Chapter 39: Prince Duan Refuses
Xue Sui noticed her intimidating gaze and said no more.
Today, her steps were only disrupted by Li Zhao, leading her to offer her own pastries, making Xue Yuechen and Li Huan mistakenly believe she was fawning and flattering. That was also thanks to the Bodhisattva’s mercy, and all thanks to that dog Li Zhao.
Xue Sui felt a bit helpless.
Seeing this, the Old Madam was all smiles, happy to see it happen.
“My sixth girl, though she didn’t grow up in the mansion, is no less than any young lady in the capital. She is steady in temperament, pure of heart, and doesn’t have those arrogant and wild ways. She is very pleasing to this old woman.”
Xue Qingzhi also chimed in, “She’s a good child.”
This was praise for her.
She was afraid Li Huan would think she wasn’t raised as a pampered lady from a prominent family and wasn’t refined enough.
Xue Yuechen listened, a strange sourness welling up in her heart.
In the past, such words of praise were always directed at her: intelligent and virtuous, surpassing all in the capital. Now, Grandmother and Father were both speaking of Sixth Sister’s merits. Although she knew the reason why, she still felt awkward and her inner peace was disturbed.
She thought of Fu Shi.
Her mother.
Only Mother’s heart was always biased towards her, only towards her alone. But now, Mother couldn’t help her much.
The meal was tasteless, each lost in their own thoughts.
Fortunately, Li Huan didn’t linger. After a few pleasantries, he prepared to take his leave.
The family saw him off as usual.
Li Huan strode ahead, Xue Yuechen following beside him.
Driven by some inexplicable madness, her heart suddenly panicked, and she inexplicably tugged at Li Huan’s sleeve, asking him in a low voice:
“Does Your Highness think my Sixth Sister is good?”
Li Huan stopped.
She had always been gentle and rarely acted this way in front of others, nor would she be so improper.
After all, Xue Liu was still her unmarried sister, and he was her husband.
Li Huan looked at her almost desperate eyes and withdrew his hand.
“Princess Consort, speak with caution.”
Xue Yuechen suddenly felt utterly ashamed.
After ten years of marriage, she had acted like a young girl, forgetting herself and casting aside the dignity and prudence she valued most.
Although the Xue family members were far away and no one heard, she felt as if she had been slapped. For a long moment, she could still hear her own rapid heartbeat, not knowing why.
Until Li Huan turned back and asked her indifferently:
“If the Princess Consort is reluctant to leave, why not stay? Lest there be no one to mediate when the First Madam returns.”
Xue Yuechen was slightly startled, her face flushing even hotter.
She had just heard about Liu Shijuan’s matter. Li Huan asked nothing and suddenly said this, making her feel extremely humiliated.
She lowered her eyes in shame, her voice faltering, “It is inconvenient for me to interfere in elders’ affairs. Staying would only add to the trouble, so I will not meddle in my maternal home.”
Li Huan looked at her with his dark eyes.
“Then the Princess Consort will meddle in my affairs?”
Xue Yuechen’s ears buzzed, as if she had briefly lost her hearing.
For ten years of marriage, she and Li Huan had treated each other with respect. Li Huan could even be considered a good husband, possessing great tolerance and being easy to get along with. Their marital affection was a bit faint, but he never found fault with her, nor was he dissatisfied with her. Sometimes, when Consort Xiao held her accountable, he would also help to smooth things over.
Especially regarding offspring, she, as the Princess Consort, had been childless for ten years. If Li Huan hadn’t taken all the blame upon himself, saying he was too busy with official duties and had no time for children, with Consort Xiao’s overbearing nature, she would have likely replaced him long ago.
Over the years, she had upheld her duties as a wife, being generous and virtuous, not competing or vying for anything. She watched new women enter the mansion without saying a word. To outsiders, their marriage seemed loving.
This was the first time Li Huan had criticized her.
“Your Highness…” Xue Yuechen’s voice softened, and she felt a sharp pain in her heart, her throat choked, “This concubine has many difficulties in managing the inner chambers. I also do not wish for Your Highness to take new consorts, but if Your Highness has no heir, that is this concubine’s sin.”
Li Huan looked back at her calmly.
“I do not like your half-sister. There is no need to arrange it.”
With that, he strode ahead, took the reins from the attendant, and mounted his horse.
It took Xue Yuechen a long moment to react…
Li Huan had rejected Xue Liu?
Xue Yuechen was very puzzled.
Li Huan was not the type of man who coveted female beauty, but he also never cared about matters of the inner chambers. To take a concubine, and one who was his wife’s sister, given his disposition, even if he didn’t particularly like her, he wouldn’t have directly refused.
“Your Highness…”
Xue Yuechen hurried to catch up and asked in confusion, “May this concubine be so bold as to ask, what is it about my Sixth Sister that displeases Your Highness?”
Li Huan’s lips thinned, and the hand holding the reins tightened slightly.
Two days prior, he had intercepted a secret report from the Eastern Palace.
That Xue Liu had spent many years in the Old Mausoleum Swamp and had a deep connection with the sect master of the mysterious and unpredictable Yaoguang Sect.
Keeping a woman of such suspicious identity close would be like inviting a wolf into the house.
How could he lose his vigilance for a bit of beauty?
But he didn’t need to tell a woman of the inner chambers about such matters.
“It is my will, Princess Consort, you need not ask further.”
Li Huan rode away with his guards, not waiting for her.
Xue Yuechen watched the carriage stop there, alone, and sighed. Upon returning to the mansion, she went to find the Old Madam and Xue Qingzhi, saying that His Highness had not taken a liking to Sixth Sister.
