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The next day, Prince Xuan was about to get up to attend court before dawn. Li Qingping struggled to get up and helped him change his clothes. He then sent him out of the yard before going back to take a nap.
When I woke up, Prince Xuan's reward had arrived.
It was nothing more than cloth, headgear, and jewelry. Li Qingping took a quick look and had Yunsu store them in the warehouse. There was also a plump, round-faced cook and a young apprentice, who was probably the cook that Prince Xuan had assigned to the young lady.
"Servants Qian Guang and Lin Xiaoxiang pay their respects to Madam."
Li Qingping smiled and nodded, said a few kind words, and then knocked on the door: "Young lady, you are growing up, so everyone here should come here quickly. Don't slack off, otherwise I won't be able to accommodate idle people here."
They both hurriedly said that they knew.
Li Qingping asked his usual eunuch Fu'an to take them downstairs to clean up, and then asked Yun Lian, "Is the eldest lady studying with the teacher now?"
During this period, the eldest girl still followed the original female teacher to learn to read and write, and only withdrew after the clan school opened and the female teacher was appointed.
Yun Lian said yes, and Li Qingping said he understood, and sat there with his eyes closed to rest. The two big maids came forward quietly without her instructions, one hammering his shoulders and the other massaging his legs.
After a while, Fu An knelt outside and reported: "Master, Concubine Li is here."
Outsiders weren't surprised by Prince Xuan's stay at Madam Li's compound. Everyone knew the eldest daughter was being raised by Li Qingping, and Prince Xuan simply stayed overnight while visiting his daughter. Li Qingping had never been favored, so this one night wasn't a big deal. Concubine Li, however, suddenly had an idea and hurried to Li Qingping's compound.
Concubine Li had caught a cold a while ago and hadn't been out and about. After taking two doses of medicine, she felt better. Li Qingping saw that her complexion was still a little pale, so he lazily asked, "Why didn't you rest for a few more days?"
"If I don't come out for a walk, I'll be bored to death." Concubine Li sat down next to Li Qingping and looked at him carefully.
In terms of appearance, Concubine Li was undoubtedly the most beautiful of the three sisters, otherwise she wouldn't have been favored by Prince Xuan. But she believed that of the two sisters, Li Qingping was superior. Wei was once a renowned beauty in the capital, known for her cool, calm demeanor. Li Qingping resembled her mother, and even when she wasn't laughing, she possessed a unique charm. After a night in the emperor's bed, that coolness softened, becoming languid and full of spring, and Concubine Li couldn't take her eyes off her.
So why didn't Prince Xuan like his own sister? Concubine Li didn't understand.
Li Qingping felt embarrassed by her stare and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with my makeup today?"
"Sister is so beautiful, I am stunned by her."
Concubine Li blushed, pursed her lips, giggled and leaned on Li Qingping's arm like a spoiled child.
Li Qingping said that she was sweet-mouthed, and Concubine Li retorted: "It's not that I am sweet-mouthed, my sister is just very beautiful, don't you think?" She asked the maids serving in the room.
Yun Suyun Lian and Chunhui, a maid of Concubine Li, all laughed and agreed that the lady was just beautiful.
Li Qingping had no choice but to pick up a piece of cake and ask Concubine Li to eat it, not giving her time to talk, and then waved his hand to let everyone go out.
Knowing that the two sisters had something private to say, the servants quietly withdrew to guard the door.
"Tell me, what happened?"
As soon as Concubine Li entered the house, Li Qingping knew that she was hiding something in her heart. This sister was spoiled by her, Princess Xuan, and grandmother at home. She could not hide anything in front of them, and she could only scare people outside.
"It's none of my business. It's about my sister." Concubine Li whispered, "I think the queen is intentionally giving the eldest girl to my sister to take care of."
Li Qingping looked over in confusion.
Concubine Li said that the last time Prince Xuan stayed at her place, he revealed that around the Mid-Autumn Festival, Concubine Xian intended to bring a lady and two concubines into the mansion.
Li Qingping really didn't know about this.
But knowing this, Li Qingping could figure it out on his own without Concubine Li saying much.
Normally, a prince's palace would have a principal consort, two concubines, two wives, four concubines, and several maids. Currently, Prince Xuan's palace only had one concubine, two wives, one concubine, and two concubines. Furthermore, both this concubine and one of the wives were from the Li clan, and the concubine was extremely favored. Presumably, Concubine Xian felt that the palace's backyard was becoming a Li clan power, and, sensing this was not going well, she decided to add people to the backyard.
