“No need.”
Side Consort Fang refused, saying, “Word was already sent yesterday. The Prince surely knows. To go again…” Wouldn’t that just annoy him?
Moreover, there was still Nanny Hua from the palace residing in the estate. She kept a close watch on the Prince’s heirs. While she couldn’t control where the Prince went, if he didn’t enter the rear courtyard for two consecutive days, Nanny Hua certainly wouldn’t stand idly by.
Study.
“Your Highness, Concubine Shen has her monthly courses. Lady Hai’s health has greatly improved and she can now serve you.”
Nanny Hua got straight to the point: “Lady Hai has a full, healthy figure and is sure to conceive a child, allowing her to bear offspring for Your Highness sooner.”
“The palace has long been hoping for Your Highness to have a child soon.” The core message of Nanny Hua’s earnest words was simple: go to the rear courtyard!
Secluded Orchid Courtyard.
Shen Lingshu, who had her monthly courses, lay on the soft couch, enjoying the freshly delivered autumn pears and grapes, along with chestnut cakes made from chestnuts. She couldn’t have been more comfortable.
Having served the Prince for seven consecutive days, Shen Lingshu truly had unspeakable hardships. Who said the Prince was indifferent to women?
During the morning greetings, she endured the sarcastic remarks and disdainful looks from Side Consort Fang and Concubine Li. At night, when serving the Prince, she had to come up with all sorts of tricks, as if trying out every position from the little manual.
Thankfully, her monthly courses arrived; otherwise, she felt she might have died in bed.
Leaning Lotus Courtyard. Having been stood up yesterday, Hai Jiaren ate dinner early today and then stood waiting at the courtyard gate.
As the night deepened and the dark figure drew closer, delight flashed in Hai Jiaren’s eyes. She immediately curtsied and greeted, “Lady Hai pays her respects to Your Highness.”
“Hmm.”
A voice as cool as the evening breeze sounded. Hai Jiaren felt her vision darken slightly as a faint scent of pinewood drifted past. Lady Hai blushed and quickly rose to welcome him.
“Let’s retire.”
Prince Lin entered the room and went straight to the point, leading the shy Hai Jiaren directly to the bed.
“Your Highness~”
Hai Jiaren was both nervous and afraid. After Prince Lin withdrew and went to the washroom in the inner chamber, Nanny Hua arrived with a pillow and placed it directly under her hips. In this embarrassing position, Hai Jiaren shifted uncomfortably.
“Nanny Hua, could you change the pillow for me? It’s a bit uncomfortable,” Hai Jiaren said, feeling the discomfort.
“No.”
Nanny Hua coldly interrupted, “You may not know, Concubine, but this pillow is filled with buckwheat, and its height is most suitable. Please bear with it for a while.”
Hai Jiaren took a deep breath and waited until the time was up. After a simple wash-up, she watched as Prince Lin re-entered the room, dressed in pure white inner garments, his tall and straight figure as handsome as a pine tree.
Recalling the earlier scene, Hai Jiaren’s cheeks flushed slightly. She stepped forward to assist him, saying, “Your Highness.”
Her deliberately softened voice sounded somewhat forced, lacking the naturalness of Shen Lingshu’s.
“Speak properly.”
Prince Lin sidestepped, avoiding her hand, and sat by the bed.
“Yes.”
Hai Jiaren’s eyes flickered. She knelt down, looking up at him with admiration in her eyes. “Your concubine almost couldn’t see you again, Your Highness.”
Hai Jiaren raised her hand to wipe away nonexistent tears. After waiting for a long time without any comfort from Prince Lin, she felt somewhat awkward. When she looked up, she met Prince Lin’s cold, penetrating gaze.
“Your concubine, your concubine…” Hai Jiaren thought of the hardships she had endured these past days. Wouldn’t it be a pity if she didn’t lodge a complaint against Shen Lingshu?
Her mother had said that men were most amenable when in bed.
Hai Jiaren gazed at Prince Lin with a hesitant, tearful expression, on the verge of crying. “Your Highness, you must stand up for me,” she pleaded.
