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

Shen Xiuming's face turned red with anger: "You old hag, I'll rip your mouth apart!"

Shen Wei quickly grabbed Shen Xiuming's hand, begging desperately, "Brother, listen to me, don't offend Nanny Rong."

Shen Xiuming was fuming, trying hard to restrain his impulse.

He knew that if he laid a hand on Nanny Rong today, his third sister's life in the Prince's Mansion would only get worse.

Nanny Rong's disdainful gaze deepened, and she said sarcastically, "The Prince's Mansion is just short of a night soil collector. Your brother here, young and strong, would fit the job perfectly."

Shen Xiuming's face burned with humiliation.

After all, he was a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination. How could he ever stoop to collecting night soil? Those dogs in the Prince's Mansion, lording it over others just because they had power!

Shen Wei, who appeared meek, saw her brother being humiliated and clenched her fists in retaliation: "Nanny, my brother could read at three, recite texts at four, and attend a private school at five. He will surely achieve greatness in the future!"

Nanny Rong sneered, "Him?"

She shook her head mockingly, her voice sharp and aggressive: "Shen Wei, let's go. If we're late getting back to the Prince's Mansion, you'll be whacked again."

Shen Wei shivered in fear, returned the money to her mother, and held her mother's hand: "Mother, the ten taels of silver you gathered, keep them for my brother's future wife. Daughter is unworthy; I'll serve you in the next life."

Tears streamed down Shen's Mother's face in large droplets.

Nanny Rong grew even more impatient. She stepped forward, grabbed Shen Wei's sleeve, and roughly dragged her out.

"Brother, take good care of Mother..." Shen Wei stretched out her hand in anguish, as if wanting one last embrace of her family.

But she had no choice but to be dragged out like trash.

Shen's Mother and Shen Xiuming ran out, chasing them down a secluded alley. They saw Nanny Rong yank Shen Wei's hair and shove her into a rickety carriage.

"Third daughter! Third daughter! Let my third daughter go!" Shen's Mother stumbled forward.

Two eunuchs beside the carriage frowned, viciously shouting, "How dare you obstruct the Prince's Mansion carriage! Want to die, do you?"

Shen Xiuming, seeing his mother about to be hurt, hurried to stop them: "I am a successful candidate in the provincial examination. Would you dare touch my mother?"

Eunuch Ji Xiang burst out laughing, his voice full of contempt: "You? Pfft, who do you think you are? If you were a top-ranked scholar, I might give you some respect. A mere successful candidate, flaunting himself before me—De Shun, beat him!"

Ji ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍Xiang and De Shun had some skills.

They grabbed Shen Xiuming's arms, pinned him to a wall, and gave him a vicious beating.

Shen Wei lifted the carriage curtain, wailing loudly: "Stop hitting him! Brother, take Mother and leave!"

Inwardly, she thought: Hit him hard.

He stole Mother's life-saving money for gambling, forced his sister into servitude. Such an ungrateful man deserves to be beaten.

Ji Xiang and De Shun beat Shen Xiuming mercilessly.

He ended up covered in bruises and swollen, but they didn't kill him.

Ji Xiang, looking ferocious, spat twice on Shen Xiuming, the sticky saliva clinging to his face.@@novelbin@@

Ji Xiang and De Shun laughed mockingly: "Your sister is just the lowest-ranked concubine in the Prince's Mansion. Everyone there can bully her. Who do you think you are, not even worthy to polish our shoes!"

After Ji Xiang finished cursing, he jumped onto the carriage and rode off.

Shen Xiuming lay on the ground for a long time before he managed to stagger to his feet. His eyes were bloodshot, his fists tightly clenched.

Today's humiliation had crushed his pride.

Shen's Mother collapsed to her knees, crying uncontrollably.

She pounded Shen Xiuming in anger, bitterly scolding: "It's you, it's you who sent your sister to that place... If you hadn't stolen my medical money, would your third sister have been sold to the Prince's Mansion as a servant, a concubine? Why did I give birth to such a fool!"

"What have I done to you, what have your second sister and third sister done to you! But you destroyed our whole family!"

Her cries were heart-wrenching.

Shen Xiuming lowered his head, filled with guilt, self-reproach, anger, and frustration.

He bit down so hard on his lip that blood oozed out.

His father had passed away early, his eldest brother had died on the battlefield, his second sister suffered in Sichuan, his third sister lived miserably in the Prince's Mansion, and his mother was now aging... There was no one in the family to shield him from the storm, the burden fell entirely on him.

Thinking of his past misdeeds, Shen Xiuming wanted to bang his head against the wall in shame.

Despite his swollen face, he knelt before Shen's Mother, raising his hand in an oath: "Mother, I will dedicate myself to my studies and pass the imperial examination next spring to save my sister from her plight!"

Shen Wei's entire life was trapped in the Prince's Mansion, with no support from her poor farming family.

Shen Xiuming decided to study hard, aiming to pass the imperial examination and enter the government.

He would carry the weight of the family's prosperity; he would become Shen Wei's support. With him around, those despicable servants in the Prince's Mansion would never dare to bully her again.

Helping his mother, Shen Xiuming traveled to a literary temple on the outskirts of Yanjing, renting two small rooms.

In the hierarchy of professions, scholarship is supreme.

