No one outside a few trusted confidants knew of the confrontation at Rongmuzhai. When the servants below saw Lady Jin emerge with a composed expression, they understood that the masters above wished to paper over the discord, so they played deaf and dumb.
In the days that followed, Lady Jin was especially quiet, not even leaving her own courtyard. Only on the rare occasions when the Fourth Prince stayed overnight at Qiu Xi Yuan could one see a livelier expression on the faces of Ye Tao and the others.
By then, even the most well-informed servants fully understood the direction of the household’s winds—the one in Rongmuzhai was the one the Prince held dear in his heart, and they must never meddle in that quarter.
Another year-end arrived. Since there was no woman in the Fourth Prince’s household qualified to attend the palace banquet, the Fourth Prince simply ordered a feast to be laid out at the residence, planning to return from the palace and dine together with the women of his household.
Rongyu and Consort Gao were both lackluster in mood, too lazy to maintain a facade of harmony with Jin and Su. They stayed in Rongmuzhai until just before the Prince’s return before rising to leave.
On the way, Consort Gao suddenly whispered to Rongyu, “Sister Rong, the Prince’s Consort will be entering the household soon, won’t she? We…”
In the first month of the new year, Emperor Yuanli issued an edict: the eldest legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Qingyang was to be wed to the Fourth Prince as his principal wife, with the ceremony set for the fifth month.
“We’ll just continue living our own lives as before—at most, we’ll have to pay a few more respects.” Rongyu cut her off, afraid Consort Gao might say something inappropriate, for this was hardly their territory.
Neither spoke again. When they arrived at the central courtyard where the meal was laid out, Consorts Jin and Su had already arrived. They exchanged equal bows as greetings, and no one said another word.
Before long, the Fourth Prince arrived as well, and the family banquet officially began.
Consort Gao and Consort Jin were both fond of taking the lead in conversation, unbound by any rule of silence during meals. Their voices, like songbirds, filled the entire hall.
Unlike Rongyu, who spoke little but received the Fourth Prince’s constant attention, Consort Su truly had little presence. Several times she tried to speak, only to have her words cut off by Lady Jin.
Rongyu noticed but made no move to help. To put it plainly, they were all rivals, and there was only so much resource to go around. If you wouldn’t fight for yourself, could you really expect others to fight for you?
That evening, the Fourth Prince went to Rongmuzhai to stay the night. After their lovemaking, neither felt sleepy, so they lay entwined on the bed, chatting idly.
“Why do I feel your mind is elsewhere today?” The Fourth Prince wrapped one arm around Rongyu’s waist while his other hand played with her long hair.
“Your concubine just feels… I can’t quite put it into words.”
“Is there anything you can’t tell me?”
“My Lord, what kind of person is the Prince’s Consort?” Rongyu asked softly.
“She is the only unmarried daughter of the Qingyang family in this generation—the eldest legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Qingyang. Her reputation for virtue is well known.”
“My Lord, I’m a little afraid. I don’t know what I’m afraid of, but I feel a sense of unease.” Half-truth and half-pretense, the words slipped from Rongyu’s lips, stirring deep pity in the Fourth Prince. He shifted his arm and pulled the woman in his embrace even closer.
“Didn’t I tell you before? As long as it’s not Arong’s fault, I will surely protect you. Have you forgotten?”
“Of course I haven’t forgotten. That’s the sweetest words I’ve ever heard. I’m just afraid you might forget, and then where would I go to cry about it?”
“Nonsense.” The Fourth Prince feigned annoyance and gave a light smack to Rongyu’s pert, rounded bottom. The sound was crisp, but it didn’t hurt—only a strange, tingling sensation lingered.
“My Lord~”
“Did that hurt? Let me rub it for you, and it won’t hurt anymore.” He turned over, pressing the woman beneath him. Li Xiang, hearing the commotion from the outer chamber, understood at once and instructed the young eunuch to heat more water. Since there was no morning court the next day, whatever the Prince wished to do, let him do it.
The Fourth Prince’s Consort entered the household on the eighteenth day of the fifth month in the fifth year of Yuanli’s reign. The ten-li dowry procession stirred envy in countless eyes. Even Consort Gao was so upset that she ran to Rongmuzhai that very night, insisting on squeezing into bed with Rongyu.
“Tell me, with her in the picture, how much room is left for us in the Prince’s heart?” Consort Gao’s voice was very soft, audible only to Rongyu, whose arm she was clinging to.
