Chapter 31

Xie Run blinked innocently, then glanced at Han Shi, as if saying to Fang Yuan'er, 'You two are somewhat alike.'

Fang Yuan'er: ... This naive idiot!

Did she really think she couldn't see? And she was even winking at her?

Fang Yuan'er wasn't angry at first, but seeing Xie Run wink at her now made her blood boil.

Taking a deep breath, she ignored Xie Run's presence and suppressed the agitation in her heart.

Regardless of everyone's thoughts, Li Shi and Han Shi both served tea according to the rules, officially becoming legitimate concubines of Prince Jing.

The Princess Consort gave each a red packet and said with a smile, "His Highness once said that since you two were personally selected by the Mother Consort to enter the residence, you naturally cannot be treated like ordinary concubines."

The two looked up at the Princess Consort simultaneously.

The Princess Consort then unhurriedly dropped a sentence.

"Currently, there is only one position of Shu Fei in the rear courtyard. His Highness said that whichever of you falls pregnant first will be promoted to Shu Fei."

These words struck like a bolt from the blue.

Even Li Shi, who had been maintaining a cold and aloof demeanor, showed a trace of emotion on her face.

With just this sentence, the two became natural rivals from the moment they entered the residence.

This wasn't about competing for a few taels of silver or a few hairpins.

The position of Shu Fei was tied to life and death, honor and disgrace, as well as to future descendants.

Once inside Prince Jing's mansion, even a Buddha without worldly desires would have to fight for it.

Newly promoted Fang Yuan'er and Shu Fei Yun now watched the scene with amusement, their smiles meaningful.

The Princess Consort continued her virtuous instructions.

"The prince's harem has few offspring. Whichever of you falls pregnant will be credited with merit and will receive a generous reward. I also hope that you will help each other and live in harmony with all your sisters in the mansion."

The two women bowed at the same time, "We obey your Highness's command."

After the tea ceremony, the Princess Consort gave them their living quarters.

Shiqie Li was assigned to Qingzhu Pavilion, and Shiqie Han was assigned to Zhenzhu Yuan.

Thus, the newcomer introduction meeting came to an end.

Xie Run had only come to make up the numbers; after getting to know everyone, she returned to her pavilion.

As soon as the door of Linxuan Pavilion closed, she took off her hairpins and ornaments, changed into a loose and comfortable outfit, and let Yueya'er fan her.

Xiaoshu finished a bowl of iced yogurt and then passed on the information she had just learned.

"Lady Han is the youngest daughter of the Dingyuan General of Jiangzhou. She was raised with great care and was originally being groomed for next year's imperial selection for the harem. Somehow, Consort Rou got wind of her and picked her to serve His Highness instead."

Xie Run's ears perked up at this.

A woman originally intended for the emperor was snatched away by Consort Rou and given to Prince Jing instead.

Was she genuinely trying to give Prince Jing a concubine to carry on the family line, or was she eliminating a potential rival to satisfy her own selfish motives?

Xie Run suddenly felt that Consort Rou had little true maternal affection for her son, Prince Jing.

"Lady Li's background is a bit complicated. She is said to be the granddaughter of Chancellor Li."

Xie Run paused in eating her fruit. "Chancellor Li? When did the court have a Chancellor Li?"

Even though Xie Run didn't understand politics, she had heard of the important figures in the court.

Xiaoshu lowered her voice. "He was the chancellor in the 23rd year of Yuanhong. Because he rashly commented on the matter of establishing the crown prince, his family was raided and property confiscated, and the women were sent to the imperial harem as bondservants."

"Lady Li is proficient in poetry and calligraphy. The Consort favored her and promoted her from the palace harem to read to her and paint for her. It was originally thought she would be a companion for the Tenth Princess, but unexpectedly, she was given to His Highness."

The Tenth Princess was Prince Jing's full sister (same mother).

Consort Rou had given birth to three children: the eldest prince, Prince Su, the sixth prince, Prince Jing, and the Tenth Princess.

Xie Run's eyes widened. So, Concubine Li was channeling Shangguan Wan'er?

No wonder she was so cold and ethereal, with an air of scholarly refinement.

After a moment, she felt something was off.

"Didn't you say the Consort chose only daughters from official families this time?"

Even if Concubine Li had been promoted by the Consort, she was at best a palace maid, far from being from an official family.

To put it bluntly, she was even the daughter of a disgraced official.

Xiaoshu added, "Originally, it wasn't Lady Li who was chosen."

"The other family somehow found out the prince was only offering the rank of concubine, so a few days ago, they pretended to be ill and turned down the Consort."

Xie Run wasn't particularly bothered that Prince Jing and Consort Rou were rejected.

After all, everyone had their own thoughts. You can't look down on others without expecting them to look down on you, right?

In her previous life, Consort Rou had also bestowed these two, but back then, they were given the rank of Shu Fei directly.

It was likely that the other family probably made up another excuse to refuse.

