Chapter 52
"Just wait and see. The more Wen Yue struggles and climbs higher, the harder she'll fall. Princess, this is your tactic: 'If you want to destroy someone, you must first drive them crazy.'"
Song Qingyuan placed the white piece, and the situation on the chessboard instantly reversed. "What about us? Just watch the show quietly.
When they are tired and exhausted from fighting, it will naturally be our turn to take the stage."
Caiwei nodded, not quite understanding, and felt that her master was truly unfathomable.
The palace's purchasing power was indeed extraordinary. In just three days, they had used special channels and quickly purchased several snow bamboo shoots cooled in ice from a wealthy merchant outside the Great Wall at a high price.
Just these few bamboo shoots cost a full five hundred taels of silver, not counting the cost of doing favors.
When the news reached the mansion, the servants were all shocked. Five hundred taels was enough for an ordinary family to live comfortably for several years, but now it was just to satisfy Madam Wen's dish.
After Cui Jingyue learned about it, she simply said, "Tell the kitchen to prepare it well and send it to Qingxin Cottage. Also, send the bill to the desk in the prince's study."
When Shen Yanzhi saw the bill in the study, his brows frowned slightly.
Five hundred taels was nothing to him. But the thought of such extravagance for just one dish still made him feel a little unhappy. However, he quickly suppressed this unhappiness.
After all, he had promised it himself, and Wen Yue had just been wronged, so it was only natural for her to be pampered. He just thought of it as compensation and didn't think any more about it.
At Qingxin Cottage, Wen Yue finally got her wish and drank the bowl of "Snow Top Green Tea." The soup was clear, and the bamboo shoots were tender white, melting in her mouth with incredible flavor.
"The prince still loves me." She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction and said to Chunhe, "Look, in this mansion, we still have to look at the prince's mood. No matter how powerful the princess is, she still has to deliver the things to me at the prince's word."
Chun He quickly flattered him, "Of course! Master, you are pregnant with the palace's only child and are a great contributor. Who would dare not respect you?"
Wen Yue smiled smugly. She felt Cui Jingyue was no better than that. So what if she used drastic measures? As long as she could capture the prince's heart, the palace's harem would be hers sooner or later.
She was immersed in the joy of victory, not realizing that, out of her sight, a web she had woven with her own hands was quietly tightening. And that bowl of soup, worth a thousand gold coins, was only the first thread of the web.
The turmoil of "Snow-topped Green" was like a huge rock thrown into a lake. Although it was eventually suppressed by Shen Yanzhi's indulgence, it stirred up layers of undercurrents under the seemingly calm surface of the lake in the palace.
Wen Yue succeeded in her attack, and she felt more and more that she had grasped the lifeblood of the palace. Her demands also expanded from simple gluttony to testing Cui Jingyue's various powers as the mistress.
Today, she felt that the color of the cloth allocated to Qingxin Cottage was too dark and did not suit her skin tone, so she directly ordered someone to go to the warehouse and specifically asked for a piece of tribute "Ruanyanluo".
The next day, she said that the servants around her were clumsy and wanted to transfer two first-class maids from the main courtyard.
All of these requests were challenging Cui Jingyue's bottom line. But to everyone's surprise, Cui Jingyue accepted all of them and fulfilled every request. When Wen Yue asked for "soft smoke silk", she ordered someone to open the warehouse and personally selected the most colorful one to send to her;
When Wen Yue wanted someone, she transferred Bizhu, one of her two most capable maids, to her, and only instructed her lightly, "Serve Madam Wen well."
Her attitude of not fighting or competing and asking for whatever she wants was actually confusing to the servants in the mansion.
Some people said that the princess was disheartened and didn't bother to care anymore; others said that the princess was controlled by the dragon fetus in Concubine Wen's belly and had to give in step by step.
Suddenly, the tide turned completely in favor of Qingxin Cottage. Some of the managers, who were keen on following the trend, even began to bypass the main courtyard and go directly to Wen Yue for instructions.
Wen Yue enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention and holding great power, and became more and more arrogant.
She even began to imitate Cui Jingyue and handle some affairs in her own courtyard. Although those were just trivial matters, they allowed her to satisfy her desire to be the mistress of the house.
Shen Yanzhi saw it all and initially thought she was just killing time because she was bored. Later, seeing that she was becoming more and more out of line, he also gave her a few indirect suggestions.
But every time he opened his mouth, Wen Yue's eyes would immediately turn red. She would stroke her belly and complain aggrievedly about how frightened she was, how she just wanted to share the prince's worries, and how she felt that the baby in her belly was noble and deserved the best things.
With just a few words, Shen Yanzhi softened his heart and had to let her go.
It was a slightly overcast day, with a hint of sultry heat in the air. Wen Yue woke up from her nap with a tightness in her chest and a slight dizziness in her head.
"Chunhe, pour me a glass of sour plum soup, and make sure it's iced." She ordered weakly.
Chun He quickly agreed and soon brought in a bowl of iced sour plum soup. Wen Yue took a few sips and felt better, but still had no appetite.
At dinner time, the kitchen brought over seven or eight exquisite dishes, including a dish of "Qilin Sea Bass" specially stewed for her. It was incredibly delicious. But after only two bites, she felt nauseous and almost vomited.
"What's going on? Why are the dishes so fishy today?" She frowned and slammed her chopsticks on the table.
The newly transferred maid Bizhu hurried forward and whispered, "Master, this perch was just caught from the river. It's very fresh. I just smelled it and it doesn't have any fishy smell.
Perhaps you are feeling unwell today and have a poor appetite?"
"How dare you! Are you saying that I'm wrong?" Wen Yue was already upset, and after hearing this, she became even more furious.
"The kitchen staff must be lazy! Now that the princess is not in charge, they've become lazy! Do you think I'm easy to fool? Chunhe, go and call the chef who made this dish. I want to ask him in person how he serves the master!"
Chunhe did not dare to disobey and had to leave in a hurry.
Not long after, the kitchen manager Wang and the chef Zhang were brought to Qingxin Cottage. Both of them had terrified looks on their faces and were kneeling on the ground trembling.
"Tell me! How did you cook this sea bass? Why does it smell so fishy? Are you trying to harm the baby in my belly?" Wen Yue asked sternly.
Chef Zhang was so frightened that his soul was about to leave him. He kowtowed repeatedly, "Auntie, please spare me! Even if I had a hundred guts, I wouldn't dare to do that! I cooked this fish as you instructed, using the finest cooking wine and ginger slices to remove the fishy smell, and simmering it over a low fire. I wouldn't dare make even the slightest mistake. Please, Auntie, please, please, please, please!"
"How dare you quibble!" Wen Yue was furious when he denied it. At this moment, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach, and cold sweat instantly seeped out of her forehead.
"Ouch... my stomach..." She screamed and covered her lower abdomen with a pale face.
At this moment, the entire Qingxin Cottage was in chaos. Chun He screamed, "Hurry up! My aunt is having a miscarriage! Go get the imperial physician! Go tell the prince!"
Shen Yanzhi was handling official business in his study. When he heard the news, he was so shocked that he stood up suddenly. Without even having time to put on his cloak, he strode to Qingxin Cottage.
When he rushed into the room, Wen Yue was lying on the bed, groaning in pain, her face covered in tears, looking so pitiful.
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