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

Prince Yan rubbed his temples.

He did not believe in ghosts or spirits, and inviting a Taoist priest to the prince's residence in public would naturally provoke criticism from the imperial court.

However, he was also uneasy about letting Shen Wei continue to stay in Fangfei Courtyard.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort is here," a guard reported.

The Princess Consort, dressed in a dark red peony and hibiscus gown with her black hair coiled into a bun, respectfully curtsied to Prince Yan.

Prince Yan, seated at his desk, casually accepted a cup of Biluochun tea handed to him by Fu Gui and asked, "What is it?"

The Princess Consort was already accustomed to Prince Yan's distant and indifferent demeanor.

She calmly replied, "Your Highness, Scholar Zhang has retired and returned to his hometown. I would like to ask Your Highness to invite Scholar Sun from the Hanlin Academy to be the tutor for our children. Scholar Sun is a learned and erudite scholar. If Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen could be taught by him, they would surely make rapid progress."

Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen were royal descendants. They studied at the Imperial College during the day and received additional tutoring from Scholar Zhang in the evenings.

However, Scholar Zhang's capabilities were limited, and Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen still failed to excel at the Imperial College.

The Princess Consort was disappointed.

She hoped her sons would strive to be the top students at the Imperial College.

Since Scholar Zhang was not up to the task, she thought of finding a more capable tutor.

After much deliberation, she set her sights on the highly knowledgeable Scholar Sun. She wanted Prince Yan to personally invite Scholar Sun to tutor their children.

Prince Yan put down his celadon teacup and frowned slightly. "Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen already have a full schedule studying at the Imperial College during the day. There is no need to find them a private tutor."

Studying during the day and continuing at home—these children were only ten years old. At such a young age, they were already buried in books, with hardly any time to rest.

Lack of rest led to frequent illnesses, and their health was deteriorating day by day.

But the Princess Consort was persistent. "If Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen work hard and achieve success in the future, they will be able to assist Your Highness."

Prince Yan looked at her coldly and said, word by word, "Are you doing this for me, or for yourself?"

The Princess Consort was chilled by his piercing gaze. Her lips quivered, and for a long moment, she could not utter a word.

She wisely chose to remain silent.

Prince Yan, on the other hand, calmly sipped his tea and changed the subject. "Recently, Fangfei Courtyard has been plagued by ghostly disturbances. Shen Wei has been unable to eat or sleep peacefully. Are you aware of this, Princess Consort?"

The Princess Consort forced a smile. "I have heard about it. However, most ghostly tales are baseless. It will likely subside in a few days."

She knew that Zhang Yue was deliberately targeting Shen Wei, but the petty squabbles between concubines were of little concern to her.

These conflicts would soon fizzle out, and there was no need to pay them any mind.

Prince Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. "As the mistress of the prince's residence, it is your duty to manage the household and ensure its safety. Yet now, apart from your children, you seem to turn a blind eye to everything else."

This was what disappointed Prince Yan the most about her.

As the Princess Consort, her responsibilities included managing the household's finances, caring for the concubines, overseeing the servants, and educating the children.

But the Princess Consort spent all her time revolving around her two sons and daughter, rarely showing concern for the concubines or their children. She even neglected the management of the prince's estates and properties, resulting in significant financial losses each year.

Previously, when she was in charge of organizing the prince's spring banquet, it had been a complete disaster. She had even failed to notice the presence of an assassin.

She ignored everything, occupying her position without fulfilling her duties, yet she fancied herself as someone above petty concerns. What kind of mistress was she?

The Princess Consort felt uneasy and quickly knelt on the ground. "Your Highness, please forgive me. I have been neglectful of my duties. I will send someone to Fangfei Courtyard tomorrow to check on things."

Although she knelt quickly, Prince Yan knew deep down that she did not truly acknowledge her mistakes.

Prince Yan sighed. "Enough. You may leave."

The Princess Consort lowered her head and quietly left Prince Yan's study. As he watched her slightly plump figure retreat, Prince Yan tried to recall the happy and loving times they had shared in the past.

But ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‍after much thought, the passage of time had eroded those memories, leaving them hazy and indistinct. He could no longer recall the warmth of those days.

Outside, the night was deep and still. Prince Yan said,

"Let us go to Fangfei Courtyard."

...

The Princess Consort, supported by Granny Liu, returned to her own courtyard, exhausted and disheartened. Tears streamed down her face as she walked.

She felt deeply wronged.

In other prominent families of Yanjing, the mistresses often engaged in fierce battles with the concubines, causing turmoil in the household. The Princess Consort, having seen through the hypocrisy of such conflicts, had chosen to remain aloof and detached. Could anyone in Yanjing find a mistress more indifferent and unambitious than her?

Yet Prince Yan only grew more dissatisfied with her.

Granny Liu wiped her tears tenderly. "Princess Consort, please don't cry. His Highness does not understand your efforts."

The Princess Consort wiped her tears and said with determination, "Granny Liu, take some silver and approach Scholar Sun privately. Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen must excel at the Imperial College."

Her children were her only hope and support.

As for the concubines and their petty squabbles in the prince's residence, what did it matter to her whether they lived or died?

...

Prince Yan walked through the dimly lit night and arrived at Fangfei Courtyard.

Shen Wei had not yet gone to bed. She was crouching by the vegetable patch with Cai Lian and Cai Ping, staring at the plants with a troubled expression.

Hearing movement at the courtyard gate, Shen Wei forced herself to greet him. "Your Highness, you've returned."

Prince Yan looked at her pale, thin face and felt a pang of pity. He took Shen Wei's hand in his, noticing how cold it was, like a block of ice in the summer.

Her weak body had left even her warm hands chilled.

"What are you looking at by the vegetable patch, Weiwei?" Prince Yan asked gently.

Shen Wei lowered her head, her voice heavy with worry. "Your Highness, the vegetables we planted... for some reason, they've all wilted..."

Prince Yan was startled and turned his gaze to the patch. The once lush green plants were now drooping and withered. The eggplants lay crooked on the ground, and the newly ripened tomatoes had rotted.

The eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers—all of which he had planted himself—had been completely destroyed!

Prince Yan felt a surge of anger.

Shen Wei's delicate brows furrowed, and her voice trembled with a hint of tears. "Your Highness, please forgive me. I tended to this patch every day, but I never expected this to happen. And the pavilion by the pond... it collapsed inexplicably this afternoon..."

The tender vegetable shoots had all withered, and the pavilion had collapsed.

Shen Wei's eyes reddened, and tears glistened in her almond-shaped eyes, making her look as delicate as a freshly peeled lychee.

"Your Highness, the wind outside is cold. I've brewed some red date tea for you," Shen Wei said, forcing a brave smile.@@novelbin@@

She took Prince Yan's hand and led him into the house, her mind still weighed down with worry.

That night, as they lay together in bed, the sound of rustling wind outside filled the air. It was an ordinary night breeze, but Shen Wei, like a frightened grasshopper, shrank into Prince Yan's arms, her delicate body trembling slightly.

Prince Yan could see that she was afraid.

Yet, not wanting to worry him, Shen Wei said nothing about the ghostly disturbances in Fangfei Courtyard, silently enduring it all on her own.

Prince Yan sighed inwardly and wrapped his arm around Shen Wei's slender waist. "I've already had people prepare the Glazed Pavilion. You will move there tomorrow."

The candlelight in the room still burned, and Prince Yan could clearly see the surprise on Shen Wei's lovely face. She blinked in astonishment and stammered, "The... the Glazed Pavilion?"