Prince Yan was unaware that Shen Wei had been secretly taking contraceptive dicine, a fact that had already reached the ears of the Princess Consort.
The night enveloped Kunyu Courtyard, and Zhang Yue, a maid, knelt trembling on the ground, reporting the matter to the Princess Consort.
The Princess Consort sat regally in her seat, her fingers delicately manipulating a fine silver needle as she embroidered, the needle outlining the shapes of chrysanthemums on the cloth.
She spoke lightly, "You may leave now. The matter of the contraceptive dicine must not be spread."
Zhang Yue promptly replied, "As you command," and, bowing her head, she left the courtyard, hiding the triumphant smile at the corner of her mouth. Zhang Yue was well aware that the Princess Consort had elevated her from maid to concubine with the aim of producing heirs for the princely house, thereby maintaining her reputation for virtuousness.
But now, Shen Wei was secretly taking contraceptive dicine, which was practically a slap in the face of the Princess Consort. How could the Princess Consort tolerate Shen Wei?
Zhang Yue's lips curled upward. All she had to do now was sit back and watch the show, witnessing Shen Wei's fall from grace and her transformation into a lowly maid like herself.
Granny Liu brought in a cup of hot tea and gently placed it on the table.
Granny Liu whispered, "Your Highness, that Shen Wei is truly unappreciative. Perhaps we should inform the Prince about her use of contraceptive dicine?"
The Princess Consort held the embroidery needle, the sharp tip piercing the cloth, her eyes reflecting deep thought.
In recent years, the Princess Consort had rarely taken direct action against the concubines and secondary consorts—for it was not worth her effort. No matter how much they vied for power, her position remained unshaken. anwhile, those won who had once coveted her seat had all withered away.
Shen Wei, who had proactively taken contraceptive dicine, was the first of her kind.
The Princess Consort couldn't fathom Shen Wei's intentions and couldn't be bothered to speculate.
She told Granny Liu, "Since Shen Wei is unappreciative, there are plenty of other won who can replace her. Have you found the beautiful girl I asked you to seek?"
Granny Liu smiled, "Rest assured, Your Highness, I always fulfill your commands. The girl I’ve found is of humble birth, timid and cautious, and her appearance is undoubtedly second to none."
The Princess Consort nodded, "Bring her into the manor after the Spring Banquet."
She had assud that Shen Wei would seize the opportunity to conceive and bear a child to secure her fortune and glory. To her surprise, Shen Wei had secretly been drinking contraceptive dicine.
In that case, there was no need to waste any more thought on Shen Wei.
Without a child to support her, Shen Wei was destined to not survive long in the inner chambers.
The Princess Consort seed to recall sothing and asked Granny Liu, "Have Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen finished reciting their lessons?"
Granny Liu shook her head, "It's late, and the two young masters have already fallen asleep. They can finish their studies tomorrow without delay."
The Princess Consort slapped the embroidery cloth onto the table and stood up, "Studies must not be neglected. I have staked everything on them, pouring countless efforts into raising these two children. I cannot afford to fail."
In the Prince’s residence, the Princess Consort had two sons and one daughter, the concubine Liu Ruyan had given birth to a pair of twins—a boy and a girl, and Liu Ruyan had a sickly daughter, while the other concubines had borne four sons.
Prince Yan treated all his children fairly, regardless of their lineage. If the Princess Consort's eldest son were to turn out inadequate, Prince Yan would also consider grooming the other sons.
The Princess Consort could not allow such a thing to happen! Her sons were her only hope.
She ordered the servants to light the lanterns and went in person to wake her two sons from their sleep and make them recite their lessons.
They were not allowed to sleep until they finished.
In the brightly lit study, the two young masters, overco with drowsiness, yawned repeatedly and begged to go to bed. The Princess Consort, frustrated with their ineptitude, had small wooden slats brought out and used them to strike their hands.
The two boys sobbed, their hands red and swollen, as they began to stutter through their recitations. Yet, despite stumbling through the night, they hadn't even managed to finish two lines, leaving the Princess Consort on the verge of a heart attack.
...
The two boys, overworked from staying up late to study and punished by the Princess Consort, felt the cold chill of the spring night, and by dawn, they had developed fevers.
Upon returning from court, Prince Yan learned that his two sons were unwell and imdiately went to their quarters to visit them. The courtyard was filled with the scent of dicinal herbs, as the Princess Consort had already summoned a royal physician to examine the children.
Prince Yan entered the bedroom where the two boys lay pitifully on their beds, their faces flushed with fever, chapped lips, and towels placed across their foreheads to cool their bodies.
Prince Yan's brows furrowed deeply at the sight.
Preoccupied with official duties, he had entrusted the care of his two eldest sons to the Princess Consort. How had these boys beco so sickly? Year-round, they seed to constantly suffer from major and minor illnesses.
"Why are Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen suffering from another cold?" Prince Yan's gaze was sharp as he looked suspiciously at the Princess Consort.
The Princess Consort dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, feigning both distress and helplessness, "The night grew cold, and Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen studied late into the night, putting in too much effort, which led to their illness."
The entire courtyard was filled with the Princess Consort's people, and no one dared to expose her slight falsehood.
Although Prince Yan harbored doubts, he considered that the Princess Consort was, after all, the children's biological mother and would not harm them, so he did not pursue the matter further.
