Chapter 211

Chapter 211 Prince An smiled meaningfully. "I'm afraid if Father saw this, he couldn't help but concern himself with your marital affairs." Whenever Prince Jing attended banquets, he was always accompanied by his Princess Consort, and both inside and outside the palace, everyone praised the couple for their harmony and deep affection. Prince An treated his Princess Consort as mere decoration, doting instead on his two Side Consorts, and rarely brought his Princess Consort when entering the palace. For this reason, the two were often compared. After Prince Su's downfall, the Emperor counted his sons and found that Prince Jing's marital relationship was the only one presentable enough to uphold the imperial family's face. He frequently used this matter to reprimand his other sons. Prince Wei sneered inwardly upon hearing this. Prince An appeared amiable on the surface, but he was actually petty and had long since remembered the grudge. This was him running into Prince Jing, so his words carried a sour tone. Prince Jing smiled. "The Princess Consort has been feeling slightly unwell lately. Your younger brother, being considerate of her discomfort, has let her rest and recuperate properly to avoid the fatigue of travel." A Concubine Consort Wu beside them spoke up: "This concubine has heard that tending to the sick is exhausting. Everyone throughout the palace knows that Princess Consort Jing devoted herself to serving Noble Consort Rou. Could it be that Princess Consort Jing collapsed from the strain of tending to her?" "This concubine deeply admires her..." Xie Run lowered her head, her voice soft yet dignified. "This elder sister must be mistaken." "Noble Consort Rou has always been considerate toward the Princess Consort, and the Princess Consort has served her devotedly at her side. Upon returning to the residence, she only praised Noble Consort Rou's magnanimity and kindness to this concubine—how could she have collapsed from exhaustion?" "It's just that recently, one of the sisters in the residence is about to give birth. The Princess Consort worries about the Prince's progeny and, feeling uneasy, insisted on personally overseeing matters." As a daughter-in-law, serving one's mother-in-law was only proper and expected. There had long been rumors of discord between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the palace. If word spread today that the Princess Consort had collapsed from tending to Noble Consort Rou's illness, by tomorrow people would say that Noble Consort Rou was using the opportunity to mistreat her daughter-in-law. The Princess Consort's hard work would go to waste, and it would instead incur Noble Consort Rou's displeasure. If Xie Run hadn't spoken up to refute it, by tomorrow everyone would be watching Prince Jing's household become a spectacle. When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer—she understood this principle well. Concubine Consort Wu covered her mouth with a light laugh. "This concubine simply didn't know the full story and nearly misunderstood." "Only, this younger sister looks unfamiliar. May I ask your surname? I find you quite endearing at first sight..." As she spoke, she even stepped forward to take Xie Run's hand. Xie Run was startled and instinctively dodged. Consort Liang beside her said with a smile, "Speaking of unfamiliar faces, wouldn't you be the unfamiliar one, younger sister? I've only ever seen Princess Consort An and Side Consort Jiang before—I've never seen this younger sister." Concubine Consort Wu didn't feel that standing before two Side Consorts as a mere Concubine Consort put her beneath them in any way. First, within Prince An's residence, even the Princess Consort had to treat her with three parts respect, let alone the Side Consorts. Second, the fact that she, a mere Concubine Consort, could accompany Prince An to a banquet only further proved how favored she was by him. Therefore, Concubine Consort Wu wasn't the least bit self-conscious—on the contrary, she was rather proud. Consort Liang, having been tempered by managing the household, presented herself with an air of social grace and welcoming smiles. But Concubine Consort Wu wasn't foolish either. The moment Consort Liang brought up Princess Consort An and Side Consort Jiang, it was clear she looked down on her. Both women harbored their own private schemes, trading words back and forth. Xie Run played the fool, quietly staying on the sidelines. After chatting for a while, Prince An led Concubine Consort Wu to take seats at the head of the table. Xie Run caught sight of Prince Wei frowning visibly at this scene, though he said nothing. Prince Jing... was very relaxed. As if he truly had only come to attend the