Chapter 472

Chapter 472 People leave, and the tea grows cold—that is all there is to it. Not long after becoming a concubine, Fangse fully tasted the meaning of that phrase. The noble masters above looked down on her and had never paid her any mind. That might be a good thing, but it was certainly not a good thing either. When the masters did not pay her any mind, those above set the example for those below, and the servants likewise paid her no heed. And because she bore the black mark of having harmed her mistress's life, within half a month's time, she had sunk to a state where anyone could bully her. Four dishes and a soup became one dish and a soup, and occasionally even spoiled ones. Concubine Fang ate this way for several days, and the maidservants around her could no longer bear it. Among them were several second-class maids who had followed Concubine Yun. As for the first-class maids... once Concubine Yun died, they had all been sent away. These girls, relying on having grown up alongside Concubine Fang, dared to speak a few impertinent words. "Mistress, if you sit back and wait for death, in the days to come you may not even have spoiled food to eat." "These people are the best at flattering those above and bullying those below. If you don't put on some mistress's authority, in the future you'll live worse than a lapdog!" Concubine Fang smiled bitterly: "I don't want to live like this either, but I have no favor, no children, and no family background... and on top of that, I bear the name of betraying my mistress. Where would I find the confidence to act as their mistress?" "Mistress, thinking that way is precisely the mistake!" "You've served the Prince, and you're a concubine personally acknowledged by the Princess Consort. Why should you fear those servants?!" When she herself had been a maidservant, she had been obedient and well-behaved, bullied by the masters above her. When she finally managed to turn things around and become a mistress, she ended up being bullied by the servants below. With that kind of temperament, life would never be easy no matter where she went. Fortunately, Concubine Fang was not like Concubine An, who had no temper at all and was afraid of everything. She spent the last of her silver to have the small kitchen prepare a bowl of nourishing soup, and choosing a time when no one was around, she personally carried it to the Green Pine Courtyard. At that time, the Princess Consort's health was still good, and the inner court was ruled by the Princess Consort's word. The Princess Consort had always handled matters fairly—this was her one chance. After Concubine Fang, who had come to pay her respects, had left, the Princess Consort saw the bowl of nourishing soup and turned to ask Nanny Li: "What does Concubine Fang mean by this bowl of soup?" Nanny Li was fond of gossip, but she was also sharp-eyed and clear-minded. "The Prince favored Concubine Fang for three days, then completely cast her aside. The inner court is all saying that Concubine Fang stepped over Concubine Yun's corpse to rise, and there's much disrespect toward her." "I hear Concubine Fang has been having a hard time lately." The Princess Consort took the tea handed over by a maidservant and took a shallow sip: "Lady Yun was vicious and brought about her own death. No one is to blame but herself. Concubine Fang has been saddled with a black mark for nothing." "With all the filthy things Lady Yun did, she never once let Concubine Fang get her hands dirty." Nanny Li leaned in: "Concubine Yun didn't let Concubine Fang get involved—she was probably keeping her around to look after Princess Ruyi." "That's true. She always calculated for the long term." The Princess Consort said in a calm voice: "Where is the biggest problem?" Nanny Li: "The kitchen." "Then warn the head of the main kitchen and make them behave." "I was careless for a moment, and they got so carried away they forgot their own names, even going so far as to mistreat a mistress." Fawning on the high and trampling on the low is the norm anywhere, but one cannot push people to death. No matter how capable a woman might be, she cannot completely eradicate such things; it's just that those with formidable methods can minimize such occurrences to the greatest extent. If the servants in the household bullied their masters, it would make it seem as though the Princess Consort had not managed things well, and that there was no proper discipline. Nanny Li: "This Concubine Fang is also sensible. She only came to visit you, Princess Consort, under the pretext of offering soup, and didn't say anything inappropriate." The Princess Consort rubbed her temples, "If she's sensible, then that's naturally for the best." There were too many senseless people in the household, causing trouble all day long. The Princess Consort rather liked someone like Concubine Fang. She didn't cause her any trouble. Who would have thought that although Concubine Fang didn't cause trouble, there was no stopping others from going looking for trouble with her.