“Of course there is. I’ll say what I’ve always said—no matter how many people come later, we will always be different in the Prince’s heart.” Just as when Consorts Jin and Su had first entered the household, Rongyu used the same words to comfort Consort Gao.
“But that Qingyang family… we can’t compare.”
Indeed, it was true. Her own Fu-cha family could not hold a candle to the Prince’s Consort’s Qingyang clan. The Qingyang family had produced countless pillars of the state—a great clan that had accompanied the founding ancestors in conquering the realm. Her own family was merely a fallen minor official whom Emperor Yuanli regarded with some wariness.
“Qingwen, trust me. You share a bond with the Prince from growing up together, and I was his first woman. As long as we make no mistakes, no one can touch us. When the Prince achieves greatness in the future, we won’t fare poorly either.” The last two sentences were spoken so softly they could barely be heard.
“Sister Rong, will you always stay with me?” Rarely did the proud Consort Gao speak such words. Even when Consort Su frequently visited Rongmuzhai to chat with Rongyu, Consort Gao’s jealousy was always expressed bluntly and directly. Never before had she spoken with such vulnerability and caution.
“You silly girl, how amusing. Why don’t you ask the Prince to stay with you always, instead of coming to me—the very woman who shares his favor with you?”
“That’s different. My lord won’t only have me, but in this rear courtyard, you can only have me—everyone else has to stand behind me.” The caution was gone, and the self-righteous Consort Gao had returned.
“That’s impossible. If I have a child, the child would certainly be more important than you.”
“Why are you so insufferable? You know exactly what I mean.” Consort Gao lightly pinched the soft flesh at Rongyu’s waist, making her dodge and laugh until she had no choice but to grab Consort Gao’s hand to stop her.
“Alright, stop fussing. I understand everything you’re saying. I’ve actually always been grateful that you were the first person I met in this rear courtyard.” Feeling her arm being hugged even tighter, Rongyu smiled and continued, “So Qingwen, remember what your elder sister says—our strength isn’t enough yet. Maintaining our position in my lord’s heart is what we need to focus on.”
Since entering the household, Consort Gao’s heart and eyes had been filled with nothing but the Fourth Prince. Her interactions with Rongyu carried genuine feeling, but there was also an element of wanting to know her rival—something Rongyu had always seen clearly.
Today, she had likely been provoked by the grand spectacle of the Prince’s Consort entering the household, and her mind had finally recalled her mother’s admonitions before she married out.
“But Sister Rong… what about my lord?” Consort Gao’s voice was already tinged with tears.
“Interact with my lord the same way you always have. But one thing you must remember: never show any dissatisfaction toward the main courtyard. You can compete for favor, but don’t clash with that one.” Rongyu sighed and lowered her voice further. “Our lord has a meticulous and suspicious mind. If anything comes up, it’s better to tell him directly than to try to slip past him.”
It was a long while before Consort Gao’s reply came: “I’ll remember.”
Whether she truly remembered or merely pretended to was beyond Rongyu’s control. She could only hope it was genuine.
“Alright, go to sleep now. We still need to pay our respects at the front courtyard tomorrow morning.”
The night was deep. How many women would lie sleepless tonight?
The next morning, both rose early. Rongyu had expected to see a somewhat haggard Consort Gao, but was surprised to find a spirited and radiant beauty instead.
Before going to bed the previous night, Lan Hu had already brought over the clothes and jewelry needed for the morning audience, so there was no need to return to Qinglan Studio—they could wash and dress right at Rongyu’s place.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think I’d stay up all night?” Consort Gao put on her haughty expression again. “If I looked haggard, you’d see—that Jin woman’s mouth would start chattering nonstop.”
Rongyu found it amusing. This Lady Jin had been at odds with Consort Gao ever since entering the rear courtyard: in terms of appearance, the two weren’t even in the same category—each had their own kind of beauty; in terms of favor, Consort Gao far surpassed Lady Jin—they weren’t even on the same level, so why all the fuss; in terms of family background, one was a deposed kingdom’s commandery princess, the other a legitimate daughter of a high official—who came out on top was obvious.
So Lady Jin’s targeting of Consort Gao was understandable, but Consort Gao truly had no need to engage.
In the end, it was simply a clash of temperaments.
Both women had some pastries to settle their stomachs, then rose and headed toward the main courtyard. If they delayed any longer, even the Princess Consort’s good temper would run out of patience.