Chapter 197

Chapter 197 Nanny Li gave a light snort. "I suspect Concubine Wan put her up to it—trying to play a game of retreating in order to advance in front of you." "She's eight months pregnant now. If she moves courtyards at this time and something goes wrong, the Prince will surely blame you." "But if you don't let her move, and Consort Hua refuses to move either, then if something happens to her later because of the clash, you won't escape responsibility either..." The more Nanny Li thought about it, the angrier she became. "Every last one of them has a black heart—they're all scheming against you!" "I was too polite to her maid earlier. I should have given her two slaps across the face!" The Princess Consort knew Nanny Li was just talking tough, so she didn't take it to heart, though she did feel a bit disgusted inside. But the Princess Consort wasn't one to suffer grievances in silence. She curled her lips into a smile and said, "Since she's so sincere, let her send a maid to discuss it with Consort Hua." "Once they've reached an agreement, they can send word to me for the final decision." "An excellent idea, Mistress!" Nanny Li clapped her hands in excitement. "Let those two dogs fight it out—we'll see who comes out on top!" Consort Hua was foolish, but she wasn't a pushover—she had a bit of reckless spirit to her. Concubine Lian was full of little schemes, but she was timid and liked to play the delicate, fragile role. What sparks could those two possibly strike up in discussion? As long as they didn't tear each other's faces off, the Princess Consort could sit back and enjoy the show. The Princess Consort said helplessly, "Mother, don't fan the flames here. Just make sure no one touches Concubine Lian's belly." Nanny Li's amused expression instantly sobered. "Yes, this servant will keep a close watch." Nanny Li knew her limits. They could squabble all they wanted, but when it came to matters of heirs, there could be no mistakes. Xie Run woke up in the morning and played with Taotao for a while. Feeling bored, she sent someone to invite Concubine Lu to the courtyard for a game of chess. Concubine Lu didn't know how to play chess—Xie Run mainly wanted to hear the gossip from her. Soon, Concubine Lu arrived at Chunshan Courtyard with her young maid. Her eyes were bright, and her round face wore a smile, as if she had already moved past the incident with Concubine An and Ping'an. After greeting, Concubine Lu looked at Taotao on the couch and smiled. "It's only been a few days, but Taotao has grown taller and sturdier—he looks like a different child." Xie Run was just taking a sip of tea. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "I see him every day, so I only know he's probably gained a bit of weight. I can't notice anything else." With that, her gaze fell on Concubine Lu. "Have your injuries healed?" "Fully healed." After that ordeal, Concubine Lu seemed even more cheerful. "They weren't serious injuries to begin with, and with the medicine Sister Xie gave me, they healed quickly." Beside her, Cuiniao said with a hint of disdain, "Don't mind my mistress showing off right now, Mistress Xie. It's only because the government physician said that luckily it's winter, so there's no risk of the wounds festering or getting infected, which made it safe to use medicine. Otherwise, she might have been left with scars. When my mistress heard that, she was so worried she almost couldn't eat." Concubine Lu pointed at her and scolded, "You girl, always trying to undermine me. I'll send you away when we get back." Cuiniao immediately fell silent. Everyone else in Chunshan Courtyard laughed along. Seeing the chessboard on the table, she said instinctively, "Sister Xie, I only know how to play Gomoku." Xie Run said softly, "Perfect. I don't feel like using my brain either." The two of them eagerly started playing Gomoku. Having been cooped up in her courtyard for over half a month, Concubine Lu had a belly full of things to say. Her hand had barely touched the pieces before her mouth started running: "I heard that today both Concubine Lian and Consort Hua went to see the Princess Consort." Xie Run picked up a handful of pieces and held them in her palm, smiling. "About Qiufeng Courtyard clashing with people whose names contain the character for flower?" "Isn't it?" Concubine Lu said with great enthusiasm. "Consort Hua went to the Princess Consort to say she doesn't want to move courtyards, while Concubine Lian went to say she wants to move." "Those two... one is too foolish, the other has too many