Chapter 1 Chapter 1 She is a Concubine
When I woke up in the morning, before it got bright, the sky outside the window was dark blue. Across the yard, I could hear footsteps and noises from the corridor and the path.
Yun Qiao lifted the gauze curtain and woke up the girl who was sleeping soundly on the bed: "Aunt, it's time to go to Hejing Hall to pay respects." Although it was clearly an urging word, she spoke softly, for fear of startling the delicate girl on the bed.
Jing Yao opened her misty almond eyes and was helped up by Yun Qiao in a daze. The quilt slipped off, revealing her snow-white skin that seemed to be able to squeeze out water, which made her gorgeous and charming face even more stunning.
She had an oval face with slightly round cheeks like a pink peach, plump red lips, and a graceful figure. The whole room seemed to be filled with fragrance.
Today is the day when the second brother of the Bo's Mansion proposes marriage. The matchmaker and guests will arrive at noon, so the concubine has to go to Hejing Hall in advance to pay respects to the old lady and the prince's wife.
Yun Qiao skillfully helped her put on an apricot pink jacket.
"Yun Qiao, please hold on tighter." The soft voice made Yun Qiao pause. Jing Yao looked at the two breasts standing proudly on her chest and said cautiously.
In this dynasty, thinness was considered beautiful for women. Women with slender backs, dignified and steady demeanor and skirts that did not reveal their feet when walking were considered noble ladies.
The style of the famous families naturally attracted common people to imitate, and gradually this trend became a norm. Jing Yao was different, with thin shoulders, snow-white peaks, a slim waist and a raised hip, which was a plump look.
To put it nicely, she is plump; to put it bluntly, she is enchanting. Jing Yao has seen the Crown Prince's wife, whose figure is as thin as a board. When she looks at her, she often sighs that the Crown Prince's wife is worthy of being a woman from a famous family. She is a woman who wants to do great things, but she can still resist the desire for food.
She was not so lucky. She had been greedy since she was a child. In addition, Cui deliberately ignored her and wanted her to grow up in a strange way. As a result, she became this charming and plump girl.
She came from a good family. Her father was a well-known merchant in Bianjing City and held an idle position as a seventh-rank official. She was the legitimate daughter, but unfortunately her father married a concubine, and her mother was tortured to death and became sick.
Now she is even thinner than a bag of bones. She cried so hard on the day she left, fearing that her mother would starve to death if she left.
After all, the power of this mansion is in the hands of Cui.
Cui was extremely ruthless, and her and A'niang had a very hard time living in the mansion. A'niang was in poor health, and she had a lot of troubles with her father Lan Yin and Xu Guo, but she was always stubborn and refused to give in.
Later, when A Niang was seriously ill, Cui threatened her to become a concubine of her nephew's son-in-law, otherwise she would not find a doctor to treat A Niang. Jing Yao had no choice but to get married in tears.
Fortunately, Cui kept her promise, and her mother's health improved a lot.
She is a legitimate daughter with a clean background. Which daughter from a good family would be willing to be someone's concubine and live a life of servility and being unable to even lift her head? But since she is here, she might as well make the best of it, live a peaceful life in a corner.
Jing Yao put on her most hated light red wedding dress, got on the sedan chair, and was carried in through the side door of the Bo's Mansion.
Now the old man in the mansion is from the second wife, but the prince is the heir of the first wife. Because his parents passed away in an accident and he was still young, the title temporarily fell on the second master.
This lord did not take care of business nor hold any official position. He spent all his time with poetry and painting. Before the Crown Prince's wife married into the family, the head of the household was the Countess, Gu.
After the Crown Prince's wife He Qingxuan married into the family, she immediately took over the household supplies from her aunt, which led to a bad relationship between the two.
He Qingxuan's mother is Cui's elder sister, so according to etiquette, she should call her cousin.
She had been married to the prince for four years, but had no children. Although Bianjing was a large place, the network of relationships between court officials and their wives was intricately connected, and the rumors had long spread throughout the capital.
Some said she was pitiful, some said she was jealous, and some said she was a hen that didn't lay eggs. The criticism made He even more anxious, so Cui saw the opportunity and recommended Jing Yao to He.
