Chapter 15

Chapter 15

◎First Strategy (Second Update)◎

"Is this the place?" Nanny Fan asked, covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief as she entered the main courtyard via the narrow path.

This was a separate courtyard in the southeastern corner of the prince's residence, assigned to the newly arrived Miss Xun by Princess Zheng. As she entered, she noticed the smell of fresh incense mixed with a musty odor, and the furnishings were sparse. Not even a purple sandalwood screen had been provided.

She distinctly remembered that Princess Zheng's main hall featured an ivory-carved "Three Rams Bring Good Fortune" screen, and her rooms had screens inlaid with various precious stones. Yet, for Miss Xun, they had only provided a pink famille-rose landscape screen.

While it wasn't terrible, Miss Xun had been sent here as a representative of the Empress Dowager.

Miss Xun's servants were helping her arrange the bedding while she sat by the window, lost in thought. Princess Zheng's tactics were too obvious, directly placing her in such a residence, giving her a ready-made reason to complain.

Seeing Nanny Fan approach, she quickly stood up. "Why have you come, Nanny Fan? I haven't finished settling in yet. I was planning to invite you over once everything was in order."

Nanny Fan smiled. "I came to check on you. Forgive my presumption, but I watched you grow up, Miss Xun."

Seeking an alliance was the priority, and Nanny Fan's words were clearly a gesture of goodwill.

Xun Rou invited her to sit and, resting her chin on her hand, said, "To be honest, I didn't want to come. My cousin's wife seems to manage everything well here. But my grandmother insisted I come. You know, I really don't want to deal with these troublesome matters."

"While the young prince was away, leading people to join the Prince of Wei, you were the one managing things behind the scenes. In my humble opinion, this current young princess is far inferior to you," Nanny Fan said frankly.

Xun Rou raised an eyebrow and smiled. "That's true."

There was an old general under the Prince of Wei who often caused trouble for her cousin, yet her cousin never complained and remained unperturbed, showing great magnanimity.

Nanny Fan hinted just enough and had someone bring a bowl of ginseng soup. "You must be tired from your journey, Miss Xun. This is red ginseng soup I had prepared for you. Please drink it to restore your energy."

"Thank you then," Xun Rou said.

That night, Xun Rou tossed and turned, unable to sleep well. She had never slept in such a place before, having always used silk coverlets at the Empress Dowager's side. Yet, Princess Zheng lived in extreme luxury.

"Miss, are you having trouble sleeping?" Xun Rou's maid, Meixiang, asked.

Xun Rou turned over and nodded. "Yes, I'm not sleeping well. But what can I do? The Empress Dowager told me to come. Could I refuse?"

Meixiang pursed her lips. "Actually, if the Empress Dowager had truly asked the young prince to grant you the title of secondary consort, it wouldn't be impossible. You're already seventeen and have been in the prince's residence for ten years. You can't wait any longer."

"Meixiang, if I became a secondary consort, I would remain one for life. If the primary princess died, my cousin would marry again. Have I waited all these years just to be the secondary consort of the Prince of Huaiyin?" Xun Rou was truly resentful.

Meixiang feared all their efforts would come to nothing, but thinking of how long her mistress had waited, it was infuriating to see the almost certain outcome slip away.

If Princess Zheng were gentle, kind, and honest, it would be one thing, but upon arrival, she was placed in such a residence.

With the Empress Dowager far away and the young prince not present, she had to rely on herself.

She observed Princess Zheng closely. The woman didn't rise early but handled matters swiftly, enforcing the household rules strictly. She was also preparing Mid-Autumn festival gifts, appearing quite competent. However, she never sought Xun Rou's advice, even though Xun Rou had mentioned being sent by the Empress Dowager.

Nanny Nan was slightly uneasy. "Princess, Miss Xun was sent by the Empress Dowager. On your side..."

"That's why the Empress Dowager only reached the rank of Jieyu in the palace and was lucky to give birth to the Prince of Wu. She doesn't appreciate her blessings. Who does Xun Rou think she is? She's not even as significant as Nanny Fan, who is rightfully a disciplinary nanny by the Empress Dowager's side to teach me propriety. Xun Rou is merely the young prince's cousin, yet she's here to manage the household without proper standing. No matter what she says, it doesn't make sense. Moreover, I am the primary princess requested by the Prince of Wei for the Prince of Huaiyin. Why should I, the legitimate primary princess, be criticized by a dependent cousin?" Princess Zheng was not one to be easily bullied.

Back when Li Heng openly favored her, her status was already quite high. Now that she's a princess, why should she fear some distant relative?

If she started currying favor, the servants would assume she’s intimidated by her.

Moreover, it’s still unclear whether Xun Rou is here to establish herself or to catch her in a mistake.

"Princess, I got Granny Chao tipsy yesterday and learned something from her," Qiū Fēng said as she approached.

Huiyin smiled. "Well, whether she revealed it intentionally or not, go ahead and tell me."

Qiū Fēng continued, "Miss Xun has been with the Empress Dowager since she was seven. She always claimed to be the young prince’s intended and helped the Empress Dowager manage the household. Both the Empress Dowager and the Princess of Wu adored her. When the Princess of Wu fell ill, Xun Rou even copied scriptures using her own blood. Later, the Prince of Wei suddenly arranged a marriage for the young prince."

"So, they didn’t send her here to become a secondary princess, right?" Nanny Nan asked anxiously.

Huiyin shook her head. "If she wanted to be a secondary princess, she would have tried to win my favor. But after I wrote to the young prince, he replied today saying that the Empress Dowager wants him to help find a suitable match for Xun Rou and ensure she isn’t wronged."

Clearly, it was an attempt to lull her into complacency, so she wouldn’t even realize how she was being undermined.

Just as she finished speaking, a voice from outside called out, "Young Princess, Miss Xun has suddenly fainted. Nanny Fan has sent Manager Qiao to fetch a doctor."

"How could she have fainted so suddenly? With this heat, I specifically arranged for her to stay in a quiet place. Never mind, I’ll go check on her." Huiyin quickly led a group to the courtyard where Xun Rou was staying, and quite a few people had already gathered there.

Upon entering, Huiyin saw Xun Rou lying on the bed, her face deathly pale, and asked Meixiang, "What happened to your cousin?"

Meixiang sobbed, "I’m not sure. Lady Xun has been complaining about poor sleep these past few days, and she suddenly fainted after standing up from a meal."

"Poor thing, traveling six hundred miles alone and now having to worry about the prince’s affairs. It’s no wonder she’s exhausted. Once the doctor examines her today, I’ll find a more suitable place for her to stay. The Empress Dowager dotes on our young prince so much that even though he’s already the governor of Xuzhou, she still treats him like a child, sending his cousin to look after him." Huiyin sighed, feigning helplessness.

Nanny Fan and Meixiang were furious. They had deliberately exaggerated the situation, hoping the doctor would confirm that Huiyin was mistreating the cousin. But Princess Zheng was an expert at twisting the truth.

After all, Xun Rou had kept the windows open for a full day and night, deliberately exhausting herself until she fainted. If no one took it seriously, wouldn’t all her efforts be for nothing?