Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Before Jiang Mo could respond, Chen Yingchou snatched the bedding from her hands, holding it with one arm while feeling his way forward with the other toward the outer room.

The unfamiliar surroundings and his hurried pace made Chen Yingchou stumble, bumping into a cabinet and then a screen.

Jiang Mo felt sorry for him and stepped forward to steady him. "Your Highness, you take the bed. I'm not sleepy yet; I'd like to stay in the outer room for a while." She tried to pull him back, but he stood firm as a rock, immovable.

He turned his face toward her, one eyebrow slightly raised. "That cook has been in Duke Qingguo's mansion for over twenty years and is deeply trusted by Lady Guogong. All your meals are prepared by her alone. Can a relationship of so many years be erased by a single flogging?"

Jiang Mo froze, unsure how to answer.

Chen Yingchou must still have doubts about today's events. During dinner, he must have sent someone to investigate. As a substitute, she had never even seen the cook's face, let alone shared any bond with her. She could only make up a response. "As the saying goes, 'endure humiliation and persevere through hardship to achieve a greater goal.' Perhaps the cook had long held a grudge against me but never found the right opportunity, so she pretended to be agreeable. That flogging was the last straw. She must have wanted to harm me, but feared she might not succeed, so she deliberately slandered me in front of Your Highness. If she failed to harm me, she could at least drive a wedge between us."

Chen Yingchou remained silent for a long time. Jiang Mo knew that in his eyes, this matter was indeed suspicious, but he could find no substantial flaw and had to accept her explanation.

After such an incident, Duke Qingguo and Lady Guogong would also warn the servants. The people Chen Yingchou sent could only learn the cook's background and the details of that flogging, nothing more.

Chen Yingchou continued, "Why were Wei Chun and Lady Guogong so resistant to letting you stay overnight at the Duke's mansion? Was it really just fear of gossip?"

"Of course not," Jiang Mo immediately denied.

Such a flimsy reason couldn't justify their repeated refusals, but she couldn't think of a better excuse at the moment.

Moreover, Prince Yu's tone when referring to Duke Qingguo carried no respect, as if emphasizing that if this marriage hadn't been an imperial decree, he would never have agreed to it. Everything he had performed today was for the sake of the bigger picture.

Jiang Mo's heart raced, and her grip on Chen Yingchou's arm tightened involuntarily.

Feeling the pressure on his arm, Chen Yingchou frowned slightly and took half a step forward. "Then what was the reason?"

"It's... it's because Your Highness didn't spend the night at Zhaomu Courtyard last night, and Father and Mother found out!"

Yes! That was the reason. Jiang Mo organized her thoughts and continued, "Last night, as soon as Your Highness left Zhaomu Courtyard, Hui Qing sent a carrier pigeon to inform Mother. Perhaps they think we are not getting along." She bit her lip and boldly added, "Although Your Highness put on a loving act during lunch and then let me stay at the Duke's mansion, it inevitably made them suspicious. Just now at dinner, they asked me how Your Highness truly treats me, and I..."

Jiang Mo put on a very aggrieved expression. "I said Your Highness treats me very well. Father said that the Empress will surely learn of last night's events. At the very least, I'll be scolded; at worst, the Empress will arrange a secondary consort for Your Highness. If a secondary consort is taken so soon after marriage, Duke Qingguo's mansion will lose all face."

Chen Yingchou's face darkened. After a moment of silence, he said, "I will not take a secondary consort."

He hugged the bedding tighter, and Jiang Mo reached out to take it. The moment her hand touched it, Chen Yingchou stepped back, as if in disgust. "From now on, nothing that happens in my residence must be allowed to leak out. It's exhausting enough to play the loving couple outside. When we return to the residence, let's stop pretending. Hui Qing is your maid; you discipline her. I'll make sure Xingchun and the other three keep their mouths shut, and no one else in Zhaomu Courtyard will utter a word about this."

Having said that, Chen Yingchou took two steps toward the outer room, then stopped.

After a moment, he turned back.

"Since you're not sleepy, I'll sleep in the inner room."

Jiang Mo watched as Chen Yingchou put down the bedding and lay down on the bed with his back to her.

She thought about blowing out the candles for him, but then laughed at herself for being so unnecessary.

She walked around the screen and sat on the soft couch by the window. Opening the window, she looked up at the night sky. It was pitch black and deep, with no stars and no moon visible. This abyss-like darkness pressed down on her heart, leaving her uncertain how to find a way out.

She didn't know how long she stared, but she faintly heard a muffled, pained groan from outside the window. Listening carefully, it seemed to be Lanqiu's voice.

Jiang Mo pushed open the door, and Lanqiu immediately struggled to stand up. "Does the Princess have any orders?"

Lanqiu's face was pale, with fine sweat on her forehead.

Jiang Mo stepped forward and asked, "Are you unwell?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine."

With Lanqiu looking like this, how could she be fine? Jiang Mo turned back to close the door and pulled Lanqiu toward the side room. "You can't just endure illness. Go back and rest first. I'll have Hui Qing call for the mansion's physician to examine you."

"No need, Princess. It's just menstrual cramps, not an illness." Lanqiu hadn't wanted to say it. Every month she endured it like this, just like the other maids. None of them ever complained; they just silently adjusted their schedules to avoid each other. But this time, it had come a few days early.