Her face was like pear blossoms in the rain, her shoulders trembling slightly as she half-covered her face, revealing her most beautiful, watery eyes—a pitiful look begging for sympathy and justice.
“Stand up for you?” Prince Lin’s voice turned several degrees colder.
Unaware, Hai Jiaren continued, “Yes, I don’t recognize any pigweed flowers. It was all Concubine Shen’s doing—she caused me to break out in rashes all over my body, which is why I haven’t been able to serve you, Your Highness…”
As she thought of the days she had endured since entering the mansion—the discomfort of the rashes—her voice grew even more aggrieved.
The next moment, Hai Jiaren’s face was squeezed until it contorted!
“Lady Hai, in my rear courtyard, anyone who dares to use tricks to compete for favor will be beaten to death!” Prince Lin’s icy voice fell, and in the next instant, Hai Jiaren felt herself thrown off balance, collapsing to the ground.
“Your Highness, Your Highness…”
Watching the prince’s retreating figure, Hai Jiaren’s face turned pale with fear. She murmured to herself, “What should I do? Why isn’t the prince as my mother described?”
Didn’t her mother say that men are easiest to persuade in bed?
Didn’t her mother say she looked most beautiful when she cried?
After leaving the Lotus-Leaning Courtyard, Prince Lin asked, “What is this about pigweed flowers?”
Qingwu’s drowsiness vanished instantly. “Your Highness, I will investigate immediately,” he replied.
In the study, Qingwu quickly uncovered the full story of how the pigweed flowers had caused Concubine Hai’s rashes and reported it in detail.
Prince Lin’s eyes darkened. “So, it was Lady Shen who nearly fell victim?”
He couldn’t help but think of Qiu Rong, who had treated the concubines and side consorts in the rear courtyard with kindness. And how had they repaid her?
Resenting her pregnancy, they had schemed one after another, causing her to die in difficult childbirth.
“Lady Hai has behaved improperly. Confine her to her quarters for half a month.”
With these words, Prince Lin placed Hai Jiaren, who had just been released from confinement, back under house arrest.
When Hai Jiaren received the news, she slumped weakly to the ground, murmuring, “It’s over, all over.”
Upon hearing the news early in the morning, Side Consort Fang was equally shocked. Both had served the prince, yet Shen Lingshu enjoyed seven days of exclusive favor, with a steady stream of rewards flowing into the Secluded Orchid Courtyard!
How was it that Hai Jiaren, after just one night, was already confined to her quarters?
“Matron Gui, have you found out what she did?”
Side Consort Fang was genuinely curious. Had Hai Jiaren’s brain been eaten by pigs?
“Yindian said that Hai Jiaren lodged a complaint and incurred the prince’s displeasure,” Matron Gui replied, startled by the news herself. To be confined twice for the same matter—Hai Jiaren was truly the first.
“Hmph.”
Side Consort Fang sneered coldly. The late Princess Consort Lin had been killed by the schemes of these concubines, and yet Hai Jiaren dared to bring such matters before the prince. She truly had no fear of death!
Secluded Orchid Courtyard.
Shen Lingshu, who had just risen to pay her morning respects, was also speechless upon hearing the news. She reminded, “Zhuxin, from now on, everyone in the rear courtyard must keep their mouths shut. Not a single word should be spoken that shouldn’t be.”
After gaining favor, two more maids for rough work had been added to the courtyard.
“Yes,” Zhuxin replied.
After her routine morning greetings, Shen Lingshu returned to the Secluded Orchid Courtyard, closed the doors, and lived her quiet life. The Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, and she began contemplating making some mooncakes to enjoy.
On the first day of the eighth lunar month, Side Consort Fang had been waiting in the courtyard early for Prince Lin to join her for the meal. Seeing the dark-clad figure arrive as promised, she smiled and said, “You’ve come just in time, Prince. It’s perfect for dinner.”
On the table, the dinner had been reheated once, making it just right.
Prince Lin sat down and picked up his chopsticks, but despite the exquisite array of dishes spread before him, he had no appetite at all.