Chapter 10: Getting Started
Song Qingyuan felt a wave of numbness in his wrist, so he put down the wolf-hair brush and rubbed it gently.
On the rice paper, the tiny calligraphy is written neatly and the ink is not yet dry.
This was the fourth day that Shen Yanzhi had stayed in her courtyard.
The princess's anger also burned for four days.
Every morning greeting has become a bloodless contest.
The other day, he said she looked unwell and told her to go back to her room and "rest," but he made her kneel at the door for an extra hour. Yesterday, in front of everyone, he pointed at the maidservant beside her and said, "Look at her eyebrows and eyes, she looks a bit like Sister Cui."
The implication is self-evident.
And today, I don’t know which expert gave me advice, but I came up with the idea of copying Buddhist scriptures.
The excuse was to pray for the Empress Dowager who was far away in the capital.
She sneered inwardly. What a plausible excuse! Wasn't this the same tactic the princess used to torture the heroine in the original story? Why, the plot hadn't even begun, and she was already being used as a foreshadowing?
Thinking that the real "female hostess" would be entering the house in three days, she, the "mistress" who nominally held the power of housekeeper, had not yet had time to prepare accommodation for the newlyweds.
Last night, after Shen Yanzhi had been affectionate, he brought up this matter.
"There are three people entering the palace this time, all of them are concubines." The man leaned lazily against the head of the bed, his fingertips twirling a strand of her long hair, "This prince intends to promote you to be his concubine."
Cui Jingyue's heart skipped a beat at that moment.
Although a noble concubine is still a concubine, she is the highest rank among concubines.
The concubines in the mansion were also divided into different levels. The lowest was the lowly concubine, the next higher was the good concubine, and the highest was the noble concubine.
She was originally just a concubine. Although she was not the daughter of an official, she was at least from a decent family and was not bought from a brothel.
Now that she has been promoted to a noble concubine, not only will her monthly allowance double, but more importantly, once she is registered as a noble concubine, she cannot be sold at will.
Cannot be sold.
These four words are like a life-saving talisman to Song Qingyuan.
She clearly remembered that in the original story, the princess went crazy and sold the heroine to a brothel in a sedan chair, which almost ruined her life.
Whenever she thought of that scene, she felt a chill down her spine.
Now that she was a concubine, the princess would have to think twice before making any move on her. She couldn't use those underhanded tactics anymore. At most, she could just find excuses to embarrass her, just like she was doing now.
"The word 'sister' has improved."
The voice of the princess's personal nanny came from outside the door, with a forced smile.
Cui Jingyue didn't even raise her eyelids, picked up the pen again and dipped it in ink.
"Thank you for your concern, Madam. I will do my best to follow the princess's instructions."
Want to torture her the same way you tortured the heroine?
What a pity.
She is not the dodder that only knows how to cry and wait for a man to rescue her.
The princess's tricks were merely appetizers. The real show would begin three days later at the Hongmen Banquet.
Three days passed in a flash.
On the day the newlyweds entered the house, the sky was exceptionally scorching.
Song Qingyuan stood under the corridor of his own yard, looking at the bustling scene in the front yard from afar.
Three sedan chairs entered from the side door, and three slender figures were led to the main hall to serve tea to the princess.
The one in the lead, wearing a light blue dress and looking the most elegant and graceful, must be the heroine Wen Yue.
As expected, the princess's cold voice came out as soon as she stepped into the main hall.
"You are a person who doesn't know the rules. How dare you be late when you see the mistress?"
The excuses are still so unoriginal.
Song Qingyuan complained silently in his heart.
"Everyone, kneel in the courtyard for two full hours and learn the rules of the academy."
The princess' voice contained a hint of morbid pleasure, as if she had finally found an outlet.
The air in the front yard suddenly became stagnant.
The other two concubines who entered the palace together were so frightened that their faces turned pale and their bodies trembled like sieves.
Only Wen Yue bowed his head with lowered brows.
"Yes, I obey your command."
Song Qingyuan watched from afar and knew that the beginning was exactly the same as what was written in the book.
The scorching sun burned the bluestone floor, and the three newlyweds knelt upright in the yard.
The princess was sitting in the main hall, admiring their miserable appearance through the doors and windows, and holding the tea bowl comfortably.
She didn't notice that when Wen Yue offered her tea just now, a little colorless and odorless powder hidden in her fingernails had silently fallen into the tea in front of her.
Time passes by little by little.
Just as the princess was about to scold him again, she suddenly frowned.
A sudden feeling of dizziness came over me.
Her hand holding the teacup began to tremble unconsciously.
"Come……"
She wanted to call for help, but found her tongue was a little stiff.
Before she finished speaking, the princess's eyes went dark, her body went limp, and she fell straight off the chair.
There was a muffled "bang" sound.
The main hall was instantly in chaos.
"princess!"
"Quickly call the imperial physician! The princess has fainted!"
The maids and old women rushed forward screaming, and the entire front yard of the palace fell into chaos.
No one cared about the three people kneeling in the yard.
Song Qingyuan narrowed his eyes and saw clearly that Wen Yue, who had been lowering his head, slowly raised his face.
On the pale and weak face, a pair of eyes were cold and flashing with a look of success.
Wen Yue's eyes were like knives, making people feel uneasy. It was obvious that he was not a good person.
Fortunately, the system started up quickly, otherwise it would be impossible to fight against such a person without some cheats.
[Ding Dong! Congratulations to the host for completing the hidden mission: The Prince's Choice.]
[Chen Yanzhi's favorability towards the host has soared from 0 to 60, rewarding 10,000 points and ten Marrow Cleansing Pills.]
The sound in my head is simply heavenly music.
His heart warmed up. Sixty points of favorability, this was a direct rise from the freezing point to the passing line. At least he was not putting his face in the cold.
Not to mention the ten marrow cleansing pills.
nice one!
He immediately began to think about it in his mind.
I need one for myself, one for each of the two little ones, no favoritism. I also need to send two to my parents. And to my eldest brother and his wife... After all that, after dividing it up, I only have one left.
Should I give this last one to that bastard Shen Yanzhi?
If I give it to him, it'll hurt a bit, as it's a treasure produced by the system. If I don't give it to him, what if his favorability drops again in the future? An investment is always worth a lot of money.
He was just getting so anxious that his teeth were itching when Zi Su came running towards him, breathing slightly hard.
"Miss, the prince is waiting for you in Hibiscus Garden."
Hibiscus Garden?
He was stunned for a moment, then reacted.
Tonight is the day when the newlyweds enter the mansion. According to the rules, Shen Yanzhi should sit in the courtyard of the newlyweds to show his favor.
But he went straight to Furong Garden.
He figured it out in an instant.
No wonder this damn system is only completing the task now. It turns out that the crucial finishing touch is here.
Shen Yanzhi gave up going to the newcomer's yard and chose to wait for him, which meant that the mission was completely completed.
This deal is a good deal!
He was in a good mood, and when he looked up, he saw Cui Jingyue, pale-faced, being supported by Nanny Cui and several maids as she returned to the courtyard. Meanwhile, the three newly selected beauties were being led to their respective residences, each with their own concerns.
As expected, Wen Yue, with the unfriendly look, was led to the most remote and deserted courtyard.
She looks like a resentful woman who has been banished to the cold palace.
He sneered in his heart, this plot routine is really a classic that will be passed down forever.
However, now is not the time to watch the show.
He straightened his robe, took a step forward and walked towards Hibiscus Garden.
He wanted to see what this prince, whose favorability had just passed the passing mark, was up to.
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