A Concubine’s Competitive Life in the Prince’s Household

Shen Wei couldn't help but smile inwardly.

Shen Wei had been in the workplace for many years and could easily see through Tantai Rou's pretenses. This Tantai Rou might seem gentle and timid, but her tricks were endless.

"Princess Zhao Yang has arrived," announced the gatekeeper eunuch loudly.

The guests at the spring banquet all stood up to pay their respects. Shen Wei lifted her eyes and saw a group of flamboyantly dressed palace maids leading the way as a beautiful young lady in a golden brocade dress walked in through the main gate.

This person was none other than Princess Li Ruoling of the current dynasty, bestowed the title of Zhao Yang.

Zhao Yang's big, glossy eyes scanned the room and quickly locked onto Tantai Rou beside Shen Wei.

With a cold snort, Zhao Yang strode over and sat down in the empty seat next to Tantai Rou.

Her gaze fixed on Tantai Rou, she threatened darkly, "I'm watching you closely here. Don't even think about seducing Yan Yunting; he's my groom!"

Tantai Rou's pretty face turned pale, her pink lips trembling as she timidly looked towards Yan Yunting a short distance away, then lowered her head in fear to explain, "Your Highness, you've misunderstood... I didn’t seduce Brother Yunting."

Seeing her act pitifully, Zhao Yang frowned with disgust, "Stop pretending to be pitiful!"

Tantai Rou's tears began to fall, making her look even more fragile.

Yan Yunting couldn't stand it anymore. He quickly walked over and said coldly, "Princess Zhao Yang, your status is noble, you should sit at the main seat."

Zhao Yang glared angrily at Yan Yunting, then her gaze wandered around the room. She suddenly grabbed Shen Wei's arm and raised her chin triumphantly, "The princess has a close friend in this sister and wants to sit here and chat with her. Can you do anything about it? Even Father doesn't control me. If you’re willing to become my groom, you can give it a try."

Shen Wei, who was just watching the drama unfold, thought to herself: ...

Sitting at home minding my own business, and suddenly gaining a best friend from the heavens.

Yan Yunting was extremely displeased with Zhao Yang's arrogance but felt helpless against her.

Tantai Rou forced a smile and said, "Brother Yunting, I’ve upset the princess, you don’t need to concern yourself with me."

How could Yan Yunting not care? He bowed respectfully to Zhao Yang, saying, "Your Highness, despite your noble status, using it to bully the weak will attract criticism. Please, act with dignity."

Zhao Yang's pretty face reddened, clearly angered.

Yan Yunting returned to his seat, but his attention still drifted towards Tantai Rou. He knew that Tantai Rou came from a humble background and was very timid, often bullied by Zhao Yang.

He needed to protect her.

Zhao Yang took a seat beside Shen Wei, and the palace maids quickly spread expensive woolen carpets on the table and replaced the utensils with luxurious jadeware reserved for the princess. They also lit fragrant incense in a small gold censer.

"Which noble family do you belong to? I’ve never seen you before," Zhao Yang asked lazily, resting her chin on her hand as her gaze fell on Shen Wei.

Shen Wei replied, "I am Shen Wei, the new concubine of Prince Yan."

Zhao Yang blinked her pretty eyes, "Wow, I thought all of Second Brother's women were plain and tasteless, but you’re dressed so beautifully. Second Brother must dote on you a lot, right?"

Zhao Yang didn't look down on Shen Wei’s status but was rather surprised by her beauty.

Shen Wei smiled faintly, "The prince treats me very well."

Zhao Yang leaned in closer and whispered, "Second Brother is fickle and falls in love with one woman after another. You need to give birth to a child as soon as possible to secure your fortune."

Zhao Yang knew her three brothers well.

Crown Prince was dedicated and in love only with his crown princess; he rarely touched the concubines in the east palace.

Prince Yan was fickle but not promiscuous; for a period, he’d dote on one woman exclusively, but once he lost interest, he’d move on to the next.

Prince Heng, on the other hand, was the most unfaithful. He'd sleep with one woman today, another tomorrow, and sometimes, he’d even sleep with five or six different people in one night, regardless of gender.

"Thank you for the advice, Princess," Shen Wei politely thanked her.

Seeing Shen Wei’s formal and reserved demeanor, Zhao Yang sighed inwardly.

Second Brother disliked "rigid and dull" women the most. With how strict and polite Shen Wei was, it wouldn’t be long before Second Brother became bored of her.

Alas.

Shen Wei, naturally adept at reading people, guessed Zhao Yang’s thoughts. Shen Wei quietly sipped her tea, thinking to herself, I’m not some rigid and conservative woman either.

Today being the spring banquet, as a concubine, Shen Wei naturally had to behave properly and not make any blunders, lest she disgrace Prince Yan.

In private, however, she was far from a woman who followed the rules. She and Prince Yan indulged in all sorts of intimate activities, to the point that the bed in Fangfei Courtyard had collapsed multiple times.

