Chapter 156

Chapter 156 Fang Yuan'er smiled without warmth. "I only hope you can stay happy for long." In truth, Fang Yuan'er couldn't quite tell whether Xie Run's love for Prince Jing was truly so magnanimous, or whether she was merely putting on an act. But none of that mattered. Prince Jing had returned, and it was time for her own promotion. Xie Run had guessed as much too. When she saw the young woman Prince Jing had brought back, Xie Run finally matched her to her identity. In the original script, a year or two from now, border conflicts would break out between Xia and Dayu, and a young general would rise to prominence. This young general came from a troubled family background, bullied by local tyrants in Yunzhou, nearly losing his life. After surviving by the skin of his teeth, he began his story of turning his life around—winning fame in his first battle, and thereafter fighting against Xia with victory after victory, amassing remarkable military achievements. In the end, he became a first-rank Zhenguo General of Dayu, guarding the border for over forty years. He was also one of the rare military officers who, after Prince Jing ascended the throne, held military power and still enjoyed a peaceful retirement. The young woman Prince Jing brought back this time was none other than this young general's full sister. Xie Run had thought as much—if she were merely the daughter of a lifesaver, Prince Jing would never have treated her so exceptionally. And it was likely that Fang Yuan'er had a hand in pushing this woman into the prince's household. Whether she would become Xie Run's formidable rival or Fang Yuan'er's remained to be seen. Back at the residence, Xie Run first took Dantao back to her own Chunshan Courtyard. Xiaoshu came hurrying in, out of breath. "Mistress, I've found out who that young woman is." Xie Run remained perfectly at ease. "Sit down and have some tea first. Take your time." Xiaoshu was anxious on Xie Run's behalf and couldn't bring herself to drink a single sip of tea right now. Xiaoshu said, "Her surname is Hua. Full name, Hua Yu. Both parents are deceased. She has only an older brother, who is currently serving in the military camp." Dantao asked curiously, "Did her father die saving the Prince?" "That's what they're saying." Xiaoshu lowered her voice. "But it seems the bandits at the time weren't much of a threat. It was her father who, seeking merit, killed prisoners in front of the ranks, provoking a riot among the bandits. The Prince fell into a trap, and that's how the so-called lifesaving grace came about." Xie Run was taken aback as well—she hadn't known there was more to the story behind the so-called lifesaving grace. Dantao said, "If that's the case, the debt of gratitude isn't that significant. If anything, there's fault to be found." "And the Prince granted her the position of Concubine Consort? Could it be that he's quite fond of her?" Xie Run reminded them, "The Prince only said to house Miss Hua according to Concubine Consort standards. Her rank hasn't been confirmed yet." Xiaoshu's heart tightened. "You mean, mistress, it might not be Concubine Consort? It could even be Side Consort?!" Dantao's mouth fell open. "That... that can't be, right?" Everyone in the household had only barely managed to rise to Concubine Consort through favor or bearing children. If a woman of ordinary background and ordinary looks suddenly leapfrogged them all, no one would accept it quietly. Xie Run leaned back in her chair, looking languid. "It all depends on the Prince's wishes. But if we're talking about who'd be most unwilling to accept it, Concubine Wan would be the one." Both maids' eyes lit up. "She's been brewing trouble lately anyway. This should make for quite a show." The first thing Prince Jing did after settling in upon his return was to deal with Consort Jiang. He couldn't even be bothered to see her in person—he simply demoted her to Concubine Consort and had her moved out of Songya Courtyard into the adjacent Yunbi Pavilion. Because Consort Yun had died of illness, the Qiufeng Courtyard, which was of Concubine Consort standard, had been vacated. Yet Prince Jing didn't let Jiang Baobao move into Qiufeng Courtyard. Instead, he chose a modest pavilion of no particular size for her. This showed just how much Prince Jing despised Jiang Baobao. If she hadn't been betrothed to him by imperial decree, and if it weren't for the critical moment in the struggle for