Chapter 113: The bitter regret in her heart almost made her...
Hearing Yulan's words, Cui Linghui's eyes grew increasingly embarrassed and humiliated. She wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said bitterly, "How could His Highness protect a concubine like me? Not only would He not, but His Highness would even think that it was me, a nuisance, who caused the Emperor to demote Noble Consort Shu to Consort Shu, thus losing face among the other princes and lowering her status."
"Otherwise, I've been in the palace for so many days, and His Highness has never even come to my room. I set rules every day with Concubine Shu, but His Highness sometimes comes to pay his respects to the Empress, so how could he not see how miserable I am? But when has he ever offered me any help or given the Empress a word of advice?"
Cui Linghui said this, his eyes full of hatred and regret.
In her previous life, she had thought that her husband Lu Bingzhi's cold and indifferent treatment of her was enough to embarrass her and lead to hatred, even leading her to secretly have an affair with Xiao Ze out of resentment. But now, in her current predicament, she realized that those unbearable days were far more miserable and humiliating than she could have wished for.
The bitter regret in her heart almost swallowed her whole. Her face grew paler and paler. She stared blankly in the direction of the palace gate, unable to see a way out.
At this moment, footsteps were heard outside.
Yulan's eyes lit up with joy. She hurriedly lowered Cui Linghui's trouser legs and straightened her clothes. She said happily, "It must be His Highness coming to see me. I must humble myself and beg His Highness. If His Highness is willing to help me even a little, I will have a way out."
As Yulan spoke, she carefully helped Cui Linghui up. Thinking that the Second Prince was arrogant and self-deprecating, although he didn't say it, he was very pleased in his heart that the daughter of the Marquis's family was so cautious and humble in front of him.
The girl's current situation does not allow her to care about her face anymore.
But she had just taken two steps with Cui Linghui when the curtain was opened. The person who came in was not the second prince Xiao Ze as they thought, but Qiu Ning, Xiao Ze's concubine.
Qiu Ning was wearing a pink and white palace dress embroidered with hibiscus flowers, with a mutton-fat jade hairpin in her hair. Her cheeks were rosy and her complexion was very good. Although they were both concubines, she did not look as embarrassed as Cui Linghui.
Seeing Cui Linghui's pale face, he could barely stand while holding Yulan's hand. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and said with some sympathy, "Sister, you failed to serve Concubine Shu well today, so she was punished by the Concubine Shu to kneel for two hours. Your knees must be seriously injured. You'd better sit down quickly. This kind of pain is unbearable for ordinary people."
"I heard about this as well, which is why I came here specifically to give my sister a bottle of medicine. After all, we are both concubines of His Highness. When we move to the Prince's residence in a few days, we'll have a mistress of noble birth. Naturally, we should help and support each other. Don't you think this makes sense, sister?"
Qiu Ning kept calling Cui Linghui "sister" and said that she and Cui Linghui were both concubines of Xiao Ze. Cui Linghui was so angry that she almost fainted. She even wanted to mock Qiu Ning, saying that how could she, a lowly palace maid, be compared with her, the legitimate daughter of the eldest son of the Ningshou Marquis's family? In her heart, Qiu Ning was not even worthy of carrying her shoes.
But the words rolled around on the tip of his tongue, and Cui Linghui finally swallowed them all.
I heard that Qiu Ning is good at being humble and flirtatious, and she has some face in front of Xiao Ze. Among the women around Xiao Ze, she is the only one who is alive.
Even Concubine Shu, who had the worst temper, was willing to give Qiu Ning some face.
Therefore, even though she was the legitimate daughter of the Ningshou Marquis, she could not afford to offend Qiu Ning, a concubine who was born a palace maid.
Suppressing the anger and irritation in his heart, Cui Linghui said, "Thank you very much, sister. Thank you for coming all the way here. I am still injured and I am not strong enough, so I will not let you sit down and drink tea. Please don't blame me."
Qiu Ning burst out laughing when she heard this. He ignored Cui Linghui's unpleasant expression and walked straight to the couch and sat down. Then he pointed to a seat nearby and said to Yulan, "Help your master sit down. I'm here to show you a way out."
