Main Courtyard
Clang!A sharp sound rang out as a cup shattered on the floor, fragments scattering in all directions.
Chu Mengyao stood there, seething with rage, her face livid.
Nanny Zhao looked at her mistress with distress and gently tried to console her. “Princess Consort, please don’t let this anger damage your health. It’s not worth getting so upset over such a matter.”
Grinding her teeth, Chu Mengyao cursed, “That wretch—she’s nothing but a fox spirit! She’s only been here one day and she’s already stolen the prince’s soul! It’s only her first night of serving him, and she’s already allowed to set up a private kitchen and freely enter the outer study!”
The more she spoke, the angrier she became, her chest heaving violently.
Nanny Zhao quickly soothed her. “Please calm down, Princess Consort. I’ve already inquired carefully about the matter of the private kitchen. It was really just an unfortunate coincidence—someone poisoned the food and His Highness happened to catch it, which is why he agreed to the private kitchen. As for the outer study, that isn’t where His Highness handles official matters. It’s merely a place he goes to sit when he has leisure time.”
Hearing this, the Princess Consort’s expression eased slightly, though dissatisfaction still lingered.
She snorted coldly. “It’s still his territory. Forget it—let’s not talk about that anymore. Do we know which idiot poisoned the food? Really—if you’re going to poison someone, at least succeed. Now it failed and only alerted everyone.”
Lowering her voice, Nanny Zhao replied respectfully, “At present, we only know there were two poisoning incidents. One even involved someone outside the manor. As for specifics, we don’t yet know. His Highness’s people are investigating—it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to interfere.”
Chu Mengyao sighed bitterly. “Nanny, how long do you think His Highness will stay angry with me? Ever since Concubine Liu lost her child two years ago, he’s blamed me. When will he finally calm down?”
“You are the Princess Consort. Even for the sake of the heir, His Highness will still show you respect,” Nanny Zhao said gently.
“For now, we must endure and avoid rash actions. In truth, His Highness’s attitude toward you has already begun to improve.”
Chu Mengyao pouted. “These days I haven’t done anything at all. At most, I’ve only watched.”
What she didn’t realize was that watching others act was, in itself, a kind of wrongdoing.
“Yes, yes, this old servant understands,” Nanny Zhao said soothingly. “Didn’t you personally make a robe for His Highness? How is it coming along?”
“It’s almost finished.”
Ziyue Garden
The scene shifted.
A sharp female voice rang out. “Useless trash! You couldn’t even manage such a small task and still got discovered! Did you clean up all the loose ends?”
Another person hurriedly replied, “Reporting to my lady, everything has been handled properly. It will definitely not be traced back to us. It’s just that we lost a few people this time.”
“I understand. A few people are nothing—new ones can always be trained. You may go. I need to think carefully about what to do next.”
“Yes. This servant takes her leave.”
That evening, Prince Xuan did not enter the inner residence.
Shen Jingyi’s private kitchen was not yet usable, so she still ate food from the main kitchen, though the dishes were fairly decent.
After dinner, Shen Jingyi took Nanny Qin, Chun Tao, and Qiu Ju for a walk in the courtyard.
The newly promoted maid, Qiu Kui, hurried back from outside, her expression grim. After saluting, she said, “Consort, this servant has gathered some information.”
She glanced around cautiously as she spoke.
Shen Jingyi understood at once. “Go to the study.”
Once Shen Jingyi was seated, Qiu Kui immediately began speaking.
“I found out that when the prince’s manor was first established, there really weren’t many people. But later, other princes sent concubines over. Consort Xian also bestowed two women. And there were others brought back during official travels. Altogether, there were around seventeen or eighteen women. The rear courtyard was lively every day—today two would argue, tomorrow another would cry. His Highness grew annoyed and rarely entered the rear court. Then, when the disputes worsened, they began taking action. First, a concubine surnamed Tang was tripped and miscarried. Three days later, the concubine who tripped her was bitten by a venomous snake during the night and died. The investigation concluded that Concubine Tang had done it. She denied it, but was still expelled from the manor.”
