Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After finishing lecturing Lady Ning, Prince Jing went straight to the princess's Green Pine Courtyard and told her about finding a nursemaid.

As expected, the princess did not agree. "I have no experience caring for children myself, so where would I find an experienced nursemaid?"

The princess glanced at Prince Jing's gloomy expression and said calmly, "In my opinion, why not ask your mother, the Imperial Consort, for two people?"

Prince Jing knew that his princess was always cautious and avoided getting involved in trouble.

He did not insist. "Very well, handle it as you see fit."

During the evening meal, Prince Jing suddenly said, "I think Lady Ning can't take care of both children. How about having Ying'er stay in your courtyard for a few days?"

The princess was startled, then smiled. "Your Highness is joking. It's not that I'm unwilling to fulfill my duties as the legitimate mother. First, I've never given birth and have no experience; I'm afraid I wouldn't take good care of the child. Second, they say a child is the mother's heart. If Ying'er is brought here, I'm afraid Lady Ning wouldn't sleep at night."

Prince Jing pursed his lips and said no more. He had only brought it up casually, but he hadn't expected the princess to refuse so bluntly.

Seeing that Prince Jing was unhappy, the princess said generously, "Your Highness, I heard that Shiqie Fang seems to have suffered from heatstroke recently and has been feeling unwell. Why not go and see her?"

Prince Jing wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "If she's unwell, just have someone arrange for the mansion's physician. I don't know how to treat illnesses."

Princess Jing was known throughout the court and the inner palace as a virtuous and generous person, cautious and proper, with no faults to be found.

Yet it was precisely this perfect princess that Prince Jing could never bring himself to like.

Prince Jing knew that his princess cared nothing for offspring or favor; the only thing she cared about was the dignity and power of being the princess.

Their relationship was more like colleagues than husband and wife.

After dinner, Prince Jing practiced calligraphy for a while and soon went to bed.

He was not in high spirits that day, so he did nothing else.

The next day was his day off. Since he didn't have to attend the morning court, he woke up late.

After finishing his meal and preparing to go out, he came across two young maids carrying a tray into the Green Pine Courtyard.

Prince Jing glanced casually. "What are they?"

Qiu Lan was very pleased. "Reporting to Your Highness, our mistress has acquired something new and specially came to offer it to the princess."

Prince Jing raised an eyebrow. He vaguely remembered seeing this maid in Shiqie Fang's courtyard.

"What is it?"

"It's the new rouge and powder from Jiangnan Fang, shipped overnight by water from Jiangnan. There were only two sets. Our mistress kept one set for herself and specially dedicated the other to the princess."

Jiangnan Fang was the most famous cosmetics shop in the entire south.

It was said that one box of powder cost as much as one tael of gold.

The tray contained a full set of twelve boxes, demonstrating Shiqie Fang's generosity.

Prince Jing knew this well because Jiangnan Fang was a business privately established by the Emperor for Chen Consort, registered in the name of the thirteen-year-old Eighth Prince.

The Eighth Prince, the Emperor's youngest son, was highly favored by the Emperor.

Prince Jing only glanced at it. "Your mistress is quite generous in offering gifts to the princess."

Qiu Lan said smartly, "Our mistress heard that Your Highness loves tea, so she specially bought a lot of fine tea at great expense. She said she was keeping it for when Your Highness comes to have a cup."

Prince Jing looked reserved. "Your mistress certainly knows how to train her people."

Qiu Lan blushed at the compliment and wanted to say more, but Prince Jing had already left with his attendants.

He didn't say whether he would go to Shiqie Fang's place.

Many people knew about the incident at the Green Pine Courtyard's entrance, but no one took it very seriously.

The princess sent away Shiqie Fang's people and sat lazily on the daybed pruning flower branches. She noticed Nurse Li beside her hesitating to speak and said calmly, "Nurse, if you have something to say, just say it."

The princess was a princess sent to the Great Xia Dynasty for a political marriage. The current Emperor, without a second thought, had bestowed her upon Prince Jing as his princess.

The people around her had all followed her from the Xia Dynasty, so she had a special bond with them.

Nurse Li looked at the princess with concern. "Princess, since His Highness suggested bringing the second young master here to raise for a couple of days, why did you refuse? If you could raise him permanently, you would have someone to rely on in your old age."

The princess chuckled lightly. "Nurse, do you really believe that?"

Nurse Li fell into silence.

The princess continued, "If the prince wanted me to raise the child, he should have brought him to my courtyard right after birth. Now that Lady Ning has raised him until he's two years old, he suddenly wants me to take over. The child already bonds with his mother; what point is there for me to be called 'mother' now?"

Thinking this, the princess snorted coldly. "Back then, the prince cared for Lady Ning, disregarded my dignity, and made an exception to allow her to keep the child by her side. Did he ever consider that I am the child's legal mother?"

"Now that Lady Ning can't raise the child well, the prince remembers me... I may not have my own children, but I disdain to raise another's child."

The princess lowered her eyes, hiding the sharp glint in them. "Besides, the reason the prince relies on me now is precisely because I have no children and can act fairly and impartially. If I were to raise Lady Ning's child, I'm afraid his heart would shift back to the Orchid Fragrance Courtyard."

Pity for the weak and the poor—that's the nature of men.

Nurse Li sighed. "Lady Ning doesn't know how lucky she is. She has two sons, yet she only focuses on securing the position of heir for the eldest, completely neglecting the upbringing of the second son... If only you could have a child of your own, even a daughter would be wonderful."

Lady Ning and the princess had been given to Prince Jing as consorts at the same time.

At first, Prince Jing respected the princess and declared that no concubine-born children would be allowed until the princess bore a son.

But after three years without pregnancy, and seeing other princes' legitimate and illegitimate children being born one after another, Prince Jing finally allowed the secondary consorts and concubines to become pregnant.

Lady Ning was fertile, and she gave birth to two sons in succession. Having the only two sons in the prince's mansion, she was very assertive and had given the princess a hard time in the early years.

It was only later, when Lady Ning, relying on her two sons, became arrogant and repeatedly caused trouble, that Prince Jing distanced himself from her.

The princess cut the last flower, feeling a touch of melancholy, but she remained calm.

"Children are a matter of fate. If there's no fate, you can't force it."

"Nurse, you've been muddled. Even if I have no children, who would dare to look down on me?" The princess put down the scissors, her expression full of pride. "I was bestowed upon the prince by the current Emperor, and my position is tied to the diplomatic ties between the two countries. As long as I fulfill my duties, even without favor or offspring, no one can make my life difficult."

Nurse Li disagreed and wanted to persuade her further.

But the princess had already stood up. "Since you're free, find someone to reveal what the prince said last night to the Orchid Fragrance Courtyard. Even though I won't raise the child, it's good to keep a sword of Damocles over Lady Ning's head."

The princess didn't care about the prince's favor, but she still remembered the various humiliations Lady Ning had caused her.

Now that she had the chance, she naturally wanted to get some revenge.

When Lady Ning heard the news that the prince intended to have the princess raise the second son, she would probably be unable to sleep at night.

Nurse Li's eyes lit up. "I'll go take care of it immediately."