Chapter 389 Using their hands to handle our affairs
Mrs. Pu walked calmly back to her bedroom and sat down, staring blankly at herself in the mirror.
"Madam," the nanny called softly, and when she came to her senses, she added in a low voice, "Madam, please rest."
Mrs. Pu sat there without moving, looking at her round face in the mirror, and said, "Where do you think he'll be sleeping tonight?"
The old woman sighed, "Madam, why bother with this? You have sons and daughters, all healthy and successful, and your family's influence is unmatched. You're in charge of everything in the inner courtyard, aren't you? Holding these tangible things in your hands is far more important than worrying about where the master rests."
After all, she was Madam Pu's personal maid who had served her for many years, and she knew what Madam Pu wanted to hear and what she desired. With just a few words, she revived Madam Yan's spirits. She withdrew her gaze from the mirror and glanced towards the doorway.
The old woman understood, immediately went to the door, whispered a few words to the maid waiting outside, and then returned and whispered, "Speak your mind."
Madam Pu had her sit on a small stool to the side and whispered back what Pu Tonghe had told her. Then she said, "There are too many eyes and ears in the deep palace. Taking action would only leave traces. In my opinion, it would be better to find an excuse to act now, before Yan Fengxi officially enters the Eastern Palace, and eliminate this threat to avoid any unforeseen complications. However, my husband does not allow me to take Yan Fengxi's life now."
After listening, the old nanny frowned and thought for a while before saying, "What the madam says is true, and the master's concerns are also reasonable. But then again, whether the ladies in the harem can secure their positions and rise in rank ultimately depends on their offspring."
Since we can't take Yan Fengxi's life, let's try another method—make sure she can never have children. Without offspring, even if she becomes the Crown Princess, her future won't be secure; she'll eventually lose power.
Madam Pu gave her a satisfied look. "That's what I thought too, but the Yan family mansion is no ordinary family. The gates are heavily guarded, and everyone in the mansion is shrewd and cautious. It's not an easy thing to do something under their noses. This matter needs to be carefully planned, and we can't afford to make a single mistake, or we'll only bring trouble upon ourselves."
"This old servant will have someone inquire about the situation in the inner quarters of the Grand Tutor's mansion." The old woman thought for a moment and said, "I heard that Yan Fengju, the illegitimate daughter of the Yan family, recently started working at the Tiangong Division. This is a great honor for an ordinary family."
But think about it, Madam Yan is the principal wife, and Yan Fengxi is a legitimate daughter, a golden branch and jade leaf. Now that a concubine's daughter has gotten such an opportunity, can they really be happy? In my opinion, there's probably already a lot of undercurrents in the mansion. Maybe we can find a breakthrough here and use them to do our thing.”
Madam Pu smiled. "That's right. Send more people to investigate."
"Yes," the nanny replied.
With her worries now resolved, Madam Pu felt much better and got up to go to the bedside. The nanny immediately helped her lie down, watched her close her eyes, and gently lowered the bed curtains before turning to leave. Just then, Madam Pu's voice rang out, "Mingyue is young and inexperienced; we mustn't let her know our plan."
"yes."
"Okay, you should go and rest too."
The old woman curtsied and turned to leave.
.........
Madam Pu slept fairly well that night. After getting up and washing, she began her breakfast. She picked up her chopsticks and turned to ask the nanny, "Is Mingyue awake yet?"
Knowing that Madam Pu would definitely want to speak with Pu Mingyue today, the nanny had been paying attention to the situation in Pu Mingyue's courtyard. Upon hearing the question, she immediately replied, "You're up. In a few days, it will be Princess Wenxin's flower appreciation banquet. Miss is thinking about picking out some new jewelry, so she got up early this morning to do her makeup. Miss is already very beautiful, and with suitable jewelry, she will definitely outshine everyone at the banquet."
Madam Pu liked to hear this, and she said, "I'll go take a look in a bit."
She began to eat calmly, her mind preoccupied with how to tell her daughter later that she could only be a concubine of the Crown Prince. As she thought about it, she couldn't help but frown.
Losing her appetite, she ate a few bites, then put down her chopsticks, stood up, and walked towards Pu Mingyue's courtyard. When she arrived, Pu Mingyue was being helped with her makeup. Seeing Madam Pu in the mirror, she smiled and called out, "Mother."
Madam Pu smiled and walked over, taking a hairpin from the maid's hand. She waved for everyone in the room to leave. Under Pu Mingyue's questioning gaze, she placed the hairpin in her hair, looked at her daughter's beautiful face in the mirror, and said, "My daughter is so beautiful, sensible and filial. I only wish that you can live a carefree and peaceful life without any worries."
Pu Mingyue sensed that Madam Pu was troubled, and looked at her with her big eyes, asking, "Mother, what's wrong?"
“You are a wise man,” Madam Pu sighed. “You know that your father is a man of the Prince of Lingnan. Over the years, your father has worked hard for the Prince of Lingnan, and he has indeed put in a lot of effort. But without the Prince’s support, your father would not have been able to become the Minister of Personnel, and our family would not be as prosperous as we are today. In the end, the honor and disgrace of our family have long been tied to the Prince.”
Pu Mingyue nodded, "My daughter knows."
Madam Pu patted her head affectionately and said, "You've been exposed to the affairs of the court for a while, so you should know a thing or two. The Emperor's thoughts are unpredictable now, and he clearly has no intention of passing the throne to the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince wants to sit on that position, he will inevitably have to resort to some means. Right now, what he needs most is the support of Grand Tutor Yan. Since we are on the side of the Crown Prince and the Prince of Lingnan, we must make some concessions for his future."
Pu Mingyue's hand holding the handkerchief tightened involuntarily; she guessed what Madam Pu was about to say.
Seeing her disappointment, Madam Pu reached out and patted her head, saying, "Last night your father told me that you can only be a concubine of the Crown Prince."
Pu Mingyue sat there motionless, but tears began to slowly well up in her eyes and then rolled down her cheeks. She said, "Isn't there any other way?"
Madam Pu shook her head. “How could your father not love you? You know best how much he has hoped for you all these years. If there were even the slightest chance of a turnaround, how could he bear to let you suffer this injustice? He must have already tried his best, and there was really no other way, so he had no choice but to do this.”
“But a concubine is still a concubine!” Pu Mingyue’s voice was choked with sobs, and her tears fell even more heavily. “What dignity is there in being a concubine? You’ll have to live at the mercy of the principal wife, and even if you have children, you’ll be treated as inferior. You could be arbitrarily dismissed if you’re not careful. I’ve been pampered by my parents since I was little, how can I be willing to be a concubine?”
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