Chapter 300: A Clever Trick
Xue Yuechen returned to Prince Duan’s Mansion and hurried to Ting Yu Xuan.
Princess Ruihe was also there.
She squatted by the low couch, using a rattle drum inlaid with gold, jade, and gems to amuse her daughter, A Ning.
The rattle drum exuded a rich, lustrous glow…
She wore a lotus-colored padded jacket trimmed with silver fox fur, and the jade bracelet on her wrist made delicate clinking sounds with her movements…
Despite being a widowed member of the imperial clan, she was plump and radiant, with a lively and affectionate demeanor that was very endearing.
“A Ning, be good, see if this rattle drum is fun? Do you like it?”
Li Yuning’s voice was sweet, like it was filled with honey, coaxing the child to wave her little hands to grab it.
“When you turn one year old, your aunt will make you an even prettier one. We’ll inlay it with Eastern Pearls, alright?”
Xue Yuechen stood beneath the curtain, unmoving.
Just as she was about to speak, she heard Li Huan emerge from the inner room.
His ordinary words seemed to carry the scent of books and ink, yet were uncharacteristically gentle.
“She’s so young, don’t spoil her.”
A Ning heard her father’s voice and turned her small body, toddling towards Li Huan…
Rui He, afraid she would fall, quickly reached out and pulled her into her arms. She then tilted her head up, her apricot eyes curving as she looked at Li Huan.
“I am A Ning’s aunt, I dote on her. How could I bear to spoil her? A Ning is at the age where she recognizes people, so I must come often to win her favor, lest she become distant from me…”
As they chatted, she placed the rattle drum into A Ning’s hands.
The crisp sound delighted the little girl, who giggled, saliva dripping down her chin as she mumbled a few syllables.
“Ma…ma… Ma…ma…ma…”
“Ah! A Ning can talk!”
Rui He spoke as if she had received the greatest reward, her voice suddenly rising, full of surprise.
“A Ning can talk… Second Brother… did you hear? She called me Mama.”
Li Huan leaned down and gently wiped the saliva from his daughter’s mouth. The smile lines at the corners of his eyes were unusually deep, and the tenderness in his voice seemed to melt away the chill in the room.
“A Ning is smart, she takes after me.”
His fingertip traced the child’s soft cheek, his touch as light as if he feared breaking a precious treasure.
Li Yuning watched him with tender affection…
The two of them, one on each side, surrounded the child, their conversation intimate.
The maids and old women nearby kept their heads down, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Xue Yuechen suddenly found the scene particularly jarring.
It was as if they were the picture of a happy family, and she was an impudent intruder.
“Princess Consort…”
It wasn’t until Fei Cui gently reminded her that Xue Yuechen snapped back to reality. She coughed lightly and pushed aside the curtain to emerge.
Li Huan heard the sound and looked up. His gaze, as it swept over her, lost some of its warmth.
“You’re back?”
Xue Yuechen suppressed the displeasure in her eyes and curtsied.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
She then turned and smiled, “Greetings, Princess Ruihe.”
Princess Ruihe, with a smile, released A Ning’s hand, curtsied, and subtly shifted half an inch closer to Li Huan. The hairpin at her temple swayed, making one dizzy.
“Princess Consort is finally back. A Ning was just asking for you. I was chatting with Second Brother and trying to amuse her.”
“Is that so?” Xue Yuechen glanced indifferently at her timid daughter.
“When I go out normally, A Ning never looks for me.”
Li Huan’s expression turned imperceptibly cold.
Rui He, however, acted as if she hadn’t noticed, smiling with apparent guilelessness.
“Princess Consort, what are you saying? What child doesn’t miss their mother? Especially our A Ning, she’s so well-behaved and sensible, it makes one envious… Alas, it’s so good to have a daughter by your side. Consort Xiao Xiu in the palace is also with child…”
“Isn’t that right?” Xue Yuechen interrupted with a smile. “Consort Xiao Xiu is with child and has been promoted to Consort Li, even prompting the Empress Dowager to hold a prayer and blessing ceremony. Princess Ruihe, instead of going to the palace to offer congratulations, has come to Prince Duan’s Mansion to keep A Ning company. Our A Ning is truly fortunate.”
The smile on Rui He’s face faltered slightly.
In the past, she and Xiao Qing’er were both reading companions to Princess Ping Le.
The two were like sisters, sharing everything.
Now, Xiao Qing’er was a noble Consort Li, while she was a widow living in her mansion.
Their circumstances were worlds apart…
Xue Yuechen was subtly mocking her.
Rui He glanced at Li Huan, then stepped forward again, affectionately linking arms with Xue Yuechen.
“Princess Consort, look quickly. I embroidered these tiger-head shoes for A Ning myself, and this little wool hat. Do they fit?”
Xue Yuechen’s throat tightened slightly.
She had also sewn many clothes for her child in the past, but she had been so eager to have a son, preparing only patterns of Qilin bringing sons. Later, when she had a daughter, those fabrics were put away, and her enthusiasm waned…
She never expected that now she would have to watch others make clothes and hats for her daughter, visiting openly whenever they pleased, trying to curry favor with Li Huan?