Yulan was stunned when she heard this, and she couldn't believe that Qiu Ning was sincere.
After all, although Qiu Ning was only a concubine by His Highness' side, she was usually favored. Now that the young lady had entered the palace, even if she had become a concubine as well, she was not favored by His Highness, and even more so, the Empress Shupin took out her anger and disgust on her. But after all, the young lady was born in the Ningshou Marquis's mansion, was a legitimate daughter, and had good looks. If the young lady was given a chance to regain favor and gain respect in front of the Second Prince, how could it be a good thing for Qiu Ning?
Yulan knew that there were few women in the world who were not jealous. Even someone of Qiu Ning's status would definitely not be willing to give the second prince to her own daughter.
Yulan thought so, and Cui Linghui thought so too, feeling that Qiu Ning was clearly saying these words deliberately to mock and ridicule her.
Her expression became increasingly ugly. She slowly walked to the couch, sat down, and looked at Qiu Ning.
She wanted to see how Qiu Ning, a concubine, would point out a way out for her.
Qiu Ning didn't ask Cui Linghui to wait any longer. She smiled and said, "I think Miss Yulan, who is beside my sister, is quite pretty. Why don't you ask her to come and serve me for a few days? I'll find an opportunity to show her some favor. I think His Highness won't mind favoring Miss Yulan."
"When Yulan becomes favored in the future, won't she think of you as her master and speak well of you in front of His Highness?"
As soon as Qiu Ning finished speaking, Yulan's face turned pale, her legs went limp, and she knelt on the ground.
"My lady, I only want to serve you. I would never dare to have such thoughts of clinging to you. Please understand my lady."
Yulan had served Cui Linghui since she was a child, so how could she not know Cui Linghui's temperament? Her young lady would not tolerate even the slightest bit of injustice, and even though she was now a concubine of the Second Prince, she would never tolerate her having such a desire to climb up the ladder, to become his equal, or even to step on him to climb to a higher position and eventually dominate him.
Yulan felt that Qiu Ning was really vicious. He didn't come here with good intentions to show the girl a way out, but clearly came to alienate the master and servant.
After she said this, even if the girl didn't agree, she would definitely feel some dissatisfaction and resentment towards her, the maid who had served her since she was a child. She was really cruel.
Yulan wished she had a hundred mouths so she could defend herself, saying that she didn't have that intention and just wanted to serve the girl well.
Seeing her so panicked and frightened, Qiu Ning chuckled and said to Cui Linghui, "It seems that the girl Yulan beside my sister is a loyal person."
Without waiting for Cui Linghui to speak, she continued, "I'm not saying this with any intention of provoking you, but I'm sincerely trying to find a way out for my sister. My sister comes from an extraordinary family and has been studying since she was young. She must be a smart and clever person. I think after spending so much time with His Highness, you understand what kind of personality our Highness has. His Highness is arrogant, but because the Imperial Concubine is not favored, this arrogance is also mixed with a bit of inferiority, so over time, his personality has become somewhat different from that of ordinary people. His Highness loves others to flatter him the most, especially those of noble status who humble themselves in front of him. They even do everything they can to flatter him and beg him to please them."
"Do you understand what I mean, sister?" Qiu Ning raised her eyebrows slightly when she said this, with a hint of mockery and interest in her eyes.
Cui Linghui was not stupid. He was stunned at first, but soon understood what Qiu Ning meant.
She clearly wanted to break the backbone of this Ningshou Marquis's legitimate daughter, and force her to push Yulan, her personal maid, out to seek favor. Furthermore, she didn't push her out herself, but had to use Qiu Ning's hand.
It is conceivable that given Xiao Ze's personality, if he knew that she had put so much effort into it, even willing to bow down and beg a concubine like Qiu Ning, without any respect at all, how happy he would be.
As Qiu Ning said, Xiao Ze's temperament was somewhat twisted. If she were to be so humble and self-deprecating, Xiao Ze would probably be pleased and come to her room.
Seeing that she had figured it out, Qiu Ning said nothing more. She placed the medicine bottle on the table, stood up with a smile, and said, "Sister, take good care of your injuries and think carefully about my suggestion. Just don't keep me waiting too long. Otherwise, if I lose my patience, I might not even consider helping you."