It hadn't been easy to reach this position in the palace's strict hierarchy. Except for those favored by their masters, servants couldn't show any signs of illness while attending to their masters. Even menstruation had to be carefully concealed. Masters didn't want weak people near them, afraid it would bring bad luck. Maids with painful periods were also seen as weak. So even in pain, they toughed it out. Even when sick, they could only secretly bribe the palace doctors to treat them. After following Prince Yu out of the palace to set up his own household, things had improved—they could see a doctor when running errands outside.

But now, being thought to be sick was worse than admitting it was her period.

Jiang Mo didn't know about these palace rules. She was just worried about Lanqiu. "It's cold outside; your stomach will hurt more. Go back to your room. You don't have to stand guard tonight."

To her surprise, Lanqiu immediately knelt down. "Princess, I don't feel pain anymore. I'll keep watch properly."

She'd seen many masters pretend to care and then transfer the servant away. Those servants were usually demoted to laundry or sweeping, with much less pay, unable to bribe doctors. Their illnesses got worse, and they could only wait to die.

She'd only seen one kind of servant escape this fate—those who'd been with their master since childhood and were highly valued. She knew she wasn't that lucky and didn't dare to hope to become one.

Jiang Mo was taken aback by Lanqiu's reaction. It was just period pain she'd noticed; why such a strong reaction?

"Lanqiu, get up quickly."

Lanqiu dared not rise. Jiang Mo crouched down and helped her up by the arm. "Lanqiu, look at me."

Lanqiu met Jiang Mo's eyes—clear and bright.

"Tell me, why are you so afraid of me seeing you sick?"

Lanqiu was puzzled. The palace taboos were well known among all noble families. Why would the Princess ask this? Without time to think, she answered honestly, "The masters in the palace believe that weak people bring bad luck and won't keep them in service. I was afraid the Princess would send me away from Zhaomu Courtyard."

Jiang Mo understood what leaving Zhaomu Courtyard meant. Servants dismissed by their masters rarely had good endings. Hearing Lanqiu's words, Jiang Mo finally realized there was such a ridiculous rule in the palace that she hadn't known about.

Seeing the confusion in Lanqiu's eyes, she quickly explained, "I knew about it before, but I don't follow that rule here. I simply forgot after so long." She smiled gently. "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are natural. People eat grains; how can they avoid getting sick? Lanqiu, get up. Women shouldn't catch a cold during their period. If you really don't want to go back to the side room, then stay with me in the outer room for a while."

Lanqiu was stunned. A warmth began to spread in her heart—whether from the Princess's words or her eyes, she didn't know.

In her more than ten years of life, no superior had ever looked at her with such gentle, sincere eyes.

In a daze, Lanqiu was pulled into the room by Jiang Mo.

Jiang Mo sat on the soft couch and patted the spot beside her. "Lanqiu, come, sit here. I want to tell you something."

Lanqiu was about to say she dared not, but Jiang Mo said, "Don't say you dare not."

Lanqiu said no more and moved to sit on the edge of the soft couch.

Jiang Mo looked at Lanqiu, as if seeing Luoli. Memories flooded back, and tears filled her eyes. She took a deep breath and looked out the window. "When I was young, my father took in an orphan girl who became my personal maid. We grew up together, played together. Although she was my maid, I treated her like family. Later, she fell ill. I found many doctors trying to cure her, but she still passed away. Only after her death did I learn that she had hidden her illness from me, afraid I would worry, and delayed treatment. I hope that from now on, the people around me won't leave because of that."

Jiang Mo looked at Lanqiu. "Everyone's life is precious, Lanqiu. Yours too."

Lanqiu was also an orphan, surviving cold and hunger. She considered herself lucky to have been selected to enter the palace, praised by the Empress, and given a name by the Prince. She was content and only hoped to live on like this.

Therefore, she believed her life belonged to the Empress and the Prince. She had never thought that life was her own, that it was precious. As a servant like her, she had never imagined anyone would tell her that her own life was also precious.

Jiang Mo picked up the hand warmer nearby and placed it in Lanqiu's hands, pointing to her lower abdomen. "Put it here; it will help a lot." Then she handed her a blanket.

When Lanqiu looked up, her eyes were already filled with tears. Her expression was exactly like Luoli's, only with more caution and humility. "I dare not."

Lanqiu started to rise, but Jiang Mo pressed her down. "Don't get up. Rest here. If you get up, I'll send you away from Zhaomu Courtyard as soon as we return to the mansion tomorrow."

*

The next morning, Qiao Yun came to help Chen Yingchou get up and pushed open the door. He was startled to see Lanqiu sleeping soundly on the soft couch.

Qiao Yun knew Lanqiu was not the type to overstep, so there must be a reason. He nudged Lanqiu.

Lanqiu opened her eyes, saw it was Qiao Yun, and quickly sat up. Clutching the woolen blanket, flustered, she lowered her head and said, "Eunuch Qiao, don’t misunderstand. It was the Princess who asked me to stay here."

Qiao Yun nodded, waiting for Lanqiu to explain further, but she said nothing more.

Since she did not want to talk, he did not press further. He looked into the inner chamber and asked, "Have the Prince and Princess awakened?"

Just as he finished speaking, Jiang Mo pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Lanqiu standing there like a child who had done something wrong, twisting the blanket in her hands, she said, "I told Lanqiu to rest here. Qiao Yun, don’t blame her."

A chill clung to Jiang Mo. Qiao Yun wondered, "When did the Princess wake up?"

Jiang Mo smiled. "I couldn’t sleep last night, so I took a walk in the garden."

All night? Qiao Yun realized that something must have happened between the master and the Princess last night, but he couldn’t guess what it was.

He didn’t consider himself stupid, so why was it that since his master got married, he couldn’t understand so many things anymore?