succession, Prince Jing would have truly wanted to strip her to commoner status outright. As for the maids around her, they remained under the same punishments the Princess Consort had ordered. Thinking it over again, Prince Jing was still angry, so he added another six months of House Arrest for Consort Jiang. At the same time that Consort Jiang was demoted, news of Fang Yuan'er's promotion to Side Consort spread throughout the rear courtyard. Everyone had expected the former; the latter caught everyone completely off guard. Concubine Lu came rushing to Xie Run. "Sister Xie, you truly have the gift of prophecy!" "The Prince really did promote Consort Fang to Side Consort!" Concubine Lu had already received word from Xie Run beforehand, and after getting past her initial surprise, she was now taking it quite well. She carefully studied Xie Run and asked in a low voice, "The Prince only went out on a trip. Consort Fang showed no particular favor or merit—how did she suddenly get promoted?" "Sister Xie's past favor was no less than Consort Fang's. Is there a chance... you might be promoted too?" If Xie Run became Side Consort, the leg Concubine Lu clung to would be even thicker—she'd probably laugh in her sleep. Xie Run smiled. "Since the Prince promoted Consort Fang, she must have rendered great service." "Nothing in this world happens without reason." "As for me—no great merit, no great fault. I wouldn't dare hope for too much." In front of Concubine Lu, Xie Run had no intention of playing the lovesick fool. When news of Consort Fang's promotion arrived, her first thought was that Fang Yuan'er had used her 'prophecy' ability. Prince Su's rebellion, the Yunzhou disaster relief, Prince Taiyuan's uprising—Fang Yuan'er had likely been involved in all of it. Though these events had helped Fang Yuan'er become Side Consort, they also brought her another crisis. Her secret of transmigrating into a book and swapping souls could no longer be hidden! Wan Linlang was no fool. The fact that Prince Jing had chosen Yunzhou for disaster relief was hardly something that wouldn't arouse suspicion. Now that Prince Jing had returned to the manor, the first thing he did was elevate Fang Yuan'er's rank. That only confirmed Wan Linlang's suspicions. Before, Fang Yuan'er had been in the shadows while Wan Linlang was in the light, which was why Wan Linlang kept suffering losses at Fang Yuan'er's hands. Now that Fang Yuan'er had exposed her greatest secret, how could Wan Linlang possibly let her off easily? Thinking of the fierce struggles that might lie ahead, even Xie Run couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine. After Prince Jing returned to the manor, he naturally spent the first night in the Princess Consort's courtyard. The newly arrived Miss Hua was still in mourning and hadn't been given a formal rank yet. Prince Jing only went to see her during the day and had no intention of staying overnight. On the second night, he stayed at the newly promoted Side Consort Fang's courtyard. After Fang Yuan'er's elevation, she didn't choose Orchid Fragrance Court but instead moved into Songya Court. After all, although Jiang Baobao was detestable, at least no one had died in Songya Court. After Concubine Ning died in Orchid Fragrance Court, that courtyard had become desolate and cold, and everyone felt it carried some ill fortune. For the next five days, Prince Jing stayed at Songya Court every single night. For a time, Fang Yuan'er dominated the spotlight, becoming the most sought-after figure in the manor. In Spring Mountain Court, Xiaoshu and Dantao couldn't help but worry on Xie Run's behalf. Xiaoshu said, "Mistress, why not send something to the study? At least it would remind the Prince that there's still you in this manor." Dantao also said, "The Prince has been back for six days. Aside from the first night in the Princess Consort's courtyard, he's spent every other night at Side Consort Fang's courtyard." "Before, you and Side Consort Fang shared the Prince's favor equally, but now..." Everyone was afraid that after Prince Jing's trip, he might forget about Xie Run altogether. Men are fickle by nature; that's always been the way. New faces keep entering the manor in waves, and no matter how favored the old ones were before, that was all in the past. Xie Run... wasn't the least bit flustered. She said calmly, "Don't rush. I need to think about what attitude I should take when I see the Prince."