What was even more infuriating was Li Huan—
He knew Rui He’s intentions. In the past, he would deliberately avoid suspicion, but recently he had allowed her to be close…
Both openly and subtly, Li Huan’s attitude towards Rui He had become much gentler than before, which made Rui He even more pleased and emboldened.
Xue Yuechen smiled, her fingertip lightly brushing over the shoe’s surface.
“The County Princess has exquisite craftsmanship. A Ning is fortunate. However, A Ning is still young, it’s not good to trouble the County Princess with making such delicate items…”
“It’s my duty, Princess Consort. You are too kind.”
Rui He smiled even more brightly, glancing at Li Huan intentionally or unintentionally. She stood between them, like an invisible wall, separating Xue Yuechen from Li Huan’s world.
“A Ning is like my own daughter. I love her and fear I don’t love her enough. I wish I could watch over her every day. How could it be considered trouble…”
The two women engaged in a superficial exchange, their hearts not in sync.
Li Huan found it headache-inducing and left on a pretext.
Outside the window, snowflakes pattered against the windowpane with a rustling sound. Xue Yuechen could hear her heart pounding like a drum, but she could only cover her lips with a handkerchief and cough lightly, suppressing the surge of emotion in her throat…
Only after Rui He bid farewell and left the mansion did she return to Ying Yue Residence. She slammed the door in anger, then slumped down as if all her strength had drained away, her eyes silently welling up with tears.
“This Li Yuning is truly going too far.”
“My Lady, please calm your anger.” Fei Cui quickly handed her a cup of hot tea, trying to comfort her, “His Highness is acting for the greater good. He has his own considerations. This is merely for show to outsiders…”
“I know.”
No matter how unbearable Rui He was, she was the widow of the Military Governor of Longyou. At this juncture, with Prince Duan’s Mansion and the Eastern Palace in opposition, Li Huan did not wish to give cause for gossip. His tacit acceptance of Rui He’s overtures was a strategic move to stabilize the Longyou army, a temporary measure…
But logic could not suppress the bitterness.
Her heart felt as if it were being pricked by needle points, causing sharp pain.
She waved her hand, finally managing to suppress those inappropriate emotions. She looked at Fei Cui and quietly instructed her.
“Find two quick-witted servants to keep watch at the front. If Princess Ruihe comes to visit A Ning again, do not announce her. Stop her directly.”
Fei Cui looked troubled, “But His Highness…”
“She is my daughter. Do I not have the right to decide for her?”
Xue Yuechen’s eyes sharpened. “If absolutely necessary, say the child has caught a cold, and the Imperial Physician has ordered her to rest, to avoid any evil qi.”
“Yes.”
Fei Cui bowed and withdrew.
After her footsteps faded, Xue Yuechen walked to the bronze mirror.
The reflection showed a person clad in a dark blue soft jacket, with a flat gold hairpin slanted in her hair. She looked dignified and elegant, yet her complexion was paler than the accumulated snow on the eaves.
Everyone envied her position as Princess Duan, but they didn’t know that beneath this seat lay an abyss—
On one side, the precarious mess of the Xue family; on the other, Li Huan’s cold indifference and Rui He’s covetous gaze…
If she stumbled on either side, she would be doomed.
–
The inner palace.
Cining Palace.
Xiao Qing’er sat on a soft couch, holding her waist, an undeniable sparkle in her eyes.
Empress Dowager Cheng Qing smiled slightly and pushed a bowl of bird’s nest soup towards her.
“This is your first child, you must take good care of yourself and avoid overexertion.”
“Thank you, Empress Dowager. Your servant understands.”
Xiao Qing’er looked up, her eyes showing a well-measured dependence, “It’s just that lately, I’ve been hearing gossip from outside, which inevitably disturbs my peace of mind.”
The Empress Dowager gently patted her hand, warmth radiating through the silk handkerchief.
“Your arrival is timely. It is the Emperor’s good fortune and Daliang’s auspicious sign. This palace, you know, always has ill-intentioned people who love to stir up trouble. Why do you let it bother you?”
Xiao Qing’er lowered her gaze to her belly, her voice becoming even softer.
“Empress Dowager is right… However, I can overlook others. But that bewitching woman from Xizi, she offended me in the Imperial Garden a while ago with veiled insults. His Majesty did not punish her, and now she hides in her room all day, burning incense and meditating, chanting that cursed Wulan evil spell. It makes one’s heart tremble and feel uneasy…”
The Empress Dowager sighed, “You are with child, so listen less to gossip and do not let it taint your ears. His Majesty has been troubled by matters concerning the Crown Prince lately, and the celestial omen has caused unrest in the court and country. How can he have the energy to deal with such palace filth…”
Xiao Qing’er’s heart stirred.
“Empress Dowager, please rest assured. I will not stoop to her level. I am just afraid that her foreign evil spells might affect the imperial lineage…”
Before she finished speaking, a palace maid announced from outside.
“Empress Dowager, Princess Wen Jia requests an audience.”
Empress Dowager Cheng Qing and Xiao Qing’er exchanged a glance.
The Empress Dowager smiled, “Please invite her in quickly.”
