20demayo Chapter 133 The Thoughts of the Concubines
Chapter 133 The Thoughts of the Concubines
"Of course, but the matter of raising Tuanzi is handled by a nanny in the palace. I just need to give her the money. If I have to worry about so much, I'm afraid I'll back down."
By waving the banner of avoiding trouble, this third princess has found herself a very good excuse.
He Lingyi smiled and then gave her a way out.
“My dearest friend, Madam Qiao, is just like you. She hates worrying. She has many precious flowers and plants in her yard, but she doesn’t even know all of their names. Once I asked her, ‘What’s the fun in growing flowers that you don’t know the names of?’ She replied that it makes her feel good. Oh my, I was speechless.”
Upon hearing this, the Third Princess immediately became interested, her eyes lighting up as she spoke.
"Madam Qiao the Second? Is she the eldest daughter of Minister Chi?"
"It's her."
"Interesting, interesting. I'm used to seeing wooden beauties in the palace and those fake virtuous ladies outside. I've never heard of someone like her before. If there's a chance, please introduce me to her. I'd like to be friends with her!"
"That's not difficult, but she's currently pregnant and can't move around too much. Let's wait until after she gives birth. I'll definitely host a banquet at the East Palace for you two to get to know each other!"
The Third Princess nodded happily, appearing to be on very good terms with He Lingyi.
Consort Qin, seated on the throne, was naturally delighted to see such a scene.
It was still unknown how long she would live. If her daughter could get along well with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, she would have more support after she got married. Therefore, she happily toasted the Crown Prince and He Lingyi with another cup of wine.
Even the highest-ranking official in the harem treated the Crown Prince and Crown Princess with such an attitude, so the other concubines dared not act recklessly. However, this was not a scene that Consort Tong was happy to see.
Why should she, who is still grieving the loss of her son, have to watch these "enemies" clink glasses and drink together? Just thinking about it makes her want to overturn the table in front of her and teach them a lesson!
But she had neither her family's support nor the emperor's protection, so turning against him was naturally easy. But what happened next?
What should she do?
She regained some of her senses and could only grab the wine on the table and chug it down.
Consort Liang and Consort Yi, who were standing nearby, also looked worried. In the harem, they may have been enemies before, but now they were both pitiful mothers who had lost their children. Even though they knew that the Sixth Prince was born with a deficiency and was destined not to live long, they still felt sorry for Consort Tong when they saw her like this.
"Please take good care of yourself, Consort Tong. The wine in the palace is quite intoxicating; you'll have a headache tomorrow!"
The one who spoke was Consort Yi, who was the oldest of the three consorts.
She never made enemies in normal times, so Consort Tong didn't retaliate with her words, but just smiled bitterly.
"So what if I have a headache tomorrow? Nobody cares anyway. Sometimes I really envy Consort Yi. She's weathered so many storms, unlike me, hmph..."
As she spoke, she drank another cup, and her words caused a flicker of pain in Consort Yi's eyes.
How could she not be saddened by the loss of her children? As time passed, the storm turned into a gloomy rainy day, which was not fatal but not much better. Therefore, when her painful memories were brought up, Consort Yi had no time to care about Consort Tong's sadness. She wrapped herself up again and licked her wounds.
In comparison, Consort Liang was much calmer.
She looked at Jia Meiren in the seat below, her expression flawless, but her heart was already twisted with rage. With a sly glint in her eye, she wished that what Jia Meiren was drinking was poison that would kill her instantly!
But she also knew that such a mistake could never happen at a banquet personally overseen by Consort Qin.
No rush, take your time. Even if she were born, she probably wouldn't survive to raise her! The cold smile on her lips was hidden behind her handkerchief, and then she returned to her usual calm...
The palace banquet ended quietly without anything happening.
On their way back to the Eastern Palace, He Lingyi and the Crown Prince sighed.
"I thought I was going to see a big show today, but no one stood out at all!"
The Crown Prince found her seemingly audacious behavior amusing and asked her a question.
"Whose drama would you like to see? Consort Tong? Or Lady Jia?"
"It doesn't necessarily have to be those two; anyone else will do."
"Three princesses?"
He Lingyi turned her head to look at the Crown Prince, whose expression was playful and whose eyes held a hint of amusement. Upon seeing this, He Lingyi spoke up.
"Your Highness has also noticed the Third Princess's different behavior?"
"Hmm, she wasn't so open and cheerful when she met me before. She always seemed a little hesitant. But now she's very open and gets along very well with you, her sister-in-law, whom she's only met a few times. That's quite impressive! But I'm wondering, did Consort Qin notice the Third Princess's obvious flaw? She's always been intelligent; she shouldn't have missed it."
"The bond between mother and daughter—perhaps Consort Qin was deceived, or perhaps... Your Highness's initial intention in investigating them was precisely this mother and daughter!"
After being reminded of this by He Lingyi, a hint of coldness flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes.
Consort Qin was a good friend of the Empress Dowager, which is why he gave her the respect and dignity she deserved. But if she were the one who was causing trouble in the harem, then all of that would be meaningless.
Sensing the sudden chill from the person beside him, He Lingyi sighed inwardly.
She was the same way back then, stabbing herself repeatedly without realizing it, until her mother hanged herself and she fell from grace, only then did she realize how treacherous the world was and how vicious people could be!
"Xia Jing".
"The slave is here."
"Put everyone in Qixiang Palace first in your investigation."
"Yes."
As soon as he finished speaking, Eunuch Xia Jing, who was walking outside, couldn't help but tighten his coat. Qixiang Palace? Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince suspects Consort Qin?
Looking up at the snowy weather outside, I had a feeling that something unsettling was about to happen.
A heavy snow fell overnight, and the entire capital was covered in a blanket of white.
He Lingyi slept comfortably in bed, since there was a human heater next to her.
She was afraid of the cold, so she would unconsciously want to get closer to the person next to her. The Crown Prince was happy to see her burrowing her hands and feet into his clothes, so he indulged her again and again. Only when He Lingyi had taken over most of his bed did he carefully hug her back, so that she could draw more warmth from him.
The sun is gradually rising; today is the first day of the Lunar New Year.
The ceremony to worship Heaven was scheduled for the third day of the month, so he had to set off in the afternoon and head straight for the imperial palace. Therefore, it was a rare moment for the couple to enjoy each other's company, and he did not want to disrupt it, nor did the maids and servants standing outside.
He Lingyi had no in-laws to visit, and she had drunk a bit too much yesterday, so she slept for an unusually long time.