Chapter 251
Chapter 251
Lady Qin wasn't particularly fond of Side Consort Ru either.
After all, wives and concubines were natural enemies.
Moreover, this Side Consort Ru, thinking she was the one who had accompanied the Prince, had never shown any regard for her, the Princess Consort.
She might even believe her own influence could overshadow that of the principal wife.
However, what Side Consort Ru didn't know was that when the Prince of Zhennan was going to Wuyang City, he had asked for her opinion. It was because she herself was unwilling to follow him to that godforsaken place and endure hardship that she used the child's well-being as an excuse to stay in the capital.
Besides, her life in the capital now was exceedingly comfortable. After all, she had no in-laws to serve above her, and no annoying younger brothers-in-law or the like to deal with on the side.
The other concubines in the rear courtyard wouldn't dare to overstep their bounds with her.
The children in the manor were all grown up and wouldn't dare to provoke her either. In the Prince of Zhennan's mansion, she was the mistress; what she said went. Compared to the hard life in Wuyang City, Lady Qin felt that her current life was truly living.
"If Your Highness does not wish to see her, this old servant will go and send Side Consort Ru away," Nanny Chang whispered from the side.
After all, since the Prince and that side consort had returned, the side consort had acted as if she were more esteemed than the Princess Consort, often causing trouble for her mistress.
If Her Highness didn't want to see her, then she needn't be seen. She wasn't someone one absolutely had to meet anyway.
"Let her in. I want to see what kind of trouble she's stirring up today," Lady Qin said. She didn't want to see Side Consort Ru.
But she also wanted to know what major issue had brought Side Consort Ru to her today.
Might as well amuse herself, like teasing a cat or a dog!
"I beg Your Highness to save Huilan!" Side Consort Ru had practically jogged into the inner chamber. As soon as she saw Lady Qin, she knelt directly before her and pleaded.
Lady Qin was momentarily stunned by Side Consort Ru's dramatic gesture.
Was this Side Consort Ru's new tactic against her?
That would be quite novel.
"I beg Your Highness to save Huilan!" Seeing Lady Qin unresponsive, Side Consort Ru pleaded again.
In her heart, she gritted her teeth in hatred at Lady Qin's aloof demeanor. If she hadn't been at her wits' end in the capital, she would never have begged her.
But now, with her daughter in prison, she had no choice but to lower her head to Lady Qin.
"Side Consort Ru, get up and speak," Lady Qin said with a frown.
She was thinking that if the Prince were to see Side Consort Ru kneeling before her later, he might assume she couldn't tolerate a side consort and had used some underhanded means against her.
Thinking of this, Lady Qin suddenly understood. So that was why Side Consort Ru had knelt as soon as she entered.
Was she waiting for this very scene?
But her forehead was almost touching the ground; why hadn't the Prince of Zhennan returned yet?
"Your Highness, I beg you to save Huilan!" Side Consort Ru's eyes were red, her anxiety palpable, while inwardly she cursed Lady Qin over and over.
"Get up and speak. You keep saying 'save Huilan,' but you should also say what has happened to Huilan?" Lady Qin was losing patience. Did this side consort only know how to repeat the plea to save her daughter?
Regarding Zhou Huilan, Lady Qin felt the same dislike as she did for the mother—both constantly putting on airs as if they were above everyone else.
Could it be that her daughter had offended someone she shouldn't have?
At this thought, Lady Qin felt a secret glee.
After all, people teaching people often fails, but life teaching people always succeeds in one lesson.
"Sister, Huilan... Huilan has been sent to prison by Prince An! My poor Huilan! Wuwu..." The thought of her daughter in prison made Side Consort Ru start sobbing uncontrollably.
Lady Qin was also stunned for a moment.
Was she hearing things?
Zhou Huilan had offended Prince An?
But then she realized that if Zhou Huilan had truly offended Prince An, this was no small matter.
The incident where the family of that worthless woman Zhou Fenghua had previously married insulted Prince An's heir had just passed.
Now Zhou Huilan was provoking Prince An. Even a clay Buddha would have some temper, let alone someone like Prince An.
"What did your precious daughter do to Prince An?" Lady Qin asked coldly.
She reasoned that although Prince An had a cold demeanor, he wasn't the type to arrest people without cause.
Moreover, if a young girl was truly sent to prison by Prince An, Zhou Huilan must have done something extremely outrageous.
"Sister, Huilan just returned to the capital. What could she possibly do to Prince An? She doesn't even know him!" In Side Consort Ru's eyes, her daughter was perfect in every way. She refused to believe her daughter could have offended anyone.
After all, back in Wuyang City, her daughter had never offended anyone.
"Sister, please send someone to rescue Huilan from prison immediately. Any later, and Huilan will be terrified," Side Consort Ru said with a face full of anxiety. She couldn't understand why Lady Qin was still hesitating.
It was truly because it wasn't her own daughter who was arrested, so she felt no heartache.
"Do you think your daughter offended just some ordinary person, that she can be rescued at will? This is the capital, not Wuyang City!" Lady Qin reprimanded impatiently.
"Sister, that's not right. How could Huilan possibly offend anyone? In my opinion, perhaps it's because Sister offended Prince An here in the capital, and he's taking his anger out on Huilan?" Side Consort Ru asked, looking at Lady Qin with suspicion.
"Side Consort Ru, how can you slander my mistress like that?" Nanny Chang felt that Side Consort Ru was truly speaking recklessly. Her mistress was trying to think of a way to save her daughter.
And yet she was splashing dirty water on her mistress.
In her view, that Lady Huilan should just be left to stay in prison.
"I didn't say anything wrong!" Side Consort Ru said discontentedly, sitting down on a nearby chair.
Her eyes, however, remained fixed intently on Lady Qin.
Lady Qin massaged her forehead with a headache, wondering how to handle this matter.
She would rather not be involved in this mess with the mother and daughter.
"Where is the Prince?" Lady Qin asked.
Thinking, this isn't my daughter; the Prince of Zhennan should deal with his own headache.
"Your Highness, the Prince went to the palace early this morning and hasn't returned yet," Nanny Chang promptly replied.
Thinking to herself that if the Prince were truly in the mansion, Side Consort Ru probably wouldn't have come to the Princess Consort.
Hearing this, Lady Qin's headache worsened. She looked at Side Consort Ru again and asked, "What did Zhou Huilan do to Prince An?"
Lady Qin felt that Prince An wouldn't act against a young girl without reason. Even if she wanted to help, she needed to know the whole story to figure out how to proceed.
"How should I know? Perhaps Prince An simply took a dislike to Huilan upon seeing her and sent her to prison!" Side Consort Ru believed it couldn't possibly be her daughter's fault.
Hearing this, Lady Qin felt as if a lump of cotton was stuck in her chest. She really didn't want to get involved in this mess, but she also knew it concerned the reputation of the entire princely mansion; she couldn't ignore it.
Moreover, if Zhou Huilan had truly offended Prince An, she would need to go and apologize on his behalf.