Prince Yan glanced deeply at the Princess Consort, "Learning should be a gradual process. The children are still young; it's crucial not to push them too hard."
The Princess Consort smiled, her expression unshakable, "You are correct, Your Highness."
Inwardly, however, the Princess Consort did not agree with Prince Yan's approach to educating the children.
Born into the royal family, they were under the watchful eyes of the masses. If her sons grew up to be illiterate, she, as the Princess Consort, would beco the laughingstock of the entire capital.
Her sons would one day inherit the entire Prince’s estate and must not fall short of the other noble young n in the capital.
The effort her children endured now would ensure a better future.
The Princess Consort clenched her handkerchief, changing the subject, "Your Highness, I recently heard of sothing that I thought you should know."
Prince Yan, observing her slightly uneasy expression, nodded, and the two left the children's bedroom to discuss privately in their study.
In Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen's study, shelves were filled with ancient and modern texts. On the desk lay unfinished writings, with the ink already dried.
Prince Yan picked up a few sheets of rice paper and examined his sons' assignnts. The handwriting of Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen was neat, though they were still young, rely copying and reciting without understanding the deeper anings.
The Princess Consort served tea nearby and began, "Your Highness, you have recently shown favor to Shen Wei of Fangfei Courtyard. I, too, hope that she can soon bear an heir for our princely house. However—"
Her voice halted deliberately, her tone tinged with regret, "I have heard that Shen Wei has secretly been drinking contraceptive dicine, which is indeed a disappointnt to your kind intentions."
A re concubine daring to take contraceptive dicine was akin to slapping Prince Yan in the face.
The Princess Consort knew that Prince Yan would undoubtedly be furious and would completely neglect Shen Wei.
But Prince Yan seed indifferent. His gaze remained on his sons' assignnts, flipping through them carefully before finally setting the paper down.
His gaze returned to the Princess Consort standing close by, "Where did you hear about the contraceptive dicine?"
Prince Yan was aware that Shen Wei had been taking contraceptive dicine and naturally sympathized with her, taking her side.
Shen Wei had been cautious in taking the contraceptive dicine, disposing of the remnants in the wild grass.
Yet, despite such caution, word still reached the Princess Consort's ears.
Prince Yan couldn't help but suspect that his wife was targeting Shen Wei. After all, the "Floating Light Brocade" incident had also been instigated by the Princess Consort.
"This..." The Princess Consort noticed that Prince Yan's expression was unusual, her heart suddenly racing. Strange, the Prince didn't seem angry with Shen Wei.
Why was that?
Could it be that Prince Yan had fallen deeply in love with Shen Wei?
The thought struck the Princess Consort as absurd.
The Prince, preoccupied with the state's affairs, showed only superficial affection towards the female mbers of his household. He couldn't possibly fall in love with a humble farr's daughter.
But what if the Prince had developed so deeper affection for Shen Wei? The Princess Consort subconsciously clutched her handkerchief, fearing that her position as Princess Consort might be threatened.
She must eliminate Shen Wei, for she could not allow her to stand in her way.
Her mind churned with turmoil, but her expression remained calm. The Princess Consort spoke gently, "It was a maid in the household who ca to report this matter. It is indeed serious, which is why I felt it necessary to inform Your Highness."
Prince Yan replied coolly, "There's no need to concern yourself with it."
The Princess Consort was astonished, "But Shen Wei..."
Prince Yan said, "The contraceptive dicine was secretly given to her by ."
He took responsibility for the contraceptive dicine himself.
Prince Yan only grew more sympathetic towards Shen Wei. Born into poverty, cautious and alone, she struggled to survive in the princely household's inner chambers. Secretly taking contraceptive dicine, she still got caught by the Princess Consort... This stirred Prince Yan's sense of duty as a man.
He must protect the vulnerable Shen Wei; she was his only support.
"I still have official duties to attend to. Take care of the children," Prince Yan said no more, turned and left.
In the study, the Princess Consort stood frozen like a sculpture.
The words of Prince Yan reverberated in her mind for a long ti—the contraceptive dicine, was it Prince Yan who had administered it to Shen Wei?
After pondering for a long ti, the Princess Consort let out a soft sigh: "Poor Shen Wei..."
If a man truly cares for a woman, he would never give her contraceptive dicine.
Shen Wei might seem exceptionally admired, but she was of humble birth, not even qualified to bear the prince's child.
How pitiful and tragic.
It seed that Shen Wei still remained unaware that she was taking contraceptive dicine daily, foolishly mistaking it for a tonic to strengthen her body.
The Princess Consort shook her head and slowly took a sip of tea: "I thought that Prince Yan had fallen for Shen Wei. It seems I was overthinking it."
In Prince Yan's heart, Shen Wei was nothing more than a tool for his nightly comfort.
The Princess Consort summoned Granny Liu and whispered to her: "Go find Zhang Yue and punish her with twenty lashes. Make sure she keeps her mouth shut."
Granny Liu respectfully replied: "I will go at once, Your Highness."
After finishing her tea, the Princess Consort found two copies of 'Zizhi Tongjian' in the study. Even though Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen were ill, their studies could not be neglected.
Having the page read by their bedside, perhaps Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen could absorb a few phrases. It might do so good.
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