The servants in the mansion were whispering among themselves that Heyue, the primary wife, had fallen out of favor. After Granny Wang punished several gossiping servants with a thunderous lash, the discussions gradually ceased.
She successfully conveyed to them that no matter who the master favored, Heyue, the thirteenth princess, was still the mistress of the mansion.
Because Thirteen broke the habit of exclusively favoring He Yue, the concubines and princesses who had previously given up were revitalized and began to rack their brains to compete for the emperor's favor.
Only Heyue remained quiet, and no one dared to cause trouble for her because she had fallen out of favor.
In the first few days, Heyue may have felt a little uncomfortable, but later, her aching heart gradually became numb, and she could really act as if nothing had ever happened.
She is always able to let go easily and won't get hung up on something meaningless.
Granny Wang advised her to give in, but Heyue couldn't do it. Even if she got back what she had lost, it wouldn't be the same as what she wanted in the first place.
On this day, Heyue went to the residence of Prince Lian, which was also the former residence of the Eighth Prince, to visit the Eighth Prince's wife.
The two chatted casually, during which the Eighth Prince's wife inquired about this matter, her expression showing great concern.
"It's nothing, I'm not that fragile." Leaning lazily against the pillow behind her, He Yue smiled indifferently.
The Eighth Prince's wife sighed and smiled: "You have always been strong and don't take anything to heart. I believe you won't be too sad and will get over it soon. But I'm still uneasy."
He Yue was surprised. The Eighth Prince's wife sighed, her face showing undisguised shame: "This matter is ultimately the fault of Ninth Uncle and Tenth Uncle. I was very angry with them when I found out. You won't blame me for this, will you?"
"How could that be?" Heyue rested her chin on her hand and smiled slightly. "I would never blame my sister, let alone anyone else. Besides, what does this have to do with my sister? If I were to blame anyone, it would be those people with ulterior motives."
The misunderstanding that Thirteenth Prince had a connection with Fourth Prince must be related to Ninth Prince. In the past, Heyue would have given him a good beating, but now it was pointless and she had no mood for it.
“I can tell you’re not entirely indifferent to your thirteenth uncle. You may seem indifferent on the surface, but how can you hide it from me? You do care about him after all,” the Eighth Prince’s wife pointed out incisively, looking at her nonchalant demeanor.
Heyue tilted her head and chuckled, not denying it: "Sister, I'm not a sentimental woman. The days when I cared about him are long gone. Even if I still have some feelings, I won't go back. Tell me, if your husband betrayed you, would you forgive him?"
Meeting her intense gaze, the Eighth Prince's wife paused, then chuckled, "You silly girl, still so heartless. But you're right, we're quite alike; neither of us is willing to compromise. However, my permission for Yinzhi to take concubines and visit other women is solely for the sake of having offspring. If he truly falls for someone else, I will no longer like him."
She glanced at Heyue with a playful smile and said with a slight smile, "But it's clear that the thirteenth brother really cares about you. This matter was a last resort. After all, the royal family cannot tolerate monogamy. Why should you care if he goes to another woman's room?"
"My sister can tolerate it, but I cannot. My love is better to be broken than to be whole. Since he has touched someone else, it's over between us. There's no turning back." Heyue's tone was calm, but a smile played on her lips.
The Eighth Prince's wife looked at her intently for a long time, then smiled and stopped trying to persuade her. Instead, she asked her what she planned to do: "So what do you plan to do? Just stay with him like this for the rest of your life?"
"Why not?" Who knows how long it will take?
You never know when you might disappear, so just live life to the fullest while you're alive.
In her past life, she had no relatives or friends, only her older sister. After her sister passed away, she had no more ties to anyone.
She has her father, her mother, and her sister in this life. If she can live out every remaining moment with them, that will be enough for her.
The rest is none of her business.
"I don't know why, but I always feel that you are different." The Eighth Prince's wife looked at her in a daze and murmured to herself.
Heyue winked playfully: "What's different? Aren't I still me?"
The Eighth Prince's wife snapped out of her reverie, shook her head, and chuckled softly, "Perhaps."
On the way back to the mansion, Heyue leaned against the carriage wall, closed her eyes, and thought of her sister, but a sense of desolation filled her heart.
Sister, can I trust you?
I wish this had nothing to do with you, but I just can't convince myself otherwise.
I know your personality all too well. Once you fall in love, you'll do anything for that person, including—scheming against me, your dearest sister.
But I just couldn't bring myself to expose it. No matter what you've done to me, I'm willing to overlook it and still treat you as a good sister without any grudges.
You said I'm different now, maybe it's because my mindset is different now. I've lost that persistence in many things, and I just do whatever I want.
※
In the evening, Heyue took a bath and went to bed early.
Since the day after that night, Heyue had not left the door open for Thirteen. Wang Mama and the others disagreed, but they could not go against Heyue's insistence and had to follow her wishes.
Privately, Granny Wang earnestly advised Heyue: "What man doesn't have three wives and four concubines? You've gone down a dead end. As long as the Thirteenth Prince dotes on you, no matter how many other women he loves, you will still be the undisputed mistress of this mansion."
If the Fujin continues like this, the Thirteenth Prince's heart will grow cold towards her. Without the Thirteenth Prince's favor, and with no children of her own, what will become of her? Must she raise that concubine's son as her heir?
Heyue didn't care about any of that. After hearing what Granny Wang said, she just smiled faintly and said, "This is fine, isn't it? Whose child isn't still my child?"
“How can they be the same? After all, there’s a difference in the baby’s belly.” Granny Wang shook her head in dissatisfaction, but still couldn’t persuade Heyue.
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