Chapter 196

Chapter 196 Consort Hua wore a look of pure innocence, her eyes red from crying. "This concubine knows she is not good with words, and begs the Princess Consort's forgiveness." The Princess Consort did not even bat an eyelid, only saying coolly, "It was with the Prince's approval that you were housed in Autumn Maple Court. Since you are dissatisfied, you may go speak to the Prince and ask him to find you another court with better fortune." Consort Hua looked up. "Does the Princess Consort mean that as long as the Prince agrees, this concubine need not move courts?" The Princess Consort: "...Is it not that you are dissatisfied with your current court? Why is it that you no longer wish to move?" Consort Hua wiped her tears and said, "This concubine is not dissatisfied." "This concubine merely heard what that master said—that this concubine's Autumn Maple Court clashes with Concubine Lian, and that this concubine should move courts. This concubine refuses to accept it!" The Princess Consort was now certain that Consort Hua truly could not speak well, and her wits were not all there either. "Who asked you to move courts?" Consort Hua's hand, mid-wipe of her tears, froze. The Princess Consort said coolly, "Neither the Prince nor I have said a word. Where did you hear such rumors?" "You are, after all, a Concubine Consort in this household. You ought to conduct yourself with more composure." "To come running to Green Pine Court crying over some hearsay—if the servants below all learned from your example, my Green Pine Court would know no peace." Consort Hua said sheepishly, "This concubine knows she was wrong." She cautiously studied the Princess Consort's expression and asked softly, "Then... does this concubine not need to move courts after all?" The Princess Consort smiled without warmth. "This matter—we shall wait until the Prince returns to decide." Consort Hua asked instinctively, "I heard the Prince went to the counties below on official business today. When will he return?" The Princess Consort said coldly, "Is Consort Hua asking this Princess Consort?" Consort Hua: "This... is it not allowed to ask?" "The rules the matron taught me never said one could not ask." Consort Hua stared with wide eyes, her gaze filled with trepidation and fear, along with a measure of foolish innocence. Seeing the Princess Consort's expression turn cold, her voice grew softer and softer. The Princess Consort raised a hand to rub her temples. "Escort Consort Hua back." Nanny Li felt for her mistress and could not help but remind Consort Hua, "Consort Hua, the Prince's whereabouts are not something the women of the inner quarters may casually inquire about." Before leaving, Consort Hua still muttered under her breath. "This concubine was not inquiring about the Prince's whereabouts—it was the Princess Consort who said a decision could only be made once the Prince returned..." The Princess Consort: "..." Nanny Li: "..." The Princess Consort had recently found Wan Linlang and Fang Yuan'er too calculating, and now she found Consort Hua too lacking in calculation—unable even to tell good words from bad. The Princess Consort sighed. "A mere hint of rumor, and before the Prince or I have said anything, she could not help but come out to make a fuss." "With such a temperament, how is she to survive in this household? And the Prince still asks me to look after her..." The Princess Consort feared that spending too much time with Consort Hua would anger her into illness. Nanny Li leaned in to comfort her mistress. "From what the Prince says, Consort Hua was doted on by her parents since childhood and was raised a little too simply." "Though she is not very clever, she does not seem to harbor ill intentions—at least she is less troublesome than the others." As for who "the others" were, Nanny Li felt no need to name them explicitly. The Princess Consort supposed that was true. She paused. "Have someone go check on Concubine Lian. She is also one to keep things bottled up. If she hears rumors, she will likely grow anxious and uneasy." Were it not for Concubine Lian being close to giving birth, the Princess Consort would not have bothered to add this word. Mentioning Concubine Lian naturally brought Wan Linlang to the Princess Consort's mind. She frowned. "Is Concubine Lian still associating so closely with Concubine Wan?" "Indeed!" Nanny Li knew everything about the inner quarters of the household. "Everything Concubine Lian eats and drinks must first pass under Concubine Wan's scrutiny." "All matters great and small in her court are managed by Concubine Wan." "I heard there was a maid in Concubine Lian's court who was unruly, secretly causing Concubine Lian much grievance, yet Concubine Lian bore it all without a word." "It was only when Concubine Wan happened to discover it that she flew into a rage and dismissed the maid. Since then, the maids in Concubine Lian's court have all been much more well-behaved." Had such a thing happened in another's court, the concubine residing there would only have felt it an insult. But here, with Concubine Lian, everyone thought it perfectly normal. That in itself showed that from the very beginning, things were far from normal. The Princess Consort smiled. "So she truly did manage to protect the child." "Tell me—if Lady Wan has such ability, how was it that when she herself was pregnant, the child suddenly miscarried?" The longer she spent with Wan Linlang, the more the Princess Consort could see through her true nature. Composed, ruthless—she rarely made a move, but when she did, she left no leverage or escape route for anyone. A person like that, if she had a child, would guard it with the utmost care. Yet she had lost the child over a petty quarrel with Concubine Han of that time? Even now, the Princess Consort had begun to doubt whether Wan Linlang had truly been pregnant at all. The Princess Consort asked, "How much longer until Concubine Lian gives birth?" Nanny Li mused, "She is already past eight months now—roughly a month or two away." "The household physicians who take her pulse all say this pregnancy has been very stable, and she should carry to full term." Several others in the household had given birth prematurely. In Nanny Li's eyes, being able to carry the pregnancy to full term without causing trouble for her mistress the Princess Consort was already a blessing from Buddha. The Princess Consort lowered her gaze in thought. "Nanny, send someone to keep an eye on Concubine Lian." "If Lady Wan intends to do something, we may not easily detect it. But what should be properly attended to, I must attend to." "Otherwise, if the Prince blames us, neither of us can bear the consequences." With that, the Princess Consort could not help but rub her brow. After Nanny Li acknowledged the order, she immediately fretted over the Princess Consort: "Mistress, you were up all night last night and likely didn't sleep well. Since there's some free time today, why not go lie down for a bit?" Ever since Prince Su's household had met with misfortune, the Princess Consort's sleep had never been good—she frequently suffered from insomnia. The imperial physician had been summoned to examine her, and between the lines, he suggested that the Princess Consort's excessive worrying was the cause. Nanny Li assumed the Princess Consort was worried about being implicated by Prince Su, and though she felt for her mistress, she did not know how to comfort her. Before the Princess Consort could return to her bedchamber to rest, word came that the maidservant attending Concubine Lian was requesting an audience. The Princess Consort knew then that she had misjudged the woman. This Concubine Lian, weak-willed as she was, still had her own little schemes. Nanny Li's kindly face instantly tensed. "Mistress, you go rest first. I'll go ask whatever it is." Yet in her heart, she knew that Concubine Lian sending someone over at this time was most likely connected to the master's words. The Princess Consort could not be bothered to deal with such trivial matters and gave a nod. Before long, Nanny Li came in with a furrowed brow. "Princess Consort, Concubine Lian has heard the rumors and says she is willing to move out of her courtyard, not daring to trouble Consort Hua." The Princess Consort cast a lazy glance at Nanny Li. "She's moving courtyards? Moving house with her eight-month belly?" "Did she come up with that herself, or did someone put the words in her mouth?"