After saying this, Qiu Ning walked straight outside and soon disappeared.
The room was filled with heavy silence, and the air was so oppressive that it was almost suffocating.
Yulan's face was pale and she knelt on the ground feeling uneasy.
Cui Linghui's expression shifted again and again, his gaze fixed on Yulan for a long moment, a scrutinizing look in his eyes that made Yulan's heart tremble with fear. She wanted to speak to express her sincerity, but she heard her own daughter say, "I know you are loyal and have never thought of clinging to His Highness. However, with your master in this predicament, you have no choice but to listen to what Qiu Ning, that lowly maid, has said."
Cui Linghui's words meant he had made his choice. Yulan's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't tell whether she was happy or afraid.
She had been serving Cui Linghui since she was a child, and had originally been Cui Linghui's maidservant during her marriage. If the young lady's marriage to the Duke of Wei's son, Lu Bingzhi, had not ended in such a mess, and she had been married to the Duke of Wei's mansion as usual, she, a maidservant during her marriage, might have been promoted by the young lady to serve the prince. But now, the young lady herself had ruined the marriage, and it fell to the third young lady, Cui Lingyan. The young lady had tried to cling to the Second Prince for a concubine, but failed, not only ruining her reputation but also ending up in the humble position of a concubine. Now, after more than ten days in the palace, she had endured countless abuses from Concubine Shu, but the Second Prince had turned a blind eye and shown no mercy to the young lady.
Now everyone in the palace who knows the girl's situation laughs and ridicules her. The girl's life as a master is humble and embarrassing, so how can she, as a servant, live a glorious life?
In the past ten days, the meals that the young lady ate were just vegetarian and edible. However, the meals that she, a maid, ate were something that even the servants in the mansion would not eat. She felt aggrieved, thinking that she had served the young lady but she had failed in her calculations and ended up in this situation, which also implicated her as a servant.
But she knew the girl's temper very well, and even though she felt aggrieved, she dared not show any blame or resentment. Today, her concubine Qiu Ning proposed this method. Although the girl would lose face if it got out and would most likely be ridiculed by others, she thought that she was not bad looking. If Qiu Ning was willing to respect her and give her a chance, she might be able to get close to the Second Prince.
By then, as a maid, she can also help the girl and say a good word for her in front of the second prince, right?
Her thoughts raced, and while she was naturally delighted to hear the young lady agree to this, she dared not show any joy on her face. She simply shook her head repeatedly, panicking and saying, "How can this be done? I am of lowly status, how can I serve the Second Prince? Besides, Qiu Ning clearly came up with this plan with malicious intent. If the young lady were to do this, word would spread quickly, and who knows how many people would make up rumors and gossip about the young lady, making fun of her. I have served the young lady since I was a child, and I only wish her the best. How can I bear to see her end up in such a situation where she would be ridiculed and mocked? This must not be done!"
"If you feel that life is too difficult, why not send a message to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and ask the old lady to help you one more time? The old lady has some connections and may be able to speak a few words to Concubine Shu, so that she will be more cautious and dare not treat you so harshly."
"Or, Miss, please ask the mansion to intervene. After all, although Miss is a concubine, she is still the legitimate daughter of the mansion. The Cui family is not without dignity."
When Cui Linghui heard her thinking about him like this, the anger and unhappiness in his heart dissipated a little.
She shook her head and said, "Grandmother has long been tired of me. How could she be willing to waste her time and energy on me? Ever since I entered the palace, she has probably wanted me to fend for myself in the palace. She even hopes that I will die sooner rather than later, so that the Marquisate will not be ridiculed by others. As for my grandmother, although she loves me, I entered the palace as His Highness's concubine, and she only sent my aunt to deliver two thousand taels of silver notes, and she never came to see me in person. This is not true love for me at all, it is clear that she wants to get rid of me as a burden."
"Now, neither of us, master or servant, can be relied upon. We can only rely on ourselves. Although Qiu Ning's method has embarrassed me, if it works, it may not be a bad idea. No matter what, His Highness must stop venting his anger on me and come to my room. Otherwise, I, a concubine, will be even more humiliated, and Concubine Shu will abuse me unscrupulously, treating me, the legitimate daughter of the Ningshou Marquis, as a palace maid."