Zhao Yang looked around and spotted Prince Heng sitting below the main seat. She exclaimed in surprise, "Third Brother’s clothes seem to be made of Beacon Silk. Wow, he really went all out to make Second Brother look bad!"

In previous years, Prince Yan’s spring banquets had always seen Prince Heng dressed extravagantly.

Prince Yan wasn’t the type to care much about appearances and clothes. In his mind, official business was far more important than attire. The clothes he wore came from the imperial Tailoring Bureau, though intricate and luxurious, they weren’t as exquisite as the ones Prince Heng selected meticulously.

Zhao Yang remarked, "Today, Third Brother will likely steal all of Second Brother’s thunder again."

Before she finished, a little eunuch announced from the door, "The Crown Prince has arrived!"

As the Crown Prince and future sovereign, his status was naturally supremely noble. The crowd all rose to pay their respects, with even the less esteemed guests not daring to lift their heads.

Shen Wei pricked up her ears and heard the soft rustle of footsteps. A moment later, she heard a calm and soothing voice from the main seat, "Please rise."

Everyone sat back down.

Shen Wei returned to her seat and finally dared to look up at the main seat of the spring banquet. The main seat was adorned with vibrant flowers, with two most distinguished positions. To the left sat her husband, Prince Yan, and to the right sat the Crown Prince dressed in plain robes.

In ancient times, the right side was considered more honorable.

The Crown Prince on the right side had a slender frame, his cheekbones protruding, giving a dignified yet sickly appearance. Shen Wei speculated, the Crown Prince must be unwell.

Shen Wei silently prayed for the Crown Prince’s well-being, hoping that he would ascend the throne smoothly and live a long life. The Crown Prince’s stability was crucial for Prince Yan to have a strong backing, and in turn, for Shen Wei to have a secure future.

After glancing at the Crown Prince, Shen Wei turned her attention to Prince Yan beside her.

Prince Yan was already handsomely striking with his sharp brows and bright eyes, but today he wore a Beacon Silk robe with an open collar, matched with a light-colored silk belt, and crowned with a silver headdress.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man.

Prince Yan usually preferred sombre colors like black and dark gray, but today he wore a silvery Beacon Silk robe.

A word: Magnificent!

Shen Wei was very pleased.

The jewelry she wore was a gift from Prince Yan; and the clothes Prince Yan wore today were made by her hands. The two of them wore each other's gifts, groomed and decorated by each other—perfect reciprocity!

As Shen Wei secretly admired Prince Yan, he, too, was looking at her. Seeing the gold hairpin in Shen Wei’s hair, Prince Yan felt very satisfied.

Indeed, she was his Weiwei, beautiful and charming.

Prince ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍Heng always mocked his concubines for being plain, but with Shen Wei dressed to the nines today, his sharp tongue wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.

"Wow, Second Brother looks so dashing today, even better-looking than Third Brother," Zhao Yang exclaimed, her gaze fixed on Prince Yan.

Not just Zhao Yang, the other guests were equally awestruck. Only Prince Heng, sitting below the main seat, had a gloomy expression.

Prince Heng’s outfit today was also made of Beacon Silk, the design similar to Prince Yan's.

As the saying goes, in a matching outift, who looks worse falls behind.

Prince Yan was robust from years of riding and archery, making the outfit appear both elegant and dignified, exuding an aura of authority subtly hidden beneath.

Prince Heng, on the other hand, had a slimmer build and the excessively lavish robe made him look petty.

Furthermore, any keen observer could easily tell that the quality of Prince Yan’s Beacon Silk was superior, glistening softly under the sunlight. Prince Heng’s material was slightly duller in comparison.

The Crown Prince broke the awkward silence with a smile, "The auspicious time is here, let the spring banquet commence."

The words were barely out when elegantly dressed servant girls began carrying exquisite wine and dishes to the tables. The performance troupes stood ready, and graceful singing began to fill the air.

It was Shen Wei’s first time attending such a magnificent ancient feast, and she was captivated by everything around her. She sipped her wine, enjoying the performances on the stage. The young ladies dancing performed traditional "Dancing in Rhythm," a lively and cheerful routine.

Most captivating was the veiled songstress in the center, playing the lute.

Dressed in a light green wide-sleeve gown, she held a jade lute, her slender fingers strumming the strings. Her voice sang an ancient and beautiful song:

"If you are the clouds in the sky, I am the bird within them..."

"Together we fly, basking in the sunlight and the breeze..."

Shen Wei was entranced by the natural beauty of her voice; in the modern "The Singer" competition, this maiden would surely take the championship.

The performance ended and the dancers retreated.

Prince Heng seemed to be half-drunk, as he fiddled with a white jade wine cup, looking for a reason to stir trouble. "Crown Prince brother, Second Brother," he said, feigning nonchalance, "watching performances is so boring. Second Brother, your newly acquired concubine, Shen Wei, is rumored to be well-versed in music and dance, and highly educated. Why not have her grace the stage with a dance?"