A Concubine's Competitive Life in the Prince's Household-Chapter 88
It is said that Prince Yan was furious last night.
Since the Crown Prince fell ill, the burden on Prince Yan's shoulders has grown increasingly heavy. Constantly occupied with official duties, he has had little time to show affection for his children. Never did Prince Yan imagine that the Princess Consort, the biological mother of his children, would resort to "withholding food" as punishment for their daughter—all because Li Yao had secretly sent food to her brothers!
Poor Li Yao, driven to hiding cakes under the table out of hunger!
Li Chengke and Li Chengzhen, forced to stay up late completing their studies, suffered from one ailment after another.
Prince Yan ordered Fu Gui to investigate thoroughly, uncovering yet another shocking revelation: the Princess Consort had bribed Scholar Sun of the Hanlin Academy to tutor the two boys in secret! If the officials of the Censorate were to learn of this, Prince Yan would undoubtedly be buried under a mountain of memorials condemning him.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Prince Yan finally saw that the Princess Consort was far from a fit mother. That very night, he sent word to the palace, informing the Empress of Li Yao’s plight in hopes that Her Majesty would intervene.
The Empress was so enraged she shattered a teacup. Early this morning, she dispatched Nanny Qian under the pretense of missing her three grandchildren, bringing them into the palace to be cared for.
The Princess Consort wept and raged, convinced the Empress intended to steal her children. She nearly smashed the Buddha statue in the family shrine before rushing to the palace in her carriage, demanding the return of her children. By afternoon, she still had not returned, a clear sign that her pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
In short, the prince’s household was in utter chaos.
Cai Ping blinked curiously and asked, "Mistress, since the Princess Consort mistreats her own children, might Prince Yan use this as grounds to divorce her?"
Prince Yan and the Princess Consort had long been estranged, and with this scandal exposed, any hope of reconciliation was now extinguished.
Shen Wei wiped the sweat from her brow with a towel, her insight sharp. "The Princess Consort’s maternal family is the prestigious Tan Clan, a centuries-old noble house. Out of respect for the Tan family, Prince Yan will not seek a divorce."
Royal and noble marriages were bound by too many interests to be easily undone.
Thus, Shen Wei’s ambition was not to become the principal wife.
Her goal was to secure status as a favored concubine—protected by Prince Yan, with children and family connections to ensure a life of comfort and safety in this turbulent era.
She cautioned Cai Ping, "From now on, keep talk of divorce to yourself. Never speak it aloud. Words can bring disaster—be careful."
Cai Ping nodded obediently. "I understand, mistress."
The afternoon heat was stifling, and Shen Wei was about to retire for a nap when a bright voice suddenly rang out from the courtyard wall: "Lady Shen’s garden is truly exquisite. The scenery is lovely, but the lady herself is lovelier still."
Shen Wei froze mid-step.
Perched atop the glazed-tile wall, half-hidden by lush greenery, sat a spirited young man in white—none other than Mo the Divine Physician.
In his hands was a porcelain bowl, half-filled with sweets from "Wei Yan’s Delicacies," a renowned dessert shop in the capital.
His crisp voice carried to Shen Wei’s ears: "I’ve wandered all over Prince Yan’s estate, but your courtyard is the most beautiful—lush flowers, a delicate pavilion by the water. One can tell Lady Shen has a refined soul."
Shen Wei offered a polite but distant smile, offering no reply.
Lowering her voice, she instructed Cai Ping, "Tell the two guards at the gate to remove him at once."
The two guards were "Tiger Guards," elite warriors personally assigned to her by Prince Yan.
Mo the Divine Physician was promptly—if courteously—escorted away.
Shen Wei’s smile vanished as she turned back toward her chambers. As Prince Yan’s concubine, having a strange man perched on her courtyard wall would undoubtedly stir up gossip.
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Removing him was the only prudent choice.
...
The Great Qing Imperial Palace, Kunning Palace.
All maids and eunuchs had been dismissed. In the center of the main hall, the Princess Consort knelt, her face streaked with tears. "Mother Empress," she cried bitterly, "are you truly taking my children from me? To separate mother and child—this is worse than death!"
Never had she imagined that a minor misstep would lead to such dire consequences.
Prince Yan had raged at her, calling her a cruel woman.
Now the Empress had seized her three children.
Her husband was cold, her mother-in-law harsh—her two sons had been her only solace in the suffocating confines of the prince’s household. Without them, what hope did she have left?
The Empress clutched her chest in fury. "Li Yao is only eight years old, and you, her own mother, withheld her meals! You drove her to eat moldy scraps—even a stepmother wouldn’t stoop so low!"
The Princess Consort’s voice trembled with indignation. "I knew what I was doing. Li Yao is gluttonous, she—"
"Silence!" The Empress nearly ordered someone to crack open the Princess Consort’s skull to see what kind of pea-brained fool lay within.
Still, the Princess Consort refused to yield, insisting on taking her children home.
Through tears, she pleaded, "Mother Empress, if word spreads that you’ve taken them, what will people think of you? Of me? The reputation of Prince Yan’s household will be ruined!"
The Empress massaged her temples.
Too weary to entertain her further, she had Nanny Qian escort the Princess Consort to a side chamber—out of sight, out of mind.
Nanny Qian presented a soothing tea to calm the Empress’s fury. Sipping it, the Empress sighed. Nanny Qian ventured carefully, "Your Majesty, the Princess Consort isn’t entirely wrong. If you insist on raising the three young masters in the palace, it will reflect poorly on Prince Yan. With Prince Heng and Concubine Qian stirring the Censorate to scrutinize Prince Yan’s every move..."
The Empress was well aware of Prince Heng’s schemes.
Prince Heng, suspecting Prince Yan might one day inherit the throne, had been targeting him openly and covertly.
The Empress sighed. "Those children are pitiful. Look at Li Yao—an eight-year-old girl, thin as a kitten. As for Li Chengke and Li Chengzhen, forced to study day and night—they’ll end up as sickly as the Crown Prince."
Her greatest regret was having pressured the Crown Prince excessively in his youth, leaving him frail and short-lived.
She could not stand by and watch the Princess Consort repeat her mistakes.
Nanny Qian suggested, "Your Majesty, perhaps you could send four experienced nannies to Prince Yan’s household to oversee the children’s care."
After long deliberation, the Empress nodded slowly.
The children would remain with their mother—but their upbringing would be entrusted to the four nannies. The Empress would also intervene periodically to keep the Princess Consort in check.
With the matter of the children settled for now, the Empress turned to another concern. "Later, go to the Eastern Palace and inquire whether the physician Yuan Jing found—that Mo the Divine Physician—can cure Yuan Chang’s illness."
For the Crown Prince’s sickness, the Empress clung to a final shred of hope. If Mo the Divine Physician could heal him, all their troubles might yet be resolved.
...
...
At dusk, the scarlet glow of sunset bathed the glazed tiles of the Eastern Palace. Inside the Crown Prince’s chambers, he reclined against a soft pillow, his face deathly pale.
The Crown Princess and Prince Yan sat nearby in silence.
Mo the Divine Physician alternated between taking the Crown Prince’s pulse and inserting acupuncture needles, laboring for a long while before wiping his brow.
The Crown Princess clutched her handkerchief tightly, her voice trembling with restrained emotion. "Mo the Divine Physician, how is His Highness’s condition? Can he be cured?"