The overall plot and characters were the same.

Xie Run asked again, "Do you know their personalities?"

Xiaoshu shook her head. "Lady Han was raised in the secluded inner quarters, so I couldn't learn much. As for Lady Li, everyone says she's good-natured, just a bit cold and distant, and not the type to compete."

"Not one to compete?" Xie Run nodded. "Then she's a woman with long-term vision."

Seeing Xiaoshu and Dan Tao looking puzzled, Xie Run smiled. "She came from the palace harem. If she had no ambition, how could she have caught Consort Rou's eye and gained her favor?"

"If she were really that easygoing, she would've been ground down in that deep palace long ago."

"She doesn't compete for immediate gains—probably because she has bigger plans."

If such a person becomes an enemy, she'll be even harder to handle than Han Shi.

And in fact, that turned out to be exactly right.

In the original plot, Fang Yuaner was always vigilant against Han Shi but did not pay much attention to Li Shi.

Who would have thought that in the end, she would suffer a great loss at the hands of Li Shi?

If it weren't for the third female lead's superb medical skills, secretly poisoning Li Shi and ruining her health, Fang Yuaner would have narrowly lost to her opponent.

Faced with so many capable people, Xie Run thought long and hard and finally settled on one strategy—lie low!

However, in this life, both Li Shi and Han Shi started only as concubines, far less threatening than in the original story.

Thanks to Prince Jing's unexpected move, Xie Run was not afraid of being targeted by these two; instead, she looked forward to watching them tear each other apart.

That said, since the prince was not in the mansion now, there was no chance for them to fight.

— Pearl Courtyard

When Concubine Han arrived at Pearl Courtyard, her forehead was beaded with sweat.

She had been raised deep in the boudoir since childhood, delicate and frail, unable to withstand summer heat or winter cold.

But a beauty is a beauty after all; even drenched in sweat, she exuded a unique charm.

The waiting maids, Hua Tang and Yu Tang, bowed and discreetly sized up their new mistress.

At first glance at her appearance, they were utterly delighted.

Such beauty was not inferior to that of Shufei Fang and Shufei Xie in the mansion, and she would likely win the prince's favor easily in the future.

As servants, their fortunes were tied to their mistress.

They naturally hoped their mistress would aim high, and even more so that she would be naturally gifted, easily winning the prince's favor.

After all, Concubine Han was the legitimate daughter of General Dingyuan, and did not lack money, and was generous with rewards.

She gave each of the two maids a silver ingot, a full five taels of silver—exactly one month's salary for a concubine.

Concubine Han spoke softly and tenderly, "If you serve me well, you'll be generously rewarded. But if you dare to betray your mistress..."

A bewitching smile curved on her lovely face, but her words were icy cold.

"Don't blame me if I get blood on my hands."

The two maids shivered in fright, and quickly knelt to pledge their loyalty.

Concubine Han had her dowry maid attend to her as she reclined on the couch, lazily asking, "When I entered the prince's mansion, I learned about the household. I know that now Shufei Fang is the most favored, followed by Shufei Xie, both of whom are now pregnant."

"Then there is Shufei Yun, although her health is failing, she at least has a daughter and the prince shows her some pity out of fondness..."

Concubine Han chuckled lightly, "Which of you can give me more details? If you do well, you'll be well rewarded."

The two maids exchanged glances.

After only a moment's hesitation, they began to gradually reveal the situation of the mansion's inner quarters.

Though Concubine Han appeared soft and delicate, she was actually a woman with strong opinions and an unwavering will.

The Han family had raised her in luxury from the start, intending to send her into the palace to curry favor.

Concubine Han felt that the emperor was old and senile, and the princes were mostly capable now, with the particularly favored Consort Chen standing in the way. Entering the palace would be a life-or-death gamble with little chance of advancement.

So she found a way to make a name for herself in the capital, and "accidentally" caught the eye of Consort Rou, who had two sons.

Concubine Han originally thought Consort Rou would give her to the eldest prince, Prince Su.

But Princess Su was jealous, had three legitimate sons, and relied on the Zhenguo General's mansion, directly rejecting Consort Rou's offer.

Failing to get her way with Princess Su, Consort Rou vented her anger on Princess Jing and, taking the opportunity, gave Concubine Han to Prince Jing.

In the eyes of the Han family, Prince Jing, as the sixth prince, was neither the eldest, the youngest, nor the legitimate, so his chance of inheriting the throne was slim.

Naturally, he was not worth investing in.

The Han family wanted to decline by feigning illness as another family had done.

But after learning about the situation in Prince Jing's mansion, Concubine Han took it upon herself to accept and even persuaded her family.

The emperor had a total of eight princes.

The eldest prince, Prince Su, held the advantage of seniority, with a powerful wife's clan, a mother who was a consort, and military power in his hands. He seemed the most likely to inherit the throne, but he was also the most dangerous.

The emperor was not yet old, but the eldest prince's power base was already strong.

