Chapter 71: Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Everything unfolded with such speed that, during the Princess of Shouning's confinement and childbirth, the family was unable to leave their estate. It was only when the Prince of Jin ascended the throne, adopting the reign title Emperor Jianchang, that the Prince of Qing's household received news of the princess having given birth to a son.

Fortunately, the items for the third-day purification ceremony had been prepared long in advance, and She Niang promptly dispatched someone to deliver them.

The dynastic change occurred in an instant. It was no wonder Wu Ting so swiftly brought his former lover into his residence; only now did she truly comprehend the situation. While the Prince of Qing's estate awaited Li Ju's return, She Niang pondered whether Li Ju was even aware of the day's events.

Li Ju was not entirely oblivious; sometimes, it was an unspoken understanding. They had initially aligned themselves with the Crown Prince, but his demise shattered their hopes. The reigning Emperor's consistent aim had been to curtail the power of feudal lords, consolidating all imperial clan authority under the Crown. Even those as outwardly respectful as they were, who had adopted the grandson of the Prince of Chongning and forcibly added him to their family registry, clearly understood this was an attempt to fracture the Prince of Qing's estate.

Therefore, Li Ju had made dual preparations. Should the Prince of Jin fail, he was ready to initiate an uprising locally, having already cultivated a loyal following in the border regions.

Ultimately, history ran its course, and the Prince of Jin ascended the throne. His father, astute and fearing the idiom "when the cunning hare is dead, the hound is cooked," proactively petitioned to relinquish his princely title in favor of Li Ju. As a young prince of his generation, Li Ju naturally posed little threat.

He traveled day and night, swiftly reaching the capital. However, he did not force his entry, choosing instead to wait overnight, entering the city only at dawn.

She Niang had been preoccupied for days, suffering from sleepless nights. Gazing into the mirror, she noted her gaunt appearance and considered catching up on sleep during the day. Unexpectedly, a servant announced Li Ju's return.

She sprang to her feet, her forced composure finally shattering. As Li Ju entered, he disregarded all else, swiftly embracing her. "She Niang, I'm here. You must have been terrified."

"I wasn't terrified; I was utterly bewildered by what was happening. I feared something terrible had occurred, and I worried incessantly about you. You have no idea what I've been through these past few days." She Niang, observing his expression, could not help but burst into tears.

Li Ju soothed her, "I'm back now, aren't I? If anything troubles you, just tell me."

When it came to comforting, She Niang had never heard such words in her life. Drying her tears and smiling, she asked, "You've just returned from outside. Did you go to your father first? Why didn't you wait at the palace gate?"

Seeing her return to her usual self, Li Ju breathed a sigh of relief and explained, "The new emperor has ascended the throne. I submitted a formal request for an audience, and His Majesty sent a eunuch to instruct me to return home first. I need to change clothes before seeing my father. Besides, I wanted to see you all first."

His wife had given birth at home, and he hadn't been by her side. He always felt a pang of guilt.

"Then I'll have someone prepare your bath. You have a peculiar scent about you," She Niang said, sniffing and quickly stepping away.

Seeing her reaction, Li Ju quickly retorted, "You ungrateful wretch! I came back to see you first, and you're already complaining." Then, as if reading her mind, he added, "Look at you, your eyes are so sunken. You've been overthinking and haven't slept for ages, have you? Go rest for a while."

She Niang smiled, "I handled some matters this morning and then came back to rest. Later, I'll have someone bring our eldest and second sons. Our family should always be together."

But Li Ju took her hand. "Later, when I bathe, come in and keep me company. We can finally have a proper talk."

"Alright, but I've just changed into clean clothes. What if they get wet?" She Niang demurred.

Li Ju, feeling for her, conceded, "Then I'll be quick and come back to you."

He bathed with remarkable speed, emerging from the tub in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea. After drying his hair, having it tied up, and donning a golden coronet, he swiftly departed to see the Prince of Qing.

No one knew what transpired between father and son, but he did visit his mother, the Princess Consort of Qing. His mother was a mix of worry and relief: "Fortunately, the new emperor agreed to let you inherit the title. I am finally at ease."

"I never imagined things would unfold this way," Li Ju admitted.

The Princess Consort of Qing anxiously exclaimed, "No wonder Wu Ting dared to openly bring his mistress into the mansion. It turns out he had the new emperor's backing!"

Li Ju was also angered by this news, but he added, "My sister is a princess; her status is undeniable. I doubt Wu Ting would dare to act recklessly. Now that my sister has given birth to a son, that concubine stands no chance. Mother, let her reflect on her own situation."

But the Princess Consort of Qing complained, "I originally planned for your wife to handle it, but she stood by and did nothing."

