Chapter 185 What right does a concubine have to speak?
The night passed quickly.
The next day, while Shen Wantang was still having breakfast, Qin Xin rushed in, excitedly saying, "Your Highness, you guessed right! Aunt Chu didn't want those two dresses!"
Shen Wantang nodded: "Mm."
"Guess who the young master gave those two garments to? He gave them to Huayi! Aunt Chu is crying in the young master's courtyard right now because she thinks he's being biased. It's quite a scene!"
Shen Wantang remained calm and composed: "Really? Did you give Hua Yi the painting?"
Qin Xin asked curiously, "Princess Consort, why don't you seem surprised? Did you already guess that the Prince would give the clothes to Hua Yi?"
“Last night I asked the young master if he was going to persuade Consort Chu to give up the white robe. He gave a very vague answer. At that time, I knew that the two robes he took were probably not for Consort Chu. There was no one else in his courtyard. Consort Chu and Huayi are not much different in size. If Consort Chu didn’t want the robes, they would fit Huayi.”
Qin Xin listened to her calm tone, but in her heart she felt that perhaps the Crown Princess had not guessed the outcome when the Crown Prince gave a vague response. In fact, when she had people prepare the clothes for Consort Chu, she had already guessed that the clothes would fall into Hua Yi's hands.
Therefore, the Crown Princess specially asked someone to select two sets of fabrics and patterns that were of good quality.
If it were truly for Chu Yanluo, the Crown Princess wouldn't have chosen such fine clothes. She's not the kind of person who would give someone a benefit after being insulted or provoked.
Qin Xin's expression became exceptionally respectful. The Crown Princess was no pushover; she had plenty of ways to control concubines who dared to try and get ahead of her. Qin Xin, as her maid, immediately felt at ease.
"Your Highness, you said yesterday that you would confine Consort Chu to her quarters, but she ran away from Qingwu Courtyard today. Should we send someone to escort her back?"
“Of course we’ll take her back, but you can go and check on the deceased’s courtyard first. Wait until she’s calmed down before taking her back.”
"yes."
Qin Xin responded and left.
Shen Wantang watched her leave, her expression calm.
Only after Chu Yanluo's antics drive Xiao Qingyuan to the point of no return will he support her order to confine Chu Yanluo to her quarters, allowing her to better establish rules within the Prince's residence in the future.
No matter what, Xiao Qingyuan is the heir of the Ning Prince's Mansion. If he keeps contradicting her, she will lose face.
Therefore, she could only try to get Xiao Qingyuan to support her approach.
Star Harbour Courtyard.
Chu Yanluo's face was as white as a ghost, yet she was still tearfully berating Xiao Qingyuan.
"What promises did you make to me when you asked me to be your concubine? You said you would only have me as your concubine, that you would treat me well, and that you would never have any other women in the future!"
"It's only been a few days! You've already forgotten everything! All you care about now is this green tea maid. You even gave her the clothes that Shen Wantang gave me! Xiao Qingyuan, you've gone too far! You have no humanity!"
"While I was away last night, did you already sleep with her? Are you planning to take her as a concubine next? What am I then? Xiao Qingyuan, tell me, what am I!"
Xiao Qingyuan's face turned ashen: "Chu Yanluo, do you not want a single day of peace? You're quite the expert at spouting nonsense and turning the tables on others. Huayi and I are completely innocent; nothing happened between us. Yet you insist on accusing me of sleeping with her. When did you become such a mean and malicious person? I already asked you about those two sets of clothes. You said you didn't like them and would never wear them, which is why I gave them to Huayi!"
Chu Yanlu cried even harder: "You can't give her the clothes I don't want anymore! You say I've become mean and cynical, but haven't you become cold and impatient too? You never used to talk to me like this, and you never cared about other women like this, asking them for new clothes every day!"
Xiao Qingyuan looked at her crying and sobbing, his gaze sweeping over her clothes and long hair, and he couldn't help but frown.
Her clothes were yellowed and wrinkled from washing, and when she wore them, she no longer had that aloof and otherworldly air about her.
Her long hair hadn't been washed for several days; it was a messy tangled mess, no longer flowing and smooth as before, but dry and dull.
She was thin with prominent cheekbones, deep-set eyes, scars on her face, and bloodstains on her neck. Coupled with her pale complexion and dark circles under her eyes, she didn't look like a fairy anymore, but rather like a man-eating female ghost who had just crawled out of a coffin.
Xiao Qingyuan instantly lost his mood to argue with her and became listless: "Alright, stop making a fuss. Shen Wantang said you need to rest now. You shouldn't be out causing trouble, otherwise it will leave hidden dangers in your body. Go back to Qingwu Courtyard and take good care of yourself. I will explain the painting to you after you have recovered."
Chu Yanluo suddenly burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face as she laughed: "Xiao Qingyuan, I've only been here for a quarter of an hour, and you're already so eager to get rid of me. What, you've found a new love and want to kick me aside? I won't leave! I want to see how you'll have your affair with your green tea maid right in front of me! I'll catch you red-handed!"
"I've told you my relationship with Huayi is completely innocent, why won't you believe me? What are you trying to catch red-handed? Are you crazy?"
"Xiao Qingyuan, you still dare to deny it? What's that on her neck? Aren't those marks from your lovemaking?"
As Chu Yanluo spoke, she rushed to Huayi and ripped open her collar, revealing a red mark on her neck.
Hua Yi retreated in a panic, straightening her clothes, and looked at Xiao Qingyuan with tears in her eyes: "Your Highness..."
Xiao Qingyuan stepped forward, shielding her behind him. He looked coldly at Chu Yanluo: "Is it because you casually have sex with men that you think I'm the same? I said I'm completely innocent with Huayi, that's all! The red marks on her neck are rashes, they're from the perfume I gave her. Are you satisfied now?"
Chu Yanluo was shocked and furious: "Xiao Qingyuan, you finally admit it, you don't like me anymore, you like this green tea maid! You have perfume but you don't give it to me, but you give it to her! Why are you doing this to me? I even humbled myself to be a concubine for you, but you've already fallen for someone else so quickly, don't you have any conscience at all?"
Her voice was so shrill that Xiao Qingyuan felt waves of pain in his ears.
He grew impatient: "I made the perfume myself according to an ancient recipe. I've made it for you before, but you said you never use these things. You've never touched the perfume I gave you. Now, you're starting to interrogate me?"
"Do you have the right to question me? I can give the perfume I made to whomever I want. Even if I had physical relations with my maid, it's none of your business to lecture me!"
“Shen Wantang is my legal wife, Xiao Qingyuan’s legal wife. She hasn’t said anything yet, so what right do you, a mere concubine, have to speak!”
"Go back to your Green Willow Courtyard, and don't make me say it a third time!"
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