Chapter 159

Chapter 159 At this moment, everyone was probably in their rooms cursing Xie Run as a seductive fox spirit. Prince Jing was also sitting on the couch, pulling her into his arms in one motion, idly toying with Xie Run's hair. "Embarrassed now?" He wanted to say that Xie Run had been truly audacious just now, nearly captivating his very soul. But he feared Xie Run had thin skin, and saying it out loud would only anger her. She had always been gentle and serene—it was rare for her to be bold and spirited, and it left Prince Jing savoring the memory. "You are this Prince's Concubine Consort. Who would dare mock you?" Xie Run hummed: "There's been no shortage of mockery these past few days." "Me staying at the front courtyard today breaks protocol. Your Highness must explain it to the Princess Consort on my behalf, so I won't be wrongfully accused again." Prince Jing: "...You're quite shrewd. If I go explain it, won't you still look bad?" Even at a time like this, she was still thinking about not offending the Princess Consort. Xie Run's little schemes truly never were hidden from Prince Jing. "I don't fear others, but the Princess Consort is the principal mistress. Naturally, I must show her respect." Prince Jing agreed lazily. Xie Run's mood improved considerably. "Your Highness said earlier you had something to tell me?" Prince Jing's eyes darkened slightly. After a moment's deliberation, he said: "Now that Lady Fang has become a Side Consort, does Suisui have any thoughts on the matter?" Xie Run immediately pulled her hair free from Prince Jing's grasp and sat up straight. "Is Your Highness testing me?" One moment still in tender embrace, the next testing her—Prince Jing was truly a sly dog. Xie Run spoke softly: "Of course I want it." "Who would pass up the chance to become a Side Consort and remain a Concubine Consort instead? If anyone says otherwise, they must be putting on a show!" Xie Run didn't hide anything, a smile hanging at the corners of her lips. "If I became a Side Consort, Consort Jiang wouldn't have dared to establish dominance over me the moment she entered the household! Nor would she have dared to bully me from her higher position!" "Now Consort Jiang has been punished by Your Highness, but who knows if there will be a Consort Li or Consort Zhang in the future?" "If any of these Side Consorts wants to bully me, can I truly protect myself and Taotao every single time?" Xie Run's tone shifted. "Of course, it's not just that." She counted on her fingers: "If I became a Side Consort, I'd have more servants, a bigger courtyard, better food..." She turned her head and asked with utmost sincerity: "Your Highness, tell me, who wouldn't like that?" Prince Jing was momentarily speechless. He raised his hand to caress Xie Run's cheek, and after a moment's thought said: "In the future, there will only be more people in this household. If this Prince supports you, can you stand firm?" Xie Run's heart stirred, vaguely guessing Prince Jing's meaning. She held Prince Jing's hand and affirmed: "As long as Your Highness acts fairly and doesn't listen to one-sided accounts, I can!" Even being as weak as Concubine An required some skill. Prince Jing said meaningfully: "Then Suisui must not disappoint this Prince." Even the most innocent and naive person, once elevated to a high position with power, could become completely transformed. The former Concubine Ning, Consort Yun... all of them had been like that. Xie Run was still someone who pleased Prince Jing, and he didn't want to see her become unrecognizable one day. Xie Run smiled sweetly: "If I hold a high position, I only seek a peaceful life." Prince Jing pulled her into his arms without saying more. Anyone can say pretty words. Time was still long—what mattered was how people acted, not how they spoke. That evening, Prince Jing returned to Spring Mountain Courtyard with Xie Run. That night, Xie Run refused Prince Jing's advances. "Your Highness, please spare me!" She said with complete justification: "You can't drain the pond to catch all the fish!" Xie Run's whole body still ached! Prince Jing was silent for a moment, then went to the next room to see his son. Xie Run said to Dantao: "Didn't I paint many portraits of Taotao these past days? Take them to show His Highness." During the time Prince Jing was away from the capital, Xie Run had spent most of her time shut in the courtyard. With nothing to do, she painted a portrait of Taotao every few days, recording the child's growth. Showing them to Prince Jing now would perfectly fill the gap of these past months. The next day, Xie Run had just finished her midday meal when she received the news of her promotion to Side Consort. Dantao and Xiaoshu were overjoyed and immediately offered their congratulations. After all, there had been no hint of this before, and no one dared to hope for it. Suddenly being promoted—wasn't that a huge surprise?! Xiaoshu said happily: "His Highness truly cares most about our mistress! He only went to the front courtyard once, and he promoted her." "With such favor, I'm afraid the whole household will be green with envy!" Xie Run no longer bothered correcting the girls when they said Prince Jing cared most about her. Now, she was Prince Jing's favored concubine, deeply devoted to him! Wasn't she eagerly anticipating Prince Jing's affection? A favored concubine had to embody the aura of one. Dantao couldn't stop smiling either: "There are only two Side Consort positions, and now our mistress and Side Consort Fang each hold one. Only the Princess Consort ranks above—no one can bully our mistress anymore!" Xie Run thought the two girls were being too optimistic. Not afraid after becoming a Side Consort? There were plenty of people who wanted to drag her down. The former Consort Ning—how glorious a figure she had been—and what became of her in the end? Of course, Consort Ning had plotted to harm the concubine's child, but if one never schemes to harm others, could one truly avoid all trouble and live in peace? Concubine An was the first to express her dissent. But since the maids were happy at the moment, Xie Run saw no need to dampen their spirits. Xie Run said, "At the very least, I personally went to court favor yesterday and drew the ire of the entire household. I ought to gain some benefit from it." News from the front courtyard was tightly guarded and rarely reached the rear quarters. To this day, everyone in the Prince's mansion believed Xie Run had gone to court favor, unaware that she had smashed Prince Jing's study. After speaking, Xie Run instinctively pressed her lower back and sighed, "But I'd rather not have such things happen too often." Dantao nodded in agreement, "Rarity breeds value. If you went often, my lady, the Prince might not hold you in such high regard." Xie Run said, "...You're right." Go often? She feared she'd die on Prince Jing's bed. How undignified would that be?! No sooner had Xie Run received word of her promotion to Side Consort than a young maid came bearing another message. "The Prince has ordered that Miss Hua be promoted to Concubine Consort." Dantao and Xiaoshu exchanged glances. "It seems we'll have another Consort Hua in our household." Xie Run sat in place, stunned for quite a while. Dantao, thinking Xie Run was worried about Consort Hua gaining favor, comforted her, "My lady, Consort Hua has only just arrived, so the Prince is still taken with her. Besides, she's still in mourning and can't serve the Prince. You needn't worry too much." Xie Run snapped back to reality and smiled bitterly. "It's not that I'm jealous that she became a Concubine Consort the moment she arrived. I just... suddenly thought of something." "What is it?" Both maids looked at Xie Run in confusion. "The Prince asked me yesterday whether I could hold my ground if he made me Side Consort, given that the household would only grow larger." A hint of deep thought flickered in Xie Run's eyes. "I originally thought the Prince was simply worried about me. But now I think he was gauging my reaction to make his decision." Dantao asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that?" "Actually, from the moment the Prince returned and didn't rush to grant Consort Hua her rank, and deliberately avoided visiting my courtyard, I should have guessed something." "He was testing me—whether I could remain steady in times of trouble, and probing my ambition."