Immediately, Li Ju naturally defended She Niang: "She herself has many things to attend to and has only recently given birth. How could Wu Ting possibly heed her instructions?"

To put it bluntly, you yourself lack the means. When the family could still exert pressure on Wu Ting, you spent all that time nursing grievances instead of addressing the issue.

The Princess Consort of Qing was well aware of all this, but her heart ached for her daughter. Seeing Wu Ting now a favored official, with the Marquis of Shouning elevated to Duke of Ying, she felt her family could no longer control him.

After a few more words, Li Ju returned to his own courtyard. By then, She Niang had finished delegating tasks and was utterly exhausted. She forced herself to stay awake, fearing that if she slept now, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Unexpectedly, he returned. She Niang had the wet nurse bring A Heng and Second Brother over. A Heng was still a little shy, but when his father embraced him, he joyfully cried out "Dad, Dad" repeatedly.

"Don't call me Dad anymore; call me Royal Father," Li Ju suddenly instructed.

She Niang looked at him. "Wait until you've formally acknowledged the emperor before calling him that. It's not too late."

Li Ju looked at She Niang with a hint of guilt; it was a close call—he might have become Emperor instead of Prince. He had already heard from the Prince of Qing that the emperor was not seeing anyone because he had been mortally wounded. He appeared fine on the outside, but internally, he was gravely ill.

In a past life, the first and third princes were both born to Noble Consort Liu and were supposedly brought down by Empress Pei, but now She Niang was his wife.

Adapt to circumstances and deal with things as they come.

Ten days later, Emperor Jianchang finally invited Li Ju to the palace to pay his respects. Li Ju naturally exuded a youthful energy, appearing as if he had achieved success at a young age.

After Emperor Jianchang ascended the throne, Zhao Shi, who had previously married into the family and was always complaining, was demoted from principal consort to a lesser consort. Concubine Liu Shi was appointed Noble Consort, and several others he loved were also appointed in order. Even Lady Yi was appointed Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi is a rank below the lesser consort, which is still quite respectable.

After she was appointed Zhao Yi, the women of the Pei family also went to the palace to offer congratulations. Lady Yi, seeing so many relatives unexpectedly, was momentarily overcome with emotion. Dowager Pei mentioned that Cao Shi had passed away two years ago, Yue Niang had returned to her hometown in Hedong, and Huo Shi, who had originally planned to enter the palace, had gone to the Prince of Xiang's mansion instead, so only a few of them had come.

When Lady Yi saw Yu Shi, she couldn't help but say, "When I was confined at Western Mountain, fortunately, Fifth Younger Sister sent someone to deliver money, clothes, and medicine. I couldn't go out, and now she hasn't entered the palace yet. Please convey my gratitude to her, Sixth Aunt."

"Your Majesty is too polite. We are all sisters; it was only natural," Yu Shi thought to herself that She Niang had truly invested in a neglected ally. Although Lady Yi wasn't particularly favored, she had been with the emperor since his days in the residence before accession, so their relationship was special. In the future, even based on seniority, she could be appointed as a consort.

Lady Yi knew that overly praising She Niang might not be ideal, so she simply exchanged a few words with them and then rewarded the Pei family with some imperial silks from her side.

The Pei family, seeing that the visiting time was almost over, also took their leave.

Now, the person managing palace affairs was Noble Consort Liu, who had always been very favored. Lady Yi was very clear that she would never compete for favor, not because she didn't want to, but because she knew her limits—she simply didn't possess the necessary cunning.

If you possess neither cunning nor a powerful background, it is best to remain inconspicuous.

Otherwise, if you constantly overestimate yourself, the outcome will be far worse.

Meanwhile, on She Niang's side, after Li Ju officially became the Prince of Qing, his father left his family and went to a Taoist temple, spending his days chanting scriptures and practicing Taoism, completely detached from worldly affairs.

He also instructed his wife to provide dowries for the younger ones, like Miss Mei, and send them away, as a token of appreciation for their service.

She Niang went to see her mother-in-law with a drafted list: "Miss Mei, as well as the Zhou and Lan families, have already been summoned. What do you think of the dowries prepared like this?"

The Princess Consort of Qing—no, now she should be called Dowager Consort Wang—reviewed it with disinterest: "In that case, you can arrange it yourself."

"Alright." She Niang now felt it was largely irrelevant whether she visited her mother-in-law, as she was now the legitimate Princess Consort of Qing. However, to show respect for her mother-in-law, she still reported as before.

Her father-in-law, who had been perfectly fine at home, had suddenly gone to a Taoist temple. She wondered why.

Her mother-in-law was also a woman and naturally hoped her husband would be by her side. As a fellow woman, She Niang could only offer more consideration and care.

Just as she was about to leave, Dowager Consort Wang said to She Niang, "Take more care of your sister-in-law usually."