Hearing this, Chun Tao couldn’t help saying, “Consort, could someone have framed her?”
“It’s very possible. Qiu Kui, continue.”
“Yes. After that, whenever someone was found to be pregnant, the child wouldn’t last long.
Some even hemorrhaged to death. Investigations later revealed their food had been tampered with.
His Highness and the Princess Consort were furious and ordered every courtyard searched.
Two more people were uncovered—one was practicing witchcraft, cursing the women of the rear court to be barren.
In another’s room, a packet of poison was found—the same poison that killed the woman who hemorrhaged.
Those two were taken away by His Highness and never seen again.
Three others died of illness, and one appeared to lose her sanity. She hid behind a rockery with a knife and stabbed a concubine who was out walking.
Rumor had it that the murdered concubine had once ordered the execution of a servant woman—forcing her to kneel outdoors all day in winter, which caused her to miscarry and permanently lose the ability to conceive.
Later, Consort Xian feared things would continue and damage His Highness’s reputation.
She stopped the princes from sending more women and summoned the Princess Consort to the palace for a warning. Only then did the manor finally quiet down.”
“My goodness,” Chun Tao muttered. “This rear courtyard is truly chaotic.”
Shen Jingyi said thoughtfully, “Someone deliberately stirred them into chaos.”
Nanny Qin frowned. “Consort, we’ve only just arrived. Isn’t this information a bit too detailed—and too quick? Could some of it be false?”
Shen Jingyi replied calmly, “Nanny, do you think someone might be deliberately revealing this to us—as a warning?”
“That’s possible,” Nanny Qin nodded. “In any case, we must be cautious everywhere. Being poisoned as soon as we arrived is already a signal.”
“Consort, I also heard that two people were taken away from the main kitchen today—one maid who prepared vegetables, and one kitchen matron.”
Shen Jingyi smiled faintly. “I understand. You’ve worked hard—go eat now.”
“Yes, this servant takes her leave.”
Qiu Kui withdrew happily.
Watching her leave, Shen Jingyi remarked, “That little maid is quite sharp.”
She then turned to Nanny Qin and Chun Tao. “Watch our people carefully and guard the courtyard well. We’ve just arrived—don’t rush to buy or arrange personnel yet. Observe first. Otherwise, we might run into someone else’s spy without realizing it. None of those left in this rear court are simple.”
“Yes, Consort. We’ll be careful.”
Shen Jingyi had always wanted to live idly and comfortably—but only within the bounds of safety.
With the manor in such chaos and poison appearing the moment she arrived, there was no way she could remain passive.
She had to cultivate her own people—otherwise she’d become blind and deaf, unable to gather information or act.
She didn’t seek trouble, but she wasn’t afraid of it either.
That night, after bathing, Shen Jingyi felt warm and wore only loose white silk trousers and a pink lotus-patterned undergarment, with a sheer outer robe draped lightly over her.
She reclined on the couch reading, her figure soft and alluring beneath the lamplight.
When Prince Xuan entered, he saw precisely this scene—a beauty beneath the lamp.
Truly living up to the saying: a beauty seen by lamplight only grows more captivating.
Sensing a burning gaze, Shen Jingyi looked up and saw Prince Xuan standing at the doorway watching her.
She quickly rose to greet him. “Your concubine greets Your Highness.”
“Rise.”
Prince Xuan crossed the room in a few steps, pulled her into his arms, and sat with her on the couch.
“Why didn’t you have someone announce your arrival? I didn’t even know you were here,” Shen Jingyi said with mock reproach.
“I just wanted to see what Yi’er was doing,” he admitted frankly.
Shen Jingyi smiled slyly. “Then—are you satisfied with what you saw?”
“Satisfied. Very satisfied. Especially this ‘beauty beneath the lamp.’”
Looking at her smiling face, he leaned close to her ear and murmured, “I’ve come tonight to collect my thanks.”
A shiver ran through Shen Jingyi.
She called softly, “Your Highness…”
Prince Xuan laughed loudly, scooped her up, and headed toward the bathing chamber.
“Come—bathe with me.”
“But I’ve already bathed…”
“Then we’ll bathe again.”