When Xue Qingzhi heard this, he let out a cold laugh.
“It must be that when she returned to the mansion, she bullied the gatekeeper, and Prince Duan recognized her.”
Li Huan had warned him about that incident that day.
Prince Duan’s Mansion valued rules and propriety; how could they possibly accept someone who would tarnish the family’s reputation into their inner chambers?
In this regard, Xue Qingzhi was more pleased than worried.
This daughter, found in the Old Mausoleum Swamp, was too unpredictable. At her age, she had eyes that seemed to have seen much of the world, and her schemes were unfathomable. He was full of dissatisfaction.
Xue Yuechen, however, was not pleased.
“Father, I must bring Sixth Sister to my side… Since I know the reason, I will find a way to speak to His Highness. His Highness is a reasonable person; Sixth Sister has suffered grievances over the years, and he will understand the circumstances…”
Xue Qingzhi looked at her stubbornness, and anger rose from his chest.
“Must it be her? To add an heir to the Prince’s lineage, just pick any good one from the mansion. In terms of appearance, in terms of talent, which one is not better than her? If you don’t like those in our mansion, there are so many cousins in the main family for you to choose from, you can always find one you like…”
“Father is good to all of us sisters, why can’t you pity Sixth Sister?”
Xue Qingzhi had never been contradicted by her before, and he felt embarrassed for a moment.
“Father, official reputation is important. This daughter is also considering it for you, my esteemed father.”
Xue Yuechen found it inconvenient to tell him about the matter of averting disaster.
After all, averting disaster for her would be undignified and make her seem heartless as an elder sister.
Moreover, Xue Liu’s experiences as a child also tugged at her heart. In the past, she had little influence and couldn’t help much. Now that she was a Princess Consort, helping her a bit would be accumulating merit and doing good deeds.
Compared to the other two younger sisters in the mansion, Xue Liu was a bit cold in temperament, but she seemed sincere and willing to listen to her.
So Xue Yuechen said again, “Sixth Sister has been pitiful since childhood, and she doesn’t get along with Mother in the mansion. It’s best to bring her to my side and let me take care of her.”
Xue Qingzhi was furious, “I think you’ve been blinded by greed! You pity her, but you should pity me, your old father, who is caught in the middle. Grand Tutor You is hounding me like a vengeful spirit, and His Majesty, ever since the Crown Prince impeached me, looks at me askance. Even Prince Duan just now implied that your Third Uncle’s affairs were my doing…”
Xue Yuechen had no interest in the affairs of the imperial court.
Hearing this, she looked at him helplessly.
“Father, my mind is made up. This daughter is returning to the mansion.”
Xue Qingzhi watched her leave and sighed deeply.
“What kind of karma is this.”
After speaking, he pondered for a moment, then with a stern face, ordered a servant.
“Go to Marquis Yongding’s Mansion and invite the First Madam back!”
–
Some were happy, some were sad.
The news that Prince Duan had not taken a liking to Xue Sui spread throughout the mansion the next day.
Eighth Miss and Ninth Miss were grinning as if they had found gold ingots, talking about it wherever they went, lest others be unaware.
As for Xue Sui, the person involved, she acted as if nothing had happened, sitting at a wooden desk by the window, leisurely polishing a small sandalwood ornament…
Ru Yi felt very indignant on her behalf, “In the dark, that Prince didn’t even get a good look at you. How could he know how wonderful our Miss is?”
Being rejected by Gu Jie in marriage years ago had already cost her face.
Now, being rejected by Prince Duan when she went to the Prince’s Mansion as a concubine.
In Ru Yi’s eyes, their Miss’s reputation and dignity had been trampled upon.
She couldn’t accept it, but Xue Sui didn’t care, “I saw Prince Duan in front of the screen wall that day.”
In other words, she deliberately threw copper coins into the water to tease the gatekeeper?
Ru Yi was so surprised her mouth couldn’t close.
“Miss! Since you are to marry into the Prince’s Mansion, it would be good to have the Prince favor you. By doing that, aren’t you pushing the Prince away and making him detest you?”
Ru Yi couldn’t understand, “Prince Duan is a righteous man, and he’s handsome. Why would Miss want to make him detest her?”
Xue Sui’s expression turned a bit colder.
“Xiao Zhao, you need to properly control this maid’s mouth.”
Xiao Zhao responded and made a beheading gesture towards Ru Yi, “If you speak again, your tongue will be pulled out!”
Their Miss was not the type to submit to others.
Miss’s willingness to go to Prince Duan’s Mansion did not mean she wanted to serve Prince Duan.
“It’s better to make Prince Duan detest her!”
No matter what others thought, Xiao Zhao liked their Miss more and more. Compared to her time in the Old Mausoleum Swamp, their Miss now acted more calmly, was sharp-witted, spoke well, and treated her subordinates kindly. Who wouldn’t want to follow such a master?
Xiao Zhao thought optimistically, but Xue Sui did not feel the same way.
These words were just to comfort the two young maids.
She had thoroughly investigated Li Huan.
He was a man who saw the whole world, with a high opinion of himself.
He wouldn’t care about the small matter of taking a concubine in the inner chambers.
Unless there was some other reason she was unaware of…
“Coo coo.”
Spirit Feather suddenly flapped its wings on the perch.
Xue Sui slowly turned her head, looking at it, her expression changing slightly.
Li Zhao.
He had done it.
Li Zhao: On the first day of VIP access, I must at least make an appearance.
Xue Sui: Is being cursed at also considered making an appearance?
ps: Thank you all for your comfort, tears welling up, sending you hearts!
