Chapter 74

Chapter 74 Xie Run's Spring Mountain Court and Consort Yun's Autumn Maple Court were quite far apart. After both had moved, they lived in seclusion. Neither was very familiar with the other's maids and servants. Xie Run rose to her feet. "It's cold outside. If there's something to discuss, let's go inside." Dantao and Xiaoshu both followed her in, while the young maid waited in the outer room. Before entering, Xie Run didn't forget to remind Chunjuan, "Tell the small kitchen to prepare some brown sugar ginger soup. Have a few bowls ready for your sisters to ward off the chill." "Fooling around is all well and good, but you still need to take care of yourselves." Chunjuan said with a grin, "Your words are etched firmly in this servant's memory!" "This servant will personally watch every sister drink her bowl of ginger soup." Xie Run smiled. "Then I'll reward you with an extra bowl!" "Everyone else gets one bowl, but you get two!" Chunjuan scratched her head sheepishly. "Thank you for your generosity, mistress." Once inside the room, Xie Run first took the invitation that Xiaoshu handed her. Xiaoshu said, "The invitation was sent by Consort Yun. The eighteenth of the first month is Commandery Princess Ruyi's third birthday, and Consort Yun plans to hold a lively celebration." "The young maid outside is called Linglong. She's here to relay Consort Yun's message." Xie Run unfolded the invitation and looked it over. It was indeed an invitation to attend Commandery Princess Ruyi's birthday banquet. "Bring her in." As soon as Linglong entered, she bowed to Xie Run. "This servant pays respects to Concubine Xie." "Rise." Xie Run spoke in a gentle voice. "Your mistress sent you here specifically—does she have a message for me?" Linglong nodded. "Indeed she does!" "The eighteenth of the first month is our Commandery Princess's birthday. My mistress specifically instructed that even if no one else is invited, Concubine Xie absolutely must be!" "Currently there are only three concubine consorts in the residence. Consort Fang is under house arrest and cannot come. If even Concubine Xie doesn't attend, others won't understand the circumstances—they'll only think our mistress has no face, that she can't even invite an honored guest." Linglong had a pair of beautiful eyes that seemed to speak when she looked at you. At this moment, they had already taken on a hint of pitiful grievance. "My mistress begs Concubine Xie to consider their past sisterly bond and please come." "When the birthday banquet arrives, she'll have the Commandery Princess personally pour tea for Concubine Xie as thanks." She added, "My mistress also gave an order—if I fail to invite Concubine Xie, I'm not allowed to return." "I beg Concubine Xie to take pity on this servant. Please don't leave this foolish girl to take up space in Spring Mountain Court." Her clear black-and-white eyes gazed at Xie Run pleadingly, like a pure white kitten begging for food. Not just Xie Run—even Dantao and Xiaoshu couldn't help but soften at the sight. "That mouth of yours is so glib. None of the maids in my courtyard can match you!" Xie Run smiled. "If your mistress ever doesn't want you, you can stay with me instead." Xie Run gave a playful wink. "Don't worry, I'll dote on you. Even your sisters Dantao and Xiaoshu won't compare." "Ah?" Linglong's mouth hung open, her black-and-white eyes wide with surprise and bewilderment. "Y-you really want to keep this servant?" Everyone laughed. Dantao chuckled. "This girl—her tongue is quick, but her wits aren't quite as sharp." Xie Run smiled and shook her head. "Enough. Since your mistress has said all this, if I still refuse to go, wouldn't that be making things too difficult for her?" Xie Run set down the invitation and said to Linglong, "Go outside first and have some tea to warm yourself up, then return and relay the message to your mistress." Linglong beamed with joy. "Everyone in the residence says Concubine Xie is a kind person, with the gentlest temperament and the most compassion for servants." "I'd only ever heard it from the other sisters before. Now that I've experienced it myself, I truly understand what it means to feel a spring breeze and a merciful heart." By rights, since Xie Run had become a concubine consort, she could be addressed as "Lady." But the rank of concubine consort wasn't particularly high. Some princely residences didn't even follow the rules, freely appointing as many concubine consorts as they pleased, which made the title rather worthless. Sometimes when people called them "Lady," it was more out of mockery. But Linglong had a sweet tongue. Her words warmed one straight to the heart, filled with nothing but respect, leaving the listener feeling utterly at ease. Xie Run smiled. "Dantao, give her a handful of melon seeds too. She came all this way—she shouldn't suffer the cold for nothing." Linglong's eyes lit up, and her sweet words flowed freely, spilling out by the basketful. After Linglong was sent off, the smile gradually faded from between Dantao's brows. "Mistress, what does Consort Yun mean by this? Insisting you attend Commandery Princess Ruyi's birthday banquet—what if something happens..." "Linglong's words aren't wrong." Xie Run said gently. "There's no side consort in the residence right now, only three concubine consorts. Consort Fang is still under house arrest. If I don't go either, outsiders will inevitably have plenty to say." Xiaoshu frowned, dissatisfied. "For the sake of her face, our mistress has to risk herself seven months pregnant?" "Is her face more important than the imperial grandson in our mistress's belly?" Xie Run shook her head. "Why are you getting so worked up too?" "Since she's set her mind on inviting me, right now she's only asking nicely. If I refuse, she'll go beg the Prince and Princess Consort." "Rather than let things turn ugly later, it's better to agree now." Xie Run raised a hand to touch her belly. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I should ignore everyone entirely." She worried about the child and was cautious about everything, but others wouldn't understand. In the eyes of the Prince and Princess Consort, they would think Xie Run was being overly fussy. It was just attending a birthday banquet—eat a meal and come back. How could she not go? Xie Run's pregnancy was precious, but Consort Yun was also hosting a birthday banquet for Princess Ruyi. Wasn't everyone here a prince or princess of the blood? Dantao said, "I'm afraid Concubine Li and Concubine Han will both go. Those two haven't even had their pregnancies stabilize yet." After a pause, she added, "And Concubine An." Concubine An's pregnancy was half a month further along than Xie Run's—she'd be seven and a half months by then. "If they all go and only our mistress doesn't, they'll all say our mistress is putting on airs and being presumptuous. And the Prince has always doted on Princess Ruyi, so he'll inevitably be displeased with our mistress." Xiaoshu was at a loss for words. "I just feel she's up to no good. If something happens, what do we do?" Xie Run patted Xiaoshu on the shoulder. "Precisely because she's gone to every length to invite me, she can't afford for anything to happen to me at the birthday feast." "Consort Yun hasn't enjoyed much favor lately, and she has no son. If something happened to the pregnant women at the birthday feast, what would she gain besides the Prince's disgust?" Xiaoshu said, "That's true." Xie Run said, "If today's host were Consort Fang or Concubine Han, I truly wouldn't dare attend this birthday feast." Those two both 'had' heirs now, and could be ruthless. Dantao said, "Even so, we should still err on the side of caution. Even if Consort Yun has no intention to harm, we can't guarantee that others attending the feast won't harbor such thoughts."