Since a new wife was to be brought in, one of the two wives in the palace would have to be promoted to a concubine. No matter how you looked at it, it couldn't be Li Qingping.
Another lady in the mansion, Lady Wan, had recently given birth to Prince Xuan's only son. Coming from a distinguished family, she clearly deserved the position of concubine. Furthermore, Prince Xuan would never allow the Li sisters to share the title of concubine. That would mean the Li family would have the final say in the backyard.
In addition, since Concubine Xian wanted to force someone into the palace, she must have a vested interest in it. If a lady like this with Concubine Xian as her strong backer entered the palace, Li Qingping, who was not favored and had no children, would definitely be inferior to her.
Princess Xuan had undoubtedly known the news before them. She knew immediately that Concubine Xian was unhappy with the Li family and her as their daughter-in-law, and she knew her sister would be outshined by the newcomer, which immediately displeased her. But Concubine Xian was her own mother-in-law, so what could she say? Despite her disagreement, she could only accept it and figure out what to do next.
In fact, it wasn't just Li Qingping. When Wan became a concubine, Li's status would also be lower than Wan's. It was Wan's good fortune that she gave birth to Prince Xuan's eldest son.
However, Princess Xuan was thinking that Concubine Li was favored and would have her own children soon. In addition, she had more seniority in the mansion and had Princess Xuan's support, so Wan Shi would not be able to suppress her for too long.
When it came to Li Qingping, the wife of Prince Xuan had not yet made up her mind when the baby came into her belly. Prince Xuan even took the initiative to suggest that she should rest and protect the pregnancy. It was like someone handed her a pillow when she was sleepy.
By entrusting the eldest daughter to Li Qingping's care, even if Li Qingping doesn't have any biological children in the future, she will be half her foster mother. Prince Xuan's growing regard for his eldest daughter will make him a man who will never forget Li Qingping's contributions. This way, Princess Xuan won't have to worry about her younger sister not fighting for her own happiness and ultimately facing a bad outcome. Of course, if this relationship can be used to get Li Qingping to sleep with Prince Xuan more often, that would also be a plus.
Thinking of this, Li Qingping smiled and said, "Your Majesty is thoughtful."
Concubine Li pursed her lips and gloated, "But it's a good thing. Zhao was still thinking of waiting for Wan to come up so she could become a wife. Now it seems she won't get her wish."
Zhao was the only concubine in the mansion. A little over a month after entering, she became pregnant and gave birth to the second daughter. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Madam Wan became Concubine Wan, and she had her sights set on that position. Concubine Li disliked her, finding her too pretentious, and naturally resented her being placed on equal footing with her sister. However, if a new woman were to arrive, gain favor, and have a child, Zhao would likely be relegated to the bottom of the list of concubines, let alone consort.
Li Qingping couldn't help but comfort her: "Why do you care about her? No matter what, she can't get over you." If that were the case, Princess Xuan would be the first one to not let Zhao go.
Concubine Li thought about it and didn't take it to heart.
After the ninth month, the eldest daughter went to the clan school every day. During the day, her meals were not delivered by the main kitchen. Instead, Nanny Lin or Cai Deng would tell her what she wanted to eat. Qian Guang and his apprentice, Lin Xiaoxiang, would prepare it and send it to the clan school at a fixed time and place. In the evening, the main kitchen would still deliver meals, but the work was divided between them and the small kitchen.
Although the small kitchen was mainly responsible for the eldest daughter, it also devoted itself to the other master in the courtyard. It asked Li Qingping about her preferences and came up with many dishes that suited her taste. It was really thanks to the eldest daughter that they made a contribution - after all, if the big kitchen did not specially order dishes, how could they eat so well every day.
You should know that now in the mansion, only the main courtyard of Princess Xuan and Li Qingping's courtyard have small kitchens. Even the courtyard of Madam Wan, who gave birth to the eldest son, does not have this honor. It is really enviable.
But no one was jealous of Li Qingping.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, people in the backyard have heard rumors that a new bride is coming into the mansion. Naturally, some are happy while others are sad.
Madam Wan was naturally the happiest. She knew she had her eldest son as a support. When the new Prince Xuan came in, he would definitely honor his mother, and she would naturally be able to move up the ladder. After waiting for over a year, she finally got the position of concubine. How could she not be overjoyed?