schemes." Xie Run's gaze fell on the chessboard, and she said casually, "Indeed." "The Princess Consort hasn't said a word, and they're already making a fuss over these rumors." "Consort Hua says she doesn't want to move, but if something happens to Concubine Lian because of the clash, she can't bear that responsibility either. She has no sense of proper conduct." "Concubine Lian says she'll move, but in reality, she's retreating to advance—trying to make Consort Hua voluntarily move away from her." Placing a piece down, Xie Run smiled. "After all, they can't really make a woman about to give birth move courtyards, can they? If anything happens, both Consort Hua and the Princess Consort would bear the blame." Concubine Lu nodded repeatedly. "This servant thinks the same. I originally thought Concubine Lian was simple and guileless." "But now, who can't see through her little schemes? If Consort Hua moves courtyards, won't everyone in the future have to show respect to her and the child in her belly?" After all, even a Concubine Consort had to move courtyards to avoid the bad luck. That showed just how much weight she and her child carried. The Prince's rear courtyard was vast—whether you were a mistress or a maid, you had to fight for that breath of pride. That breath of pride was intangible, but it established a reputation of not being someone to mess with, allowing one to suffer fewer bullying and gain more benefits. Concubine Lu smiled. "If you ask me, they should just rename Qiufeng Courtyard. Take away the 'Qiu' character, and then it won't clash with anyone, right?" "Perhaps at first, the Princess Consort had that thought. But ever since Concubine Lian and Consort Hua went to see her, that plan probably won't work anymore." Concubine Lu looked puzzled. "Why?" "Since this has already reached the Princess Consort's ears, it's essentially out in the open. No matter what changes are made at Autumn Maple Court, it would look like yielding to Concubine Lian." "Unless Consort Hua has lost her wits entirely, she won't back down." Concubine Lu thought for a moment. "Then wouldn't Concubine Lian... have stirred up all this trouble for nothing?" Xie Run said with a meaningful smile, "Who says she stirred up trouble for nothing?" "Take today's matter—would you dare go to Green Pine Court and challenge Consort Hua head-on?" Concubine Lu fell silent. "She's relying on the child in her belly... Her courage really has grown." Back when Consort Jiang was at the height of her power, Concubine Lian wouldn't have dared to make a peep. Yet now she dared to challenge Consort Hua and wasn't even reprimanded—this showed her status was no longer what it was when she was a pitiful thing being bullied. Concubine Lu realized belatedly, "I've still been looking at her with old eyes. She... is different from before now." This, in fact, was precisely the point of Concubine Lian fighting for this breath of dignity. Xie Run smiled. "I don't think this was instigated by Concubine Wan. It seems more like Concubine Lian's own idea." Wan Linlang preferred underhanded schemes and wouldn't bother with petty annoyances. After all, she always liked to cloak herself in a guise of meekness and harmlessness. Concubine Lu wiped her mouth with her handkerchief. "True. She's from that place, after all—she's seen far more of the world than we have. How could she really be simple and innocent?" It was only because the gap between her and Consort Jiang had been too vast, and because she was newly arrived at the manor and unfamiliar with the situation, that she had been bullied into helplessness. Xie Run said, "Though one shouldn't judge people by their origins, a person's temperament and conduct are largely shaped by their upbringing and circumstances. Concubine Lian... cannot truly be without cunning." "But whether she has cunning or not doesn't affect us. For now, I just hope Concubine Lian isn't actually cursed by Autumn Maple Court." Concubine Lu also wore an expression of someone enjoying the show. "That... is hard to say." Xie Run didn't believe in those so-called masters. In her previous life, when she first fell ill, her parents had taken her to kowtow before countless Buddhas and plead with countless deities. When it was time to die, none of it delayed things in the slightest. But there was no helping it—people in ancient times truly believed. Now she couldn't tell whether the claim that Autumn Maple Court brought misfortune was true or false. If someone actually did fall victim to it, this matter would still have plenty more drama to unfold.