Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Alliance of Six Concubines

Despite Jing Mo’s disparaging remarks towards Fengtian, Zhao Qiuming was all smiles. “Zhuri is a superior state. My Fengtian men submits and acknowledges its strength. We dare not show disloyalty.”

Jing Mo threw the string of pearls in his hand to one side and cut to the chase. “Why have you found me in the middle of the night?”

Zhao Qiuming studied Jing Mo’s expression and replied, “This one came to call on Your Eldest Highness because I had no other options. This one–”

“Get to the point,” Jing Mo dismissed his civilities. “Prime Minister Zhao couldn’t have found me just to reminiscence.”

Zhao Qiuming finally caved. “It’s regarding the prince hostage.”

Well aware, Jing Mo only sneered. “Hasn’t the eldest Princess Linglong already taken His Seventh Highness of the Jiang Clan empress to raise in the Gu Estate? What now? Does this child of the official wife still counts as an obstruction for you father and daughter pair even after he’s left the palace?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jing Mo had only arrived in Fengtian for two days, but he already knew the latest news. Naturally, the credit went to the ample eyes and ears stationed by Zhuri in the capital. Zhao Qiuming only flashed a brilliant smile without mentioning this fact.

Jing Mo said, “I thought you lot would recommend Yu Ziqing.”

Zhao Qiuming said, “He’s only holding the position as eldest prince. It’s easy enough to deal with him, compared to a prince born from the official wife.”

“Hua Yingzhou commands much more soldiers than the Jiang Clan of Wuzhou,” Jing Mo remarked coldly. “Have you thought things through?”

“The eldest princess has married the Third Young Master Gu,” Zhao Qiuming said in a low voice. “Although the Gu Clan’s lost their military might, they have many adherents in the army. Combined with the Jiang Clan, their forces would make Hua Yingzhou’s soldiers insufficient.”

Thanks to his heavy injuries, Zhao Qiuming could only speak weakly. Combined with his low tones, his voice sounded wispy and faint to Jing Mo’s ears unless he listened closely. Now he pointed to two black lacquered boxes at his feet and grinned at Jing Mo.

“This is an expression of my sentiments. I hope that Your Eldest Highness won’t mind.”

This wasn’t the first time that Jing Mo had received gifts from Zhao Qiuming, so he knew the presents weren’t trivial things. He relented and said, “Yu Ziyi is still in swaddling clothes. Do you think your emperor will be willing to hand over his son by the official wife?”

Zhao Qiuming replied, “His Majesty intends to enthrone Consort Zhao as empress, so His Sixth Highness will be the son of the official wife in the future.”

“Would the Gu and Jiang Clans permit this to pass?” Jing Mo asked.

“Your Eldest Highness, which subject in Fengtian would dare to object to something a superior state suggests?” Zhao Qiuming chuckled softly.

“May your daughter get all she desires,” Jing Mo said before waving a hand at Zhao Qiuming. Knowing that the eldest prince had no wish to continue their conversation, Zhao Qiuming left without wasting any more words. Once he left, two guards went to open up the black lacquer boxes.

There were at least 10,000 taels inside as well as countless jewels and pearls. Under the candlelight of the great hall, their brilliance all but blinded the guards’ eyes. Jing Mo regarded the treasures, unaffected, before ordering the guards, “Carry them away.”

The guards called over two more of their kin before two men took each box out of the room. Soon enough Qingyu–that is, the present-day Chuqiu–entered the room with her head bowed while carrying a tray of stew. She knelt in front of Jing Mo and raised the tray above her head, saying in a soft tone, “May Your Eldest Highness partake of some.”

Jing Mo took the cup of stew in his hands and uncovered the lid a crack, letting its fragrance fill the air. Smelling it, Qingyu couldn’t help but swallow her saliva, too afraid to look up.

“Why did the Gu Clan sell you off?” Jing Mo asked after drinking a mouthful of thoroughly cooked meat broth.

Qingyu didn’t dare to hide anything from the eldest prince of Zhuri and told him her entire story. Of course, her version only said that the eldest princess was unwilling to accept her as Gu Xinglang’s concubine and so caused the Gu Clan to cast her out.

“Is Princess Linglong such a jealous type?” Jing Mo asked with a laugh.

“This servant is but a vassal and dare not comment on a master’s shortcomings,” Qingyu demurred.

The spies that Zhuri had placed in Fengtian’s palace described Princess Linglong differently from what Jing Mo understood now. She was supposed to be a pure and gentle girl, so how could she transform into a completely different person upon her mother’s death? Jing Mo lifted Qingyu’s chin to study her. Currently, this low status beauty was wearing a flimsy layer of clothing that revealed everything beneath, whether it was appropriate or not. His hands pressed against her bright red lips before trailing down to pinch her perky mounds.

Qingu’s heart beat fast. If it came to warming the bed, she’d rather pick Zhuri’s eldest prince. Gu Xinglang was only a subject, so how could he compare?

Jing Mo played with the tender flesh beneath his fingers as he stared at the darkness outside his window. His movements were absent-minded, but enough to elicit faint gasps from Qingyu.

Meanwhile, Xianzong was sleeping soundly in the palace with a beauty in his arms. Consort Hua and the five other imperial concubines with sons couldn’t fall asleep, so they had all gathered at Consort Zhao’s Morning Skies Palace. Consort Zhao was currently lying on the bed like a wooden effigy, incapable of moving a muscle. But as the favored consort, she had to show her strength and didn’t falter when she speak. Her voice carried none of the exquisite softness she showed before Xianzong and was filled with ice.

“His Seventh Highness is the prince beget from the official wife. I don’t need to explain what that means to the rest of you.”

None of the other five concubines made a peep.

Consort Zhao smiled coldly. “Now you want to play nice? Though the Gu Clan might have lost their military power, their old adherents still exist in the army. Combine them with the Wuzhou’s Jiang Clan and you can count the soldiers yourself. Yu Linglong was willing to marry Third Young Master Gu despite his useless legs. At first I thought she wanted to fulfill her promise, but now it seems that she’s merely considering his uses.”

Consort Hua said, “The eldest princess is truly a good older sister.”

“She’s only a little girl who’s not even twenty. What does she know?” Consort Zhao dismissed. “It’s only the people left behind by the empress urging her on behind her back. Elder Sister Hua, you’ve taken pains with His Seventh Highness as well. If he ever ascends to the throne, you and the eldest prince will be in trouble.”

Consort Hua’s face darkened. Her purifying lotus seed soup was meant to cool the body down. It was harmless when ingested by adults, but could jeopardize the life of an infant. In the end, Yu Xiaoxiao had poured it all down Wang Shun’s throat, then told Xianzong outright that Yu Ziyi wouldn’t survive long in the palace. Wasn’t that just a slap to her face?

“Let’s get over the bigger enemy first,” Consort Zhao emphasized word for word. “After that, each of us sisters can compete against each other with our own abilities.”

“But His Seventh Highness is still young,” Consort Rong (容妃), mother to fifth prince Yu Zishen (玉子申), pointed out.

“Then have His Fifth Highness to to Zhuri?” Consort Zhao suggested. “Elder Sister Rong, could you bear that?”

Her words evaporated all sympathy Consort Rong held for His Seventh Highness. No matter how much she pitied Yu Ziyi, she’d never risk her own son.

“Sisters, all of you should know what to do,” Consort Zhao said after a pause. “It’s all for the sake of our sons, so let’s not jest with each other.”

The other five imperial concubines all fell silent. For the sake of protecting their children, their only choice was to make Yu Ziyi the hostage prince.