She took on the responsibility of giving birth to a son for the prince.
She still remembered the resentful look He gave her after their first night together as prince. Jing Yao was so frightened that she dared not breathe and offered him tea tremblingly.
From then on, she was extremely cautious in the mansion and had to devote all her energy to currying favor and paying respects. The concept of hierarchy was very deep in the Bo's mansion. She was just a concubine, a slave, and a maid. She had no dignity and was just a thing to please the prince.
Yun Qiao sighed, causing Jing Yao to take two deep breaths. After she was done, she held it in her hand and looked left and right...it was getting bigger.
Jing Yao sighed dejectedly, thinking gloomily that if she went to pay her respects like this, they would definitely accuse her of seducing the prince again.
But she obviously didn't do that. You can't accuse her of seduction just because she's older. How can that make sense? Her body and hair are given by her parents, so what does it have to do with her?
However, although she was plump, she did not look fat and had a well-proportioned figure. It seemed that she had grown a little taller after entering the Earl's Mansion.
Yun Qiao tied her hair into a single bun. Jing Yao happily picked up the jade earrings and the pearl cloisonné enamel hairpin and compared them... then put them down.
Instead, he picked up Susu's velvet flower earrings and white jade hairpin.
Yun Qiao was unwilling to accept this: "You are already a concubine, and the most important thing right now is to win the favor of the prince. Why do you have to dress so plainly?"
Jing Yao complained in her heart, wondering how much He hated her. The look in her eyes seemed to want to poke three or six holes in her body. The day before yesterday, she said that she deliberately scalded her with water when serving tea and made her kneel down. The day before that, she said that she was late in paying her respects and made her kneel down.
Every time, the prince would stay in her Lanxiang Pavilion.
The prince stayed here again last night, but he left before dawn. If she wasn't more careful today, her knee would be bruised again.
Yunqiao grew up with her and was the daughter of Nanny A Niang. She truly cared about her, and she knew very well that the first priority of being a concubine was to win the favor of a man.
My God, she really can't do what Cui does.
Seeing that she was pretending to be confused, Yun Qiao handed her two pieces of cake in a sullen manner: "Auntie, fill your stomach so you won't be hungry later."
This time Jing Yao responded quickly.
When she opened the door, the moist mist of the morning light hit her face. The green leaves on the branches outside were covered with frost. Jing Yao shivered. It was spring now, but it was still a little cold in the morning.
Her beautiful eyes turned and met a pair of slanted eyes in the corridor.
Ningxiang was a spy sent by He on the pretext of looking after her. Jing Yao initially thought that she would be treated harshly, for example, speaking ill of her when the prince was away, or ordering the servants in the yard to isolate her or not give her food.
Who knew there was nothing? Ningxiang was the one who specifically recorded the number of times the nobles had sex with her.
Report it to He the next day.
When Jing Yao first found out, her face turned red and she was shocked. Wasn't this just a way to make things difficult for her?
She pretended not to notice Ningxiang's gaze and greeted her with a smile, "Sister Ningxiang, do you want to go to Hejingyuan with me?"
Ningxiang snorted coldly: "I dare not. I am afraid that if the smell on my body is contaminated, I will be scolded by the Madam."
Yun Qiao glared angrily: "You..."
Jing Yao grabbed Yun Qiao and signaled her to shut up. She pretended not to hear and pulled her out.
"This is too much. Which brother doesn't have three wives and four concubines? When your own master is not favored, you make things difficult for others. Instead of wasting time, you might as well look for the reason within yourself."
"Alright, stop talking. Ningxiang is the young lady's after all. If you provoke her, she will report you to the young lady, and both us, master and servant, will be in trouble."
Yun Qiao shut up immediately.
Jing Yao was used to these words. She felt aggrieved at first. Before she came of age, there were always young men climbing over the wall to look at her. She was almost framed by Cui for having an affair with another man and was accused of being unclean.
Later she figured it out. She had such a beautiful face. They must be jealous of her. That must be it.
While she was thinking about this, she passed by countless maids and old women and arrived at Hejing Hall.