"Don't worry, my nephew's first month celebration is soon, and I will naturally go." The former Marquis of Shouning's mansion was now the Duke of Ying's mansion. Wu Ting, as Emperor Jianchang's most trusted confidant, was riding high on his influence.

Hearing her daughter-in-law say this, Dowager Consort Wang felt relieved.

In fact, she now trusted her daughter-in-law's character implicitly and added, "Now that you are the Princess Consort of Qing, why not invite your family over to celebrate?"

"There's no need for a grand celebration; just invite them over for a chat. Besides, our Second Brother hasn't had his hundredth-day celebration yet." She Niang thought there would be plenty of time in the future; she didn't need to draw too much attention for now.

Dowager Consort Wang naturally had no objections.

It was also said that Commandery Princess Chongning had previously tried desperately to frame the Prince of Jin. When the Prince of Jin ascended the throne, she suffered greatly—her title was stripped, and she was exiled to Fangshan. Li Ju promptly struck the child that Bai Shi had adopted from the clan registry, leaving Bai Shi utterly helpless.

As for Yang Mo, she cursed She Niang behind her back every day, wishing her a miserable death and a life of worsening misfortune. Yet, to her dismay, She Niang’s life only seemed to improve.

Yang Mo often comforted herself, saying to Bai Shi, "She’s had another child and is always up early and to bed late. I think she looks much older than before."

Bai Shi had just raised the child as her own, never expecting Li Ju to be so ruthless as to remove the child from the clan registry. Although Li Xing was not sent into exile, things were fundamentally different now.

So, whereas she had once been too afraid to speak up, she now felt she had nothing left to lose. She remarked, "Exactly. I don’t understand what Father was thinking, giving up the princely title at such a young age. He may have become an immortal, but what about us? When a person leaves, their influence fades."

Yang Mo sneered, "What can we do? I advise you not to visit the Dowager Consort anymore. She’s enjoying her retirement in peace, and even your mother-in-law has become a Dowager Consort. None of them have any say now."

Bai Shi could only grit her teeth in frustration. Of course, these words eventually reached She Niang’s ears.

By this time, She Niang no longer took Bai Shi seriously. She said, "The matter of the title was demanded by Emperor Yin back then. Who knows what the situation is now? Does she really think she’s the supreme ruler? Since she’s so fond of Xing-ge, why not let Xing-ge stay with her?"

Xia Mama coldly remarked, "Some people simply don’t know their place."

"People like her who constantly grumble and always associate with Yang Mo from the fourth branch—I’ll find a way to deal with them eventually," She Niang said, suppressing her anger for the time being. It wouldn’t be wise to confront her now, lest others accuse them of bullying a widow.

Meanwhile, the Pei family visited the Prince of Qing’s residence and spent the day enjoying opera performances. Li Niang quietly said to She Niang, "That old woman has such thick skin. She actually showed up here, how shameless."

She was referring to Old Madam Pei. Now that the Prince of Jin had ascended the throne, his mother, the Empress Dowager, was on good terms with Old Madam Pei. The latter, who had once kept a low profile, was now active again.

She Niang smiled and said, "Even Grandmother Hua has let go of the past, let alone us."

The elders from the previous generation simply refuse to admit defeat!

Li Niang harbored resentment toward Old Madam Pei for meddling in her marriage arrangements, but she only vented her frustrations to She Niang in private. She Niang asked her, "Have you visited the British Duke’s residence? Did you see my sister-in-law?"

"Yes, I did. She’s different from before. She used to seem so carefree, but now she’s completely changed. I can’t quite describe it—it’s as if she’s wearing a mask," Li Niang replied, struggling to find the right words.

She Niang hoped the princess would learn to stand on her own. If you don’t stand up for yourself, how many times can others help you?

Soon, it was time for the princess’s son’s hundred-day celebration. Li Ju and She Niang both attended.

The carriages outside the British Duke’s residence stretched for miles. The former Marchioness of Shouning now treated She Niang as an equal.

In their eyes, the Prince of Qing had merely got someone appointed, but it was their son who had done the real work.

She Niang remained composed and said, "Last time when your family replaced the placard, I was occupied with matters at home and couldn’t attend. How times change—the world is unpredictable. Yet, meeting again, you and I remain unchanged."

Your family may have become the British Duke’s household, but don’t get too arrogant too soon. Our family is still the Prince of Qing’s household.

The British Duchess heard this and glanced at She Niang, who met her gaze without flinching.

The princess, seated below as a guest, felt her confidence surge upon seeing She Niang’s demeanor. She had always viewed her sister-in-law as nothing more than a Study Companion, but after four or five years as the consort of the heir apparent and now as the Princess Consort, her status had changed entirely. Seated there, her presence and grace were unmistakably different.