Chapter 417 - 409: Harmful to the Body
Consort Zhou truly did not expect that, despite her constant vigilance day and night, the one she least guarded against would be her own daughter. Yet today, it was her daughter who caused such a scandal.
"Mother, please calm down. Besides, mother did not say anything untrue. Even Mrs. Dong said, with many Madams listening, that Lin Youning was being disrespectful. It’s only right for mother to reprimand her, as mother is the Empress of the nation. Now she claims her pregnancy is disturbed, but I believe it’s clearly an act, just to tarnish mother’s reputation. Such a person is ill-intentioned, and mother should be angry with her. I am mother’s own daughter, yet mother is not supporting me and is siding with outsiders." Princess Yuanhua said, feeling aggrieved.
Consort Zhou held her forehead, "You still don’t understand your mistake. I’ve indeed spoiled you. Haven’t I assigned many tutors around you over the years? Didn’t they teach you any of this? What is that Gu Er? Just a useless man. If it weren’t for you being fond of him, I would have long dealt with him or made him disappear from this world. But now, you act out for such a man, even causing me to lose face in front of others, ruining our dignity. I won’t speak more of today’s matter. Once we return to the palace, it’s best if your father doesn’t learn of this. If Dingyuan Marquis brings this to him, I won’t spare you."
Though Consort Zhou’s voice was not loud, her words made Yuanhua’s heart sink, knowing her mother is always like this. Her tone may not be stern, but she is ruthless; otherwise, she wouldn’t have gradually climbed to the position of Imperial Consort in the palace.
Consort Zhou saw her daughter kneeling silently, "Enough, get up."
Princess Yuanhua then rose from the ground, becoming noticeably more obedient than before.
"Although you stay silent, I know you’re unconvinced, merely afraid of me. If you had known fear earlier, you wouldn’t have done what you did today. Go and check now; Lin’s pregnancy is indeed disturbed. Have your grandmother give something more, saying it’s bestowed by me," Consort Zhou irritably waved her hand, and Princess Yuanhua retreated.
After Princess Yuanhua went outside, she inquired where Lin Youning was. As she walked over, she saw many people standing outside, including some noble young ladies she recognized.
Once Princess Yuanhua arrived, except for Zhou Yuyan who stepped forward to greet her, the others didn’t pay her any mind. Present were not strangers, but Xu Ya’an leading Sister Hong and several others.
"How is the situation inside? Has the Imperial Physician come?" Princess Yuanhua asked, displeased.
Were it not for her mother’s orders, she would not have come.
"The Imperial Physician has already been to see her. Supposedly her pregnancy is disturbed, and they prescribed fetus-preserving medicine, but Mrs. Liu Sr. disagreed, insisting to take her away," Zhou Yuyan responded, eyebrows tense, not expecting the banquet to turn out like this.
Princess Yuanhua scoffed, "If her pregnancy was truly disturbed, she would certainly stay in the mansion. I think it’s mostly false, having bribed the Imperial Physician, merely wishing our Zhou Mansion to face reproach."
"How can you speak like this?" Xu Ya’an strode forward, glaring at Princess Yuanhua, "You receive respect from people usually, due to the Holy Emperor and Consort Zhou, but now someone is lying there within the premises of your Zhou Mansion, and you say such things? Truly one wonders how you learned manners. No wonder the Holy Emperor demoted your status as Princess."
"Who do you think you are?" Princess Yuanhua, already annoyed, flared up at Xu Ya’an’s words.
Zhou Yuyan hurried to mediate, meanwhile explaining Xu Ya’an’s identity, to which Princess Yuanhua sneered coldly, "So she’s engaged to the second-ranked one, huh? I wondered what she’d be like—it’s unimpressive."
Everyone present understood that the "second-ranked one" Princess Yuanhua referred to was the Crown Prince.
Now, gossip spreads throughout the Capital that the Holy Emperor intends to betroth Xu Ya’an to the Crown Prince. Initially, Feng Yufu was intended for the Crown Prince, but it was rumored she might be betrothed to the Eldest Prince instead. It was initially announced that she would marry into the Royal Family, but she was found entangled with the young master from Wu Mansion, causing plans to halt.
As the Eldest Prince is now married, only the Crown Prince remains.
Xu Ya’an ignored whom Princess Yuanhua’s words about the "second-ranked one" referred to and continued inside without looking back.
Princess Yuanhua intended to follow, but Mrs. Zhou Sr. emerged from inside, and with others present, she refrained from showing displeasure, merely asking everyone to disperse, leaving Princess Yuanhua behind for a chat.
Once alone, without even a servant nearby, Mrs. Zhou Sr. angrily confronted her, "Today’s banquet was to cement alliances for the Eldest Prince, yet look at what you have caused! How do you usually learn manners? Just now, you were shouting and arguing outside, and speaking those things. Even thinking it, you shouldn’t voice it. Didn’t your mother criticize you just now?"
Princess Yuanhua lowered her head silently.
Mrs. Zhou Sr. no longer looked at her and turned to enter the inner room.
There, Mrs. Liu Sr. was already helping Sister Ning off the bed, and Mrs. Zhou Sr. hurried forward to stop her, "Sister, since her pregnancy is disturbed today, why not let her recover here for a few days? After all, it’s due to our mansion’s mistake that Ning’s pregnancy was disturbed."
"No need, she must go home to recover properly. It’s not conducive long-term staying here. Besides, today was Consort’s visit, with Ning’s incident causing inconvenience to Her Highness. I’ll still send Ning home," Mrs. Liu Sr. flatly refused without batting an eye.
Seeing this, Mrs. Zhou Sr. couldn’t press further, instead ordering preparations for the carriage and personally escorting them to the exit, only returning after watching them leave in the carriage.
Despite Consort’s visit being short, as evening approached, she departed in the palace carriage.
Consort Zhou’s departure gradually prompted the other Madams at Zhou Mansion to disperse.
Nonetheless, Consort Zhou’s suppression of Madam Gu’s affairs began to spread through the Capital. Even the words exchanged during their confrontation spread with vivid detail.
Mrs. Zhou Sr. knew these matters couldn’t be entirely hidden; yet, upon hearing the news returning from outside inquiries, she couldn’t help but fume.