Shen Xiuming decided to study here relentlessly until next spring's imperial examination.

...

In the Fangfei Courtyard.

After performing their roles, Nanny Rong, Ji Xiang, and De Shun knelt down to apologize. They had played the villains, offending Shen Wei.

Shen Wei smiled and helped them up, kindly saying, "No need to apologize; you did well—but keep this matter discreet."

The more vicious Nanny Rong and the others appeared, the more motivated Shen Xiuming would become. Shen Wei rewarded each of them with one tael of silver.

Upon receiving the reward, Ji Xiang and De Shun happily kowtowed in gratitude.

Shen Wei kept Nanny Rong and whispered to her, "Nanny, my brother is rather unpromising. You must visit the literary temple in the suburbs every month, providing a small amount of silver to Mother and Brother, all the while playing the role of a harsh tormentor."

Shen Xiuming seemed to have reformed, but who could be sure he wouldn't falter halfway?

Shen Wei needed to keep nudging him.

If her brother strove to succeed, she, Shen Wei, would have a bright future.

Nanny Rong, being exceptionally intelligent, understood immediately: "Rest assured, Mistress, I will handle this perfectly for you."

Today, Shen Wei orchestrated a drama to inspire Shen Xiuming's ambition.

Shen Xiuming was naturally a genius at studying. With a bit of motivation, he might not become the top scholar, but he could at least pass the imperial examination.

Shen Wei needed Shen Xiuming to enter the political arena and elevate the status of the entire Shen family.

As someone of humble birth, even if Shen Wei bore a child in the future, she could at best rise to the position of concubine.

The position of concubine was awkward, neither high nor low, lacking the right even to have one's name entered in the imperial genealogy. The child of a concubine would be registered under the main wife's name.

Shen Wei's goal was to become a secondary wife, a position just below the main wife, allowing her to raise her children independently and have her name inscribed in the imperial genealogy.

However, the position of secondary wife heavily relied on one's family background. The current three secondary wives of Prince Yan—Liu Ruyan, Zhang Miaoyu, Liu Qiao'er—all had fathers who served in the court.

If Shen Xiuming could enter the government, even as a minor official, Shen Wei would qualify for the position of secondary wife. By then, Shen Wei could maneuver in the shadows, ensuring Shen Xiuming pledged allegiance to Prince Yan, securing their future.

Shen Wei sipped some hot tea, looking out at the overcast night sky: "Cai Ping, where will the Prince stay tonight?"

Cai Ping replied indignantly, "Mistress, tonight the Prince is staying in the next-door Qianwei Courtyard."

Prince Yan originally planned to visit Fangfei Courtyard today, but the main wife mentioned that Shen Wei was injured at the spring banquet and needed rest.

So, Prince Yan changed his mind and headed to Zhen Yue, a newly elevated concubine.

Shen Wei slowly drank her tea, not taking Zhang Yue seriously.

She didn’t aim for “one man, one woman for life.” Prince Yan was merely her ATM and a stepping stone toward retirement.

If the Prince visited her ten days a month, that was considered favor. As for the remaining twenty days, he could sleep with whomever he pleased. If the Prince came to her every night for a month, it would be disastrous. The guy was insatiable in bed, and even Shen Wei’s iron-willed body couldn’t take it.

"Cai Ping, bring me the inkstone and calligraphy tools. I need to practice calligraphy for half an hour before bed." Shen Wei set down her teacup, her mood as calm as water.

Never let internal friction wear you down; always strive to excel internally.

...

Next to the Fangfei Courtyard, in the Qianwei Courtyard.

Prince Yan hadn’t arrived yet, but Zhang Yue couldn’t wait to bathe and dress up, attended by two maids.

"Ma'am, you look so beautiful," Maids Fang Er flattered her.

Zhang Yue slightly curled her lips.

In the small silver mirror, she saw her pretty face. Her fair oval face, big watery eyes, slender figure—she was quite satisfied with her looks.

When Prince Yan arrives, she will spare no effort to captivate his heart completely.

Shen Wei, a lowly peasant girl, could hold Prince Yan's favor for two months. Zhang Yue is certain she can do the same.

"His Highness Prince Yan has arrived," the voice of the eunuch echoed from outside.

Zhang Yue stood up eagerly, and with two maids, she went to greet him. The night had fallen, and the moonlight cast a faint, hazy glow. Lanterns hanging under the eaves of the courtyard illuminated the surroundings. Prince Yan, tall and imposing, appeared at a slow, dignified pace.

Zhang Yue's heart raced as she curtsied gracefully, her voice soft and sweet, "Your servant, Zhang Yue, greets His Highness."

Prince Yan seemed absent-minded.

Just moments ago, passing by the Fangfei Courtyard, he noticed a pair of exquisitely crafted mandarin duck lanterns hanging under its eaves. Moving along the courtyard wall of Fangfei, he could faintly catch the delicate scent of gardenias.

He longed to see Shen Wei, the lady of Fangfei Courtyard, and to gaze upon the purple eggplants almost ready for harvest.

Stepping into the Zhang Yue's courtyard, with its run-down walls and uneven trees, the stark contrast made Prince Yan's mood turn sour.

As he entered the main chamber of Demoiselle Wei Courtyard, Zhang Yue eagerly approached him, "Your Highness, allow me to help you change your attire."