Cui Linghui finished speaking and said to Yulan seriously, "Don't overthink it. I know you've been wronged following me. If I can give you a chance, I'm naturally willing to accept it. I only hope that if you accept my favor, you'll remember me as your master."
Yulan kowtowed quickly and tremblingly agreed to Cui Linghui's decision.
That evening, Yulan was sent to the palace where Qiu Ning lived. After taking a bath and dressing up, she was sent to a side hall.
Qiu Ning whispered something in Xiao Ze's ear. Xiao Ze was stunned, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"She is the legitimate daughter of the Ningshou Marquis after all, how could she do such a thing?"
Qiu Ning leaned against Xiao Ze's chest and said with a smile, "Although my sister is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's family, she is now also His Highness's concubine. Her life and death are in His Highness' hands. Naturally, she must be at His Highness's beck and call. Is it strange that she wants to please His Highness? His Highness is a descendant of heaven, and he deserves to be flattered and fawned upon."
As she spoke, a hint of jealousy lingered in her eyes, and she softly said, "It's just that Your Highness has a new lover, but you must not forget Ning'er. They say that one only hears the laughter of new people and not the tears of the old ones. If Your Highness forgets Ning'er, she will regret agreeing to Sister Hui's request today."
Her jealousy made Xiao Ze very happy. He pulled her into his arms and cuddled with her for a while before getting up and walking towards the side hall.
Seeing Xiao Ze leave, the palace maid Pei'er stepped forward and whispered, "Master, aren't you afraid that if you give Cui's maids a chance, they will be favored by the master and servants in the future, which will be disadvantageous to the master?"
Qiu Ning smiled and glanced at her. "I just want them to be more glorious as master and servant, and to often praise Cui's goodness in front of His Highness, so that His Highness can favor her more."
Pei'er was a little puzzled. Qiu Ning covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled: "You have been with me for so long, how come you are still so stupid? Don't forget, His Highness will marry Zheng in a few days, and we will also move out of the palace and move to the prince's mansion. How can we be like this with a mistress above us?"
"Tell me, is it better for the new prince's consort to set her sights on me or on Cui Linghui, the daughter of the Ningshou Marquis?"
"I owe Cui a favor, and I also asked her to protect me from the displeasure of my future mistress. But what does it matter if I lose some favor temporarily?"
After all, she had served the Second Prince Xiao Ze for so many years, and she knew Xiao Ze's temperament best. She knew what he wanted to hear and what he didn't want to hear. She also knew the viciousness and unbearableness in Xiao Ze's heart, so how could he fall out of favor so easily?
That night, Xiao Ze favored Yulan, who was by Cui Linghui's side.
The next morning, the news quickly reached Concubine Shu's ears.
When Concubine Shu heard this, she was surprised at first, then said with disdain, "She's the daughter of the Ningshou Marquis, yet she can do such shameless things. She's only been in the palace for a short time, and she's already asking her maids to help her win favor. Not to mention, she even sent Yulan to Qiu Ning, who's also a concubine. Isn't she afraid of being ridiculed?"
Nanny Duan stood aside, listening to her own queen's disdain for Cui. She spoke earnestly, "I know your majesty is angry, but you've been venting your anger by tormenting Cui these days. You can't continue like this. Otherwise, if this gets to the emperor's ears, or if the concubines in the palace gossip and accuse you of harboring resentment against him, you won't be able to bear the consequences."
"Since Cui has set aside her status to do such a thing, Your Majesty, please forgive her for now. After all, she comes from the Ningshou Marquis's mansion. If Your Majesty treats her too badly and word gets out to the previous court, there might be people in the court who would use this incident to find fault with Your Majesty."
Shupin's expression changed several times, still somewhat unwilling. "If that bitch hadn't gotten involved with Ze'er and done something so foolish at the birthday banquet, how could I have been implicated, demoted from Imperial Concubine to Imperial Concubine, and ridiculed and talked about by the concubines in the palace? What's wrong with me humiliating her and taking my anger out on her? If I could, I would have beaten her to death to vent my hatred!"
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