on the weak." Ever since the Fourth Young Master and Second Miss were injured by coal gas, Concubine An's days had become difficult. The maidservants and matrons in the Prince's household were all the type to treat people according to their status. She herself couldn't stand firm, and didn't have even a shred of backbone, so her days were growing worse by the day. Now, even tea like this—Concubine Lu could drink it, while Concubine An, who had borne two children for Prince Jing, had none. One could tell what kind of life she was living now. Concubine Lu looked down at the tea leaves in her cup, each one distinct and separate, and suddenly laughed. "So now I'm someone being fawned over?" Cuiniao said, "That's all because we've attached ourselves to Concubine Xie. Our days are truly improving right before our eyes." Concubine Lu had no grand ambitions, and neither did her maidservants. Aside from hoping Concubine An's days would grow even worse, they only wished for a stable life—enough food and drink, and no bullying. They were all quite satisfied with their current circumstances, and held some gratitude toward Xie Run. Concubine Lu said in a daze, "Yes, it's all because we've attached ourselves to Concubine Xie." "Take the news that the Prince is about to return to the capital—if I were on my own, I never would have been able to find that out. Let alone what kind of person the Prince is bringing back..." But now she not only knew, she even knew the background of the 'Concubine Consort' who would soon enter the household. Such news—among all the concubines in the household, she was probably the only one who knew. Only now did Concubine Lu truly experience the benefits of following a good mistress. Not just in food and clothing, but even her horizons and channels of information had all broadened considerably. "Concubine Xie treats me so well, so I need to handle things properly!" Concubine Lu planned to visit Luoshuang Courtyard frequently over the coming period. With enough visits, she was bound to pick up some information. Cuiniao nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Your reputation is already ruined—if you can't even handle things well for Concubine Xie, who would be willing to use you in the future?" "Later, when more concubines enter the household, those wanting to curry favor with Concubine Xie will only grow in number, not shrink. By then, with your reputation, you won't even be able to squeeze in through the cracks." Concubine Lu looked at her with utter disbelief. "...Are you really my maidservant?" Cuiniao said, "How could that be false? Though I'm your maidservant, the saying 'whoever feeds you is your mother' isn't wrong." "You have a good life following Concubine Xie, and we're protected along with you, so naturally I have to urge you to keep a clear head, so our good days can last longer." Concubine Lu cried out, "You girl, I've truly spoiled you too much—you're getting too bold!" Cuiniao rolled her eyes at her and turned to go into the bedchamber to handle matters. The day after Xie Run told Concubine Lu the news of Prince Jing's meritorious deeds, word that Prince Taiyuan had raised troops in rebellion spread throughout the capital. Xie Run also gathered outside information and learned the general picture. Prince Taiyuan had long been rejected by the Emperor, which was why he had been sent away to his fief. His sudden rebellion wasn't out of nowhere—he had been planning to coordinate with Prince Su from within and without! Prince Su had long since sent people to Taiyuan to persuade Prince Taiyuan. The two conspired together: Prince Su would raise troops within the imperial palace, while Prince Taiyuan would lead his army to besiege the capital. With both prongs attacking simultaneously, they had no doubt they could take down the Emperor. Prince Su had planned well, but never imagined that Prince Jing, through the power of 'prophecy,' would learn of the news in advance and outmaneuver his own elder brother. Prince Jing secretly passed word of Prince Su's rebellion to Prince An, handing Prince An a great merit for rescuing the Emperor. He himself took the opportunity to rush to Taiyuan, also claiming the merit of suppressing Prince Taiyuan's rebellion. This merit was neither too great nor too small—just right to help him become the second most capable son at the Emperor's side. Because of the great distance, the news had been sealed off in Taiyuan and only reached the capital today. But looking back at the Emperor's various reactions during Prince Su's palace coup, it seemed the Emperor had long known about Prince Taiyuan's rebellion. Now they were only waiting for Prince Jing to return to the capital for rewards to be distributed according to merit. As soon as the news spread, the entire atmosphere of Prince Jing's household improved considerably. At the same time, Consort Li in the rear courtyard finally gave birth. She went into labor on the night of the tenth day of the sixth month, without disturbing anyone else. She labored the entire night before giving birth to a daughter. The child was very healthy, weighing eight jin and three liang. Xie Run attended the third-day bathing ceremony. The Third Miss was fair and plump, but she was simply too fat—Consort Li must have suffered quite a bit giving birth to her. Xie Run had vaguely heard that Consort Li seemed to have injured her body giving birth to the Third Miss, which would likely affect her chances of conceiving in the future. At the bathing ceremony, Fang Yuan'er also attended. She looked at the fair, plump child and was silent for a long time. Xie Run thought that Fang Yuan'er perhaps felt a moment of regret. But it was only a moment. Consort Li gave the child a pet name—Youyou. She also wanted the Princess Consort to give the child a formal name, but the Princess Consort declined, saying they should wait until the Prince returned. On the fourth day after Consort Li gave birth, the Emperor restored Lady of Beauty Rou to the rank of Consort Rou. He also issued a special decree commending the Princess Consort, showering her with praise. With such joyous news at the gates, the Princess Consort ordered the mansion's main doors opened, and the comings and goings of servants returned to normal. Seizing this opportunity, Xie Run sent a good number of gifts to Xie Jiang and Xie Jing. Half a month after the news had spread back to the mansion, Prince Jing finally returned. The Princess Consort had long since led Fang Yuan'er, Xie Run, and several other concubines and consorts out to receive him. Xie Run scanned the crowd listlessly. A dense throng of people stood in a dark mass—quite a spectacle to behold, though the number of offspring was somewhat lacking. Soon, Prince Jing's carriage arrived. Having been away for a month and a half, the Prince had grown somewhat thinner, his gaze deeper, and his features more resolute and handsome. He alighted from the carriage first, exchanged greetings with the Princess Consort, and discussed matters of the household before inquiring in turn after the consorts who had borne children. He showed no special favoritism toward any one of them based on affection. As for Consort Jiang, who was absent, the Prince did not mention her at all—clearly he was well aware of the situation. Once the greetings concluded, everyone saw a young woman step down from the carriage behind the Prince. She appeared young, modestly dressed, and still wearing mourning attire. Yet her features were delicate and innocent, and her eyes in particular were remarkably lively and round, gazing at the Prince with a hint of shyness and adoration. The group of consorts and concubines, including the Princess Consort, found the look rather novel. As they prepared to return to their carriages, Fang Yuan'er brushed past Xie Run with an air of someone anticipating a good show. "It seems you've met your match." Xie Run lowered her head and gave a shy smile in return. "The Prince is divinely gifted and extraordinarily handsome. Though I adore him, I have no desire to possess him exclusively." "As long as the Prince is pleased, I am happy whomever he favors." Fang Yuan'er shuddered involuntarily at her words. A perfectly sensible person—how had she turned into such a lovesick fool after gaining favor?!