Chapter 35: Breaking the Siege

As soon as her mother appeared, Jinghu knew she would be able to escape the Princess Consort’s clutches. Furthermore, her mother’s words—regardless of where she had heard them—were clearly intended to clear her name.

Having grown accustomed to acting recklessly, Jinghu didn't mind being punished herself, but she did not want to implicate Ke Mingxu.

Her mother walked up to the Princess Consort, accompanied by Ke Mingbi. Having discovered she was two months pregnant last month, she was now over three months along, though it was not yet very noticeable.

She greeted Ke Mingxu first, with surprising courtesy: "Hu’er is ignorant. She happened to come across a note written in Chele script and insisted on finding someone to translate it for her."

"It just so happened that Bi-niang saw this and mentioned that you were well-versed in Chele script and present here today. It was quite a bother for you; not only did you have to teach Hu’er, but you also ended up witnessing such a spectacle."

Having said this, she turned and cast a sidelong glance at the Princess Consort.

Jinghu remembered that when she was younger, the relationship between her mother and the Princess Consort had not been so strained. Even if they felt otherwise, they had always maintained a facade of respect whenever outsiders were present. In recent years, however, they had stopped bothering with even the pretense of civility, which only served to irritate the Princess Consort into making errors, leading to several blunders and further distancing her from the Prince.

No one in the Prince’s estate dared to blame her mother. Because of the Prince’s favor, everyone yielded to her. Jinghu had once been naive and saw nothing wrong with this. But after a trip to the south and meeting a concubine in her maternal grandmother’s household, she had begun to understand a few things. Yet, as a beneficiary of this favor, she had neither the standing nor the right to condemn her mother.

The Princess Consort sneered. "Concubine Xu, you really ought to discipline your daughter. Master Ke is an outsider; for him to be alone with a County Princess of the Prince’s estate like this, how scandalous!"

Concubine Xu remained unruffled, offering a small smile instead. "My daughter, I shall naturally discipline as I see fit. Although only Hu’er and Master Ke are here, the outer courtyard where the male guests are is just beyond that door, and servants are constantly passing through."

"Besides, Hu’er is still young—she isn't even of age to host a spring banquet yet, she is but a child. Why must the Princess Consort always pick on her? Today, a new bride has entered the family; when you have time, Princess Consort, you might do well to teach your daughter-in-law a thing or two."

"After all, Third Brother is the Heir Apparent, and his bride is the Crown Princess—it would be best to ensure the family line continues sooner rather than later." As she spoke, she leaned on Ke Mingbi’s arm.

Jinghu recalled last month, when Ke Mingbi had just revealed her pregnancy. Her mother had been displeased for quite some time because her third brother had married a daughter of the powerful Wan family, a match bestowed by the Emperor himself. Yet, though the new sister-in-law had only just entered the home, in a few months, her mother would have a grandson of her own. Jinghu suspected that, in her mother’s mind, the future was far from certain.

The Princess Consort’s expression did not change, but her tone grew sharper. "Regardless of your silver-tongued arguments, I will not listen to them. Someone, take the County Princess to my Jiyin Hall and keep her under guard. I will deal with this after today’s affairs are concluded."

Her mother’s expression remained unchanged, as did Jinghu’s. She had experienced such things often enough, though she had never actually been locked up before. Her mother looked back at her. "Hu’er, your grandmother is in the main hall playing dominoes with the Princess Consort of Mingqing and is already sending someone to find you. You should go now."

"Who dares!" the Princess Consort stood her ground, but the servants behind her were already moving to seize Jinghu. Ke Mingxu stepped forward, shielding Jinghu firmly behind him. His family had no concubines, and he had likely never seen such a scene. Jinghu wasn't afraid of the Princess Consort’s harassment, but she felt embarrassed that he had to witness this.

If things continued this way, there was no telling how long the standoff would last. Perhaps it was better for her to take a step back. Jinghu thought for a moment, and while the Princess Consort’s people were distracted, she untied the sachet from her waist and tucked it into the hand Ke Mingxu held behind his back.

Ke Mingxu seemed to sense it, but he calmly tucked his hand into his sleeve. Even though she couldn't see his expression, she guessed he was likely nervous, perhaps thinking it was something scandalous that couldn't be seen, and that he was holding it for safekeeping. Jinghu hid a smile.

In truth, it was a sachet she had made this month, embroidered with gardenias, intended as a gift for him. The gardenia he had given her had long since withered, but the one she embroidered would bloom forever. She had filled it with "Mountain Dweller" incense—a faint scent of iris flowers that she knew he would like.

She stepped out from behind Ke Mingxu and stood between the Princess Consort of Yongning and her mother. "Today is Third Brother’s joyous day; Jinghu would not dare cause trouble."

"Although my conscience is clear and I do not believe I have done anything wrong, if the Princess Consort feels I have erred, then it is up to you to decide on the punishment."

If it were any other matter, she likely would not have said something that provoked the Princess Consort further. But today’s incident involved Ke Mingxu; if she admitted fault, he would be at fault too. The Princess Consort wouldn't really do anything to her, and once the Prince asked about it that evening, everything would be fine. It was more important for Ke Mingxu to get away.

"Hu’er!" her mother glanced back at her, then met the Princess Consort’s hostile gaze once more.

For once, Jinghu was compliant. Although the Princess Consort was still confronting her mother, the servants behind her were already closing in to grab her. Suddenly, Nanny Feng walked toward them. She was an old servant by the side of the Dowager Princess of Yongning. Her arrival was unexpected, but Jinghu felt a sense of relief.

"Greetings to the Princess Consort, Concubine Xu, the Eldest Mistress, and Master Ke."

Having served the Dowager Princess for so long, everyone in the household showed her respect. Even the Princess Consort softened her expression and helped her up personally. Standing in the courtyard, Nanny Feng smiled and said, "With the opera playing, I didn't expect such liveliness here. I don't know what has happened, but the Dowager Princess wishes to invite the young County Princess to the main hall."

"The Dowager Princess is playing dominoes with the Dowager Princess of Mingqing, and seeing that she is about to lose all her stake, she wants to ask the young County Princess to come and help her look at the tiles."

Jinghu knew it—her grandmother had sent someone to save her.

Concubine Xu’s expression relaxed, and she looked at the Princess Consort with a mocking smile. "Princess Consort, what shall we do now? No matter how urgent your matters are, they cannot be more urgent than the Dowager Princess’s, can they?"

The Princess Consort did not hold the Prince’s heart; besides her prestigious family background, her status in the estate relied heavily on the favor of the Dowager Princess. She would never defy her.

Jinghu’s gaze fell upon Nanny Feng. Just now, as her mother and the Princess Consort were speaking, Nanny Feng’s expression had flickered almost imperceptibly. The Dowager Princess valued the Princess Consort, and seeing her mother being so disrespectful in front of her, even a servant like Nanny Feng must have found it difficult to watch.