Concubine Zhao was not only worried but also angry. Once the news of the new bride spread, how could Zhao not understand that she had no chance at all. Her family background was not prominent, and she was not favored, but she was lucky enough to get pregnant. However, she didn't give birth to a son the first time, and a daughter was not the first one. When a new concubine came into the mansion and shared the prince's favor, how much would the prince still remember her? Who knows, after everyone had children, her status would plummet. How could she live a good life in the future with the people in the mansion looking down on her?
Thinking about it, I couldn't help but think of Li Qingping. She was also not favored, but she had the protection of Princess Xuan and the concubines, and now she also had an older daughter. Even if a new person entered the palace, she would not be able to shake her position.
Zhao wiped her tears and pounded the bed. "But Madam Li is such a lucky girl! She's just a dowry, why is she so arrogant? As long as the two older Madam Lis are still around, she doesn't care how many new people come in!"
These words frightened the eldest maid, Jin Yu, so much so that her face turned pale. She dropped to her knees with a thud, "Master, be careful with your words!"
What two Lis! One of them is the princess of the royal family, and the other is a concubine. If others hear about it, and report that Zhao is disrespectful to the wife, it will be enough to make Zhao suffer! What's more, it's not just Madam Li who was married into the palace as a concubine, but also Concubine Li! Concubine Li has always disliked Zhao. If she finds out, no one in this courtyard will have a good life! If Concubine Li continues to whisper in Zhao's ear, Zhao will have a bad impression of being a gossipmonger in Prince Xuan's eyes, and then it will be really over.
Zhao was also very angry. When she came to her senses, her face turned pale and she was nervous all night.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Prince Xuan and Princess Xuan returned from a palace banquet with the confirmed news, but they looked a little unhappy. A few days later, an imperial decree came from the palace, and then three newlyweds entered the palace, which was a bit unexpected.
Concubine Xian's niece, Yang, was a concubine, and two daughters of minor officials, Zhang and Liu, were concubines.
Mrs. Wan was originally very happy and was about to be promoted to concubine, but who could have thought that Yang would directly bypass her and become a concubine? When she received the news, Mrs. Wan was stunned and couldn't believe it. When she came to her senses, she was so angry that she wanted to throw the teacup, but she held back when she thought about her son who had just fallen asleep.
"Yang! What a great Yang! She really played a good hand!" Madam Wan was extremely angry, her chest heaving, and she felt a little powerless.
Just because she was from Concubine Xian's family, she became Prince Xuan's concubine? Madam Wan couldn't help but shed tears.
Who in the backyard wasn't surprised? Although they had different opinions before, they all agreed that Wan was a sure thing. She had the eldest son, the support, and the family background, but Yang, with the support of Concubine Xian, was going to force Wan to the position of consort?
Zhao had previously been angry and sad that she couldn't make further progress, but now, comparing her situation to Madam Wan's, she felt both amusement and pity. Madam Wan was now feeling much worse than herself.
Li Qingping was also surprised, but she had always lived in peace in her own courtyard, so she didn't feel much. She just thought that Princess Xuan was probably angry because of Concubine Xian's trick. No wonder she looked strange when she came back from the palace on the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Concubine Li was a little unhappy. If Wan Shi had been promoted, it would have been fine. She had given birth to the eldest son, and her favor was only second to hers. As a concubine, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But now, what about Yang Shi? It was obvious that Concubine Xian in the palace couldn't stand their Li family, and she wanted to find someone from her family to suppress the arrogance of the three Li sisters. One of the four concubines was so petty, and she wanted to meddle in the affairs of the adult prince's harem. It was really unreasonable. But since it involved the Empress of the Palace, she couldn't say it openly, so she could only keep it to herself.
In short, this incident made everyone unhappy, and Yang's position in the mansion became even more embarrassing.
When the newlyweds paid their respects to the princess, Concubine Li, along with Li Qingping, was naturally busy with the pregnant Princess Xuan, asking about the eldest daughter's studies. Madam Wan sat off to the side, holding her son in her arms, looking away coldly. After paying her respects, Zhao pretended not to notice Concubine Yang and only teased the second daughter. The other two new concubines were even more reluctant to speak in this atmosphere. Knowing that the superiors disliked Concubine Yang, they kept their distance from her. As for the two concubines, they were not qualified to enter the main courtyard.
Concubine Yang felt extremely aggrieved and didn't know what to do. She just hoped that Prince Xuan would come to her courtyard more often.
Even Prince Xuan knew that this time Madam Wan was angry because she gave birth to his eldest son but did not get the due status. Instead, she went to Wan's courtyard more frequently and did not even pay attention to Concubine Li, let alone Concubine Yang, whom she was not familiar with and did not like.
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