Second Concubine Liu Ruyin glared at Steward Wu. “Granny Wu, when did I ever tell you to send spoiled food to the Eldest Miss? She is, after all, the Prime Minister’s daughter. If you dare spout such nonsense again, I will have your tongue cut out.”
Granny Wu was utterly bewildered and somewhat indignant. “Madam, how can you deny it? You clearly gave the order. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared do such a thing even if you gave me the courage of heaven. You said the Eldest Miss was a discarded pawn, that leftover scraps were good enough for her, that she should be raised like a dog and left to fend for herself.”
Second Concubine kept trying to signal Granny Wu with her eyes, but Granny Wu, unaware that Fourth Concubine and the others had approached, continued without stopping.
“Granny Wu, shut your mouth! If you dare speak another word of nonsense, I’ll have you beaten to death with sticks!”
Granny Wu looked as if she had suffered a grave injustice. “Madam, I was only telling the truth. How could you treat me like this? It breaks this old servant’s heart!”
“My, my, what kind of act is this?” Su Xiaoxiao fanned herself idly with a round fan, a look of disdain on her face.
Only when Granny Wu saw Third Concubine and Fourth Concubine arrive did she understand her mistress’s meaning.
Second Concubine changed her expression. “You… what brings you all here together?”
Third Concubine wore a faint smile at the corner of her mouth. “It seemed quite lively here, so we came to see what was happening! Granny Wu is Second Concubine’s person. Why are you biting each other now? Is she betraying her master?”
Liu Ruyin detested the seductive, fox-like charm that Su Xiaoxiao, a woman from the pleasure quarters, exuded and couldn’t be bothered to engage with her.
Su Xiaoxiao spoke each word with force and clarity: “Second Concubine, look at what the other young ladies in the Prime Minister’s Mansion wear, and then look at the Eldest Miss—she dresses worse than a servant. If word got out that you treat the Former Wife’s daughter so harshly, what would others think? The Grand Commandant’s household truly has fine upbringing. Or perhaps it’s that a concubine-born daughter simply can’t hold her own. Though you’ve gained the authority of the lady of the house, it’s a pity you remain petty and narrow-minded, lacking the capacity to tolerate others.”
Liu Ruyin glared at her viciously. “Su Xiaoxiao, you’d better watch your words. No matter how flawed I may be, at least I come from a noble family—I am a daughter of the Grand Commandant’s household. And you? A woman of ill repute from the brothels and pleasure quarters. You make a living by selling your smiles all day, ridden by thousands and trampled by tens of thousands, nothing but a plaything for men. You are the least qualified person here to criticize me.”
Flames seemed to shoot from Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes as she curled her lip. “Liu Ruyin, how dare you slander me like this! I will definitely have the Prime Minister deal with you. Are you questioning the Prime Minister’s decision? Moreover, I sell my art, not my body. Even after marrying the Prime Minister, I remain pure. And you? If you hadn’t schemed against the Prime Minister at the Grand Commandant’s flower-viewing banquet, with your looks, how could you have ever been taken into the mansion as a concubine?”
Second Concubine was also infuriated. “Who knows whether you sell it or not? It’s not written on your face. If you sold it secretly, no one would know. Otherwise, if you were only selling smiles, how could you have so much gold, silver, and fine jewelry?”
Fourth Concubine hadn’t expected such an outcome. She had originally intended to bring someone to help Feng Qianqian, never imagining they would end up quarreling. She felt a twinge of guilt, as if she had pushed Third Concubine into a pit.
Third Concubine stepped forward, pointing a finger at Liu Ruyin. “If you dare speak of me again, I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
“How dare you! You actually dare point at me! Guards, seize Third Concubine! I will punish her according to the household rules. From now on, Third Concubine’s monthly allowance is suspended.”
“Liu Ruyin, if I, Su Xiaoxiao, had to rely on that measly monthly allowance to live, I might as well not live at all.
Besides, with the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s treasury burned down, there probably isn’t even money left to buy rice and grain. What monthly allowance can we expect?” Su Xiaoxiao wore an expression of utter defiance.
Feng Qianqian watched the two of them on the verge of a fight and thought to herself: The plot twist is happening a bit too fast. I’m the one who smashed the kitchen, I’m the culprit. Shouldn’t they be coming after me?
Now Third Concubine and Second Concubine are about to fight, and it seems like it has nothing to do with me anymore.
Still, Third Concubine is quite a character, she has personality.
Second Concubine accidentally caught sight of Feng Qianqian’s amused, spectator-like expression and angrily scolded, “Eldest Miss, how dare you! You actually dared to smash the kitchen!”
A hint of insolence appeared on Feng Qianqian’s face. “That’s right, I am bold.
Since you made me eat spoiled food while you feasted on chicken and fish, let’s just make sure no one eats at all.”
Second Concubine was furious. “Su Xiaoxiao, the Prime Minister’s Mansion currently has no funds to get by. Every concubine must contribute her own silver to replenish the household coffers.
Someone! Go to Third Concubine’s private treasury and have all her silver carried to my courtyard.”
Su Xiaoxiao flared up. “How dare you! Why don’t you take out your own dowry!
Oh, right, you’re just a concubine-born daughter with only a dozen or so carriage-loads of dowry, not much silver at all. That’s why you’re eyeing mine.
If you dare take my dowry, I’ll spread the word about your daughter’s affair—how she was caught disheveled with a man coming out of her boudoir. I’ll make sure the whole city knows, creating a huge scandal.”
Second Concubine’s face twisted viciously. “Su Xiaoxiao, how dare you!”
Su Xiaoxiao looked coldly at Liu Ruyin. “If you start it, I’ll finish it. If we end up destroying each other, I don’t care.”
Liu Ruyin gritted her teeth in hatred, truly wishing she could strangle Su Xiaoxiao.
A maidservant asked, “Madam, should we still go to Wangyue Tower to fetch the dowry?”
Second Concubine glared at the maidservant. “Go where? You useless fool with no sense, get out of here!”
Fourth Concubine stepped forward to mediate. “Everyone, calm down. Let’s all disperse.”
Seeing that with these two concubines present, she couldn’t do much to Feng Qianqian if things continued like this, Second Concubine simply left.
The others also departed from the Main Kitchen.
Granny Liu watched everyone leave and said, “Why did they all leave? What about the kitchen? All the pots are smashed. How are we supposed to prepare the noon meal?”
Granny Chen looked at Steward Wu. “We’re just cooks. Let the steward go find Madam.”
…………
Feng Xue’er’s stomach growled with hunger. She said angrily, “Why hasn’t the Main Kitchen sent the meal yet? Meixiang has been gone for a while, why isn’t she back?”
Just then, Meixiang walked in. “Second Young Miss, I’m afraid… I’m afraid there won’t be any meal today. And it’s not just you.”
Feng Xue’er was puzzled. “What happened? Why won’t there be a meal?”
“The Eldest Miss smashed the Main Kitchen. All the pots and bowls are broken.”
Anger flickered in Feng Xue’er’s eyes. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. “If she makes me go hungry, then she won’t eat either. Have those two grannies returned yet?”
“Not yet!”
“When they come back, we’ll go together and teach that little wretch a lesson!”