banquet. Suddenly, a glass of wine in a crystal goblet appeared before Xie Run. "New tribute from the Western Regions. I find the taste rather pleasant—would you like to try it?" Xie Run glanced at it, then raised her hand and took the wine for a small sip. "How is it?" Xie Run's eyes brightened slightly. "It has a distinctive flavor." She wasn't fond of alcohol, but she would occasionally savor a sip or two. Prince Jing smiled. "Then I'll ask the Empress for two flasks later." Xie Run nearly choked and hastily stopped him. "Your Highness, if you ask for that, by tomorrow everyone inside and outside the palace will know this concubine has a craving for wine!" Prince Jing laughed. "No matter. I'll take the blame for you." "You've protected the Princess Consort's reputation. When we return, I'll have her reward you." Prince Jing naturally caught the trap hidden in Concubine Consort Wu's words. But he was a prince, and a man besides—was he supposed to trade barbs with a Concubine Consort? At times like this, it depended on whether the person accompanying him was sharp enough. Clearly, Xie Run's performance was more than satisfactory to Prince Jing. After sitting for a while, the Emperor arrived at the palace banquet with Noble Consort Chen, followed by Noble Consort Rou and the others. All the princes, nobles, and dignitaries rose to pay their respects. As she stood, Xie Run stole a glance at the Emperor and Noble Consort Chen. Having been ill for a period recently, the Emperor's cheeks were gaunt. Apart from his overly sharp and shrewd eyes, he looked like nothing more than a dried-up old man. Noble Consort Chen wasn't the stereotypical image of a seductive consort either. On the contrary, she was exceedingly delicate and gentle in appearance, with elegant and alluring movements. When she lifted her head, her eyes seemed to hold a pool of water. Not to mention the Emperor—even Xie Run felt her heart soften from a single casual glance. No one who saw Noble Consort Chen would ever imagine her many formidable achievements. Only after the Emperor said "Rise" did everyone take their seats. The dancers and musicians filed in with practiced ease, while palace maids bustled back and forth, and the scene quickly grew lively. Amid the clinking of cups and the exchange of toasts, time flew by. Xie Run was quietly counting the red dots on her pastries when she suddenly heard Consort Liang beside her say, "Sister Xie, would you care to freshen up?" Freshen up?! Alarm bells immediately rang in Xie Run's mind. At banquets like this, the most trouble tended to happen during trips to the washroom. She had already resolved to avoid going the entire evening. But the moment Consort Liang asked, she suddenly felt the need. Xie Run had no choice but to face the challenge head-on. "I was just worrying that I don't know anyone here and wouldn't dare wander off on my own." Consort Liang smiled warmly. "Then follow me, sister. Once you've walked the path once, you'll be familiar with it." "Thank you, sister." It wasn't until she had finished freshening up that Xie Run let out a sigh of relief. Palace maids brought basins of water, and she and Consort Liang washed their hands briefly. Consort Liang let out a soft "Oh?" and said, "The fragrance of today's water is different from before." A maid lowered her head and replied, "To answer Consort Liang, Noble Consort Chen said that since it is winter now, one should carry the scent of plum blossoms, so she replaced the previous rose and jasmine with plum blossoms." "This banquet... was prepared by Noble Consort Chen?" "To answer Consort Liang, the Empress is unwell, so all matters of the banquet have been personally handled by Noble Consort Chen." The Empress had quarreled fiercely with the Emperor on New Year's Eve, and afterward had taken to her bed, refusing to appear. Now even the Lantern Festival banquet was being handled by Noble Consort Chen. Could it be that His Majesty truly intended to depose the Empress? Consort Liang glanced at Xie Run. Unfortunately, Xie Run simply stood there in a daze, failing to receive her meaningful look. At that moment, Consort Liang felt the same confusion that Fang Yuan'er had once felt. Was Prince Jing's taste so peculiar that he favored simple, foolish women? Dismissing the maids, Consort Liang said to Xie Run, "Sister Xie, it's time for us to return." Xie Run obediently replied, "I'll follow you, sister." Consort Liang felt a twinge of wistfulness. If only everyone in Prince Wei's household were so docile and gentle. After walking for a while, Xie Run couldn't help but frown, noticing a faint itch creeping up her arm. She endured it for a long time, but when she could bear it no longer, she raised her hand to scratch.