With the saying "How can one tolerate another sleeping beside one's bed?" the eldest prince would find it hard to sleep peacefully day or night.

The second prince, Prince Taiyuan, was the son of the late Consort Roujia, but he did not enjoy the emperor's favor and was sent to his fief early on, rarely returning to the capital even during festivals. His hope of inheriting the throne was already lost.

The third prince, Prince Wei, was fond of poetry and literature, a refined gentleman, but had no real power and had no interest in the throne.

The fourth prince died young; the fifth prince, Prince An, was the son of a low-ranking consort, with little backing.

The remaining seventh and eighth princes, the legitimate son and the youngest, but both were too young to make a difference.

Prince Jing, the sixth prince, seemed to have no advantages, but over the years, he had not been involved in any scandals. Instead, he served in the Ministry of Revenue, accomplished a lot, and earned the emperor's praise.

Prince Jing's mother was Consort Rou. Though she was no longer favored, she still held her rank.

He was free from the eldest prince's suspicion, unlike the fifth prince whose mother was of low status. He was already an adult with administrative ability, gaining the emperor's trust.

If something were to happen to the emperor one day, Prince Jing's chance of inheriting the throne was far from small.

If Prince Jing had a flaw, it was that he married a princess from the Xia Dynasty.

In outsiders' eyes, from the moment the emperor gave the princess to Prince Jing, his path to inheritance was already cut off.

After all, if Prince Jing became emperor, how could the empress be from the Xia Dynasty?

The emperor must have intended to prevent Prince Jing from being his heir by giving him a princess from a neighboring kingdom.

What outsiders saw as a major flaw was actually Concubine Han's greatest opportunity.

If Prince Jing ascended the throne in the future and the princess was unfit to be empress, wouldn't the empress be chosen from among Prince Jing's concubines?

Prince Jing's mansion was the place where Concubine Han had the best chance of reaching the empress's position.

Therefore, she resolutely entered the mansion.

Just now at the main courtyard, Concubine Han had noticed the expressions of the princess and Shufei Yun.

They were simply worried that her appearance and voice were not proper, fearing she would seduce Prince Jing and win his heart.

Shiqie Han had seen those looks all her life; they were nothing new.

She wasn't angry at all; in fact, she was pretty pleased.

This meant that the princess and Shufei Yun were jealous of her, feeling she was a threat to them.

So what if she wasn't proper? What if they called her a fox spirit?

As long as Prince Jing liked her, no one in his household would dare say a single word against her!

As long as she made Prince Jing dote on her and love her, that seemingly elusive position would be within reach.

She came to Prince Jing's manor to rise above everyone else!

In contrast to Shiqie Han's grand ambitions, Shiqie Li's quarters were very quiet, almost eerily so.

Shiqie Li had been a palace maid and didn't have her own servant.

Before entering the manor, she personally asked Consort Rou for her close friend Feishuang, thus gaining a confidante.

When Shiqie Li entered the manor, aside from some gifts from Consort Rou, she only brought a box of books and very few clothes or jewelry.

Feishuang packed Shiqie Li's belongings and saw her sitting by the window, staring blankly outside. She couldn't help but approach.

"My lady, is something on your mind?"

Shiqie Li's gaze drifted to the window. "I was just thinking about how to get by from now on."

"From now on?" Feishuang asked curiously. "Does master have a plan in mind?"

Shiqie Li said, "There are only four positions of Shufei in the prince's harem, and three are already taken. Today, the princess said that between me and Han Shi, whoever becomes pregnant first will be promoted to Shufei."

Feishuang, having come from the palace, immediately caught the danger in those words.

"We've only just entered the manor, and the princess wants to stir up conflict between you and Shiqie Han?"

"You have such a gentle nature; how can you endure the infighting and scheming here?"

As she spoke, Feishuang was filled with worry, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She thought they'd left the tiger's den of the palace, only to enter the wolf's lair of Prince Jing's manor.

Truly, not a single day of peace.

Shiqie Li shook her head. "That was the prince's idea."

Feishuang was silent for a moment, then couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. "My lady, what are we to do now?"

"What to do?" Shiqie Li laughed softly. "Since I've entered the prince's household as a concubine, I can't avoid competing."

Her eyes hardened. "I must compete."

"What?!" Feishuang was slightly startled.

Feishuang was taken aback. She felt this was completely unlike Shiqie Li.

Shiqie Li took her hand and smiled faintly. "No one is without desires. I have desires and aspirations too, so don't be surprised."

"When necessary, I won't be soft-hearted."

Xie Run was right about one thing.

Shiqie Li never cared about immediate gains or losses because she had a longer-term, more determined goal.

Becoming a Shufei was only the first step toward that goal.

The arrival of the two new concubines stirred ripples on the lake's surface, then everything returned to calm.

Everyone thought it was completely calm, but only those in the middle of it knew the truth.

The undercurrents at the bottom of the lake had never stopped; in fact, they surged even more fiercely.