Chapter 572: Advising the Concubine Not to Provoke Queen Rui_1

“What is she here for? I don’t want to see her!” Wei Qingwan expressed extreme disgust.

“Lady Cuihe claimed to be visiting under the orders of the Queen,” it was explained.

“How could she possibly have good intentions and visit me, if not to get some fun out of my plight now that she has nothing better to do? I won’t see her.”

Wei Qingwan insisted she wouldn’t see her, but Cuihe appeared in front of her before she could finish speaking.

Cuihe now had on a different outfit, her hair adorned with a few additional pearls and hairpins, and the rouge and powder on her face were more brightly coloured than before.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

She twirled her waist as she entered from the door, her face radiating a radiant smile.

She looked like a courtesan.

“Your servant pays her respects to the Concubine,” Cuihe bowed, each of her movements brimming with seductive charm.

Wei Qingwan retorted with disdain: “Showing your true lowborn colors. Even if you get promoted to lady, you still have an indecent manner about you. People who don’t know better might think you are from a brothel.”

Cuihe paid no mind to this: “Concubine, please do not get angry. Your servant is but just a lady. I am inherently lowborn, here to serve with my looks. Even if you wish for me to present myself as elegant, I simply cannot.”

“At least you’re self-aware,” Wei Qingwan sneered.

“Isn’t it noble to have self-awareness? As I know my own status, I do things befitting that status. It’s certainly better than those who carry the base blood of a merchant but insist on pretending to be a noble young miss, acting noble and unapproachable.”

“What are you talking about?” Wei Qingwan asked.

“Don’t get angry, Concubine. I was just making a comment about a merchant’s family, and you, Concubine, do not come from such, correct?” Cuihe laughed.

Wei Qingwan stared blankly at Cuihe’s eyes full of laughter, which made her rage rise.

Cuihe continued: “Don’t get upset, Concubine. There are some things I wouldn’t just blurt out as it would do me no good. However, if someone pushes me to a corner one day, or if I find myself in danger, who knows what could happen.”

Wei Qingwan’s face turned frighteningly pale.

Then Cuihe continued: “How I envy you, Concubine. Coming from a reputed family and not a merchant’s household, you have the privilege to give birth to the Prince’s eldest son. If it were someone of lesser birth like myself, the Prince would never permit it. The Prince’s previous concubines were never so lucky. Whenever they went to his bedchamber, they had to ingest a chatelaine soup. I have heard that even if an accident happened and they fell pregnant, the Prince would dispose of the child.”

“Enough! You stop right there!” Wei Qingwan interrupted Cuihe.

Her hands clenched tightly into fists.

“So, when I come to visit you in the future, Concubine, will you allow me to do so?”

“What do you really want?” Wei Qingwan demanded.

“Nothing much. I am merely visiting on Queen’s orders. Seeing that the Concubine and your unborn child are both safe and sound puts my mind at ease. I also hope that the Concubine will be able to look out for me, to some degree,” Cuihe explained.

“You are calculated, wanting the Queen as your support and me as your shield.” Wei Qingwan retorted coldly.

“Please calm down, Concubine. Your servant is of lowly status and knows her position well. I can only hope to secure a foothold in the Wang Residence; I am not attempting to gain anything more,” Cuihe explained.

“Huh.”

“Now that we’ve made idle chat, it’s time for your servant to discuss important matters with the Concubine. I presume you’ve heard of the recent happenings in the palace. With Queen Qi’s passing, the Prince is understandably grieving. The Queen particularly sent me to remind the Concubine not to fan the flames and upset him,” Cuihe explained.

“She must be dissatisfied and deliberately hoping to ruin my peace!” Wei Qingwan countered.

“Nonsense. The Queen is merely concerned about the concubine. We are all the Prince’s women. We should unite to serve the Prince well, rejoicing in his happiness and sharing in his worries.”

“You certainly have a way with words! It is no wasted effort that your parents sent you to study with me since childhood!”

“I only learned a bit, nothing compared to the educated concubine.”

“Have you finished talking?”

“There is one more thing. The Queen asked me to remind the concubine, no matter how jealous you are of your sister, Queen Rui, you should keep these feelings hidden away. Do not do anything rash like Queen Jing. The King Yu Residence doesn’t want to offend the King Rui Residence, so please take this into account.”

Lady Cuihe added, “The Queen also instructed me to tell the concubine, even if King Rui is not around, with Queen Rui’s capabilities, she still has significant influence in the Capital City. She is not someone you can afford to provoke.”

Lady Cuihe’s remarks ignited Wei Qingwan’s rage, and her words about Wei Ruo were like a sharp knife plunging directly into her chest, into her heart.

She hated Wei Ruo the most, especially when her life was unsatisfactory while Wei Ruo lived prosperously!

Lady Cuihe then glanced at the empty bowl in front of Wei Qingwan and said, “The concubine seems to be in good health, and the baby is very stable, even after frequent episodes of anger, the child is unharmed. With this, I can go back to report to the Queen.”

Having finished speaking, Lady Cuihe walked away with a twist of her hips.

Wei Qingwan was trembling with anger.

Why does everyone humble her?

Why can’t these people stand her happiness! Whenever there’s a little joy, someone intentionally causes trouble to upset her!

She was so angry, so very angry!

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The Capital City spent the month of January in a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Shortly after January, the Emperor issued a decree, granting the Jiliao Region as the fief to King Rui, and ordered the King and Queen Rui to go there after the New Year.

This decree came suddenly, and everyone in the court was surprised.

If the Emperor’s decree was for other Princes, everyone would not be surprised, but the grant was for King Rui, which left people rather confused.

First of all, the Emperor’s favor for King Rui was well known to all, and King Rui was in poor health. Everyone thought the Emperor would keep King Rui in the Capital City.

Secondly, even if King Rui was to go to his fief, the Emperor should choose a fertile place for him.

The Jiliao Region was cold and hard, and close to the northern Jurchen Tribe. In recent years, the various Jurchen factions had been seething, and conflicts may break out at any moment.

This region was evidently not a good fief!

Opinions varied regarding King Rui’s upcoming journey to the Jiliao Region. Some speculated that King Rui had lost favor, while others speculated that the Emperor was trying to keep King Rui safe.

No matter what conjecture people in the Capital City had, the royal decree was already issued, and King Rui and Queen Rui would soon leave for the Jiliao Region.

In King Rui’s Residence, a dazed Wei Ruo got the news.

“Miss, could it be that our Prince has lost favor?” Xiumei anxiously questioned.