The majestic courtyard was much larger than her Orchid Fragrance Pavilion. It was filled with exotic flowers and plants, and the rich fragrance was mixed with a hint of sandalwood, which was refreshing. The layout of the courtyard was extremely elegant, much more magnificent than the nouveau riche Jing family's installation.
Every time Jing Yao came, she couldn't help but take a few more glances.
The maid standing at the door glanced at her sideways and said, "Please wait a moment, Madam Jing. The Young Madam and the Crown Prince are dining with the Earl and the Second Uncle."
"Yes." Jing Yao stood obediently in the yard waiting.
Not long after, footsteps were heard from behind. Jing Yao didn't dare to look back, but she guessed that it must be the maids coming to report matters, and she would probably have to wait for a while.
The maids walked in a hurry and bumped into Jing Yao's shoulders one after another, causing her to stagger and almost fall.
Fortunately, Yun Qiao helped her, but she was angry but dared not say anything.
Jing Yao looked a little bewildered. She rubbed her shoulders awkwardly and stood up again.
They waited for more than half an hour. After the people inside had eaten and drunk their fill and finished chatting about family matters, they finally remembered that there was a living person standing outside. Gu slowly called her in.
Jing Yao quietly stretched her aching legs, entered the inner hall, and bowed skillfully to greet them: "I pay my respects to the Lord, the Old Madam, the Crown Prince, and the Young Madam."
Gu nodded, and He Qingyu glanced at her: "What are you standing there for? Why are you coming over to serve me?"
She should have been the one to take care of the elders, but everyone knew that Mrs. Gu and Mrs. He did not get along well.
However, because of He's elder brother and the family behind him, no matter how dissatisfied Gu was with her niece-in-law, she could not blame her at will.
Jing Yao stepped forward obediently and served wholeheartedly.
"You are so thoughtful. You don't have to come every day in the future. Otherwise, you will have to take care of Zheng'er at night and get up early during the day. How can you be healthy? There must be no problem with your offspring."
The prince was raised by the Gu family, and the Gu family treated Jing Yao indifferently at best, without any intention of making things difficult for her or disliking her.
Jing Yao smiled inwardly. She didn't have a child yet, but she talked as if she was pregnant. She wasn't afraid of upsetting He.
He Qingxuan was furious at these heart-wrenching words, but there was nothing she could do because it was her fault that she couldn't get pregnant and have children.
"Aunt." A gentle and magnetic voice secretly reminded Gu.
Jing Yao glanced at him. The prince Ye Yunzheng had a handsome appearance, graceful demeanor, and an air of nobility. He was the third place winner chosen by the emperor, and he and He Qingjuan were a young couple who respected each other like guests.
Jing Yao couldn't say whether she liked him or not, she just thought he had a good temper.
But she was still a little confused. A man who respected and cared for his wife like this would hug her passionately at night. Although he was restrained, he would be a different person during the day. But he was different from her father, which still made her unable to see through him.
He twitched her lips and said, "There are many things to do at home. My brother will be here today too. Please forgive me for going ahead."
After saying this, she stood up, bowed perfunctorily and left.
Ling Yunbo scolded Gu: "Why do you have to poke her in the heart? Her brother is the elder of the current dynasty, and she is the apple of the eye of the county lady. If you provoke her and she complains later, won't Zheng'er be the one who gets scolded?"
Gu's face was full of excitement, but her tone was indignant: "Then I just can't stand her arrogant look."
Ye Yunzheng suddenly looked at the dazed Jing Yao and said, "Yao'er, you and Qingyu are cousins, so you should call Lord He "cousin" and the county lady "aunt". You should go and pay your respects to them today, but be low-key and don't show yourself in front of others."
After all, no concubine showed up at the banquet in the mansion.
Jing Yao was stunned, her heart beating like a drum, her mind full of those three words, He Anting.
Can she see He Anting? I don't know what he looks like after so many years. The engagement letter is still hidden in her mahogany box by her mother, saying that it is her guarantee for the future.
Unexpected things happen in life, and she is still not destined to be with him.
"I understand." She answered obediently, and a faint dimple appeared on her cheek when she pursed her lips. Ye Yunzheng's heart softened suddenly. Tuan'er was so young, but she became his concubine. Although he could not give her dignity in the future, he could still protect her from worries for the rest of her life.
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