Scharlachroter Regen überflutet die Stadt

Kapitel 89

I laughed too, "Yes, we've come full circle. We couldn't save either of our children."

Yu Chang sighed, "Now that I think about it, it would have been better for the child to die in the womb than to struggle to give birth and then watch it die."

I clenched my fist tightly, then turned my head to look at Zhi'er, who was playing with the girls from Fifth Brother's family. "She's the only one left..."

Yu Chang tugged at my sleeve. "Girl, look at me and tell me you can hold on."

"I," she choked slightly, "don't want to keep going anymore. I hate myself, I hate myself to the core."

Yu Shang pulled me into her arms, and I felt a warm, moist current flowing down my neck. Yu Shang murmured, "Silly girl, you can do it. I've made it through all these years..."

Live well! Over the years, Yushang and I have said this to ourselves and to each other. Keeping going has long become a habit.

Since Jing Ai's birth, the emperor has begun to heavily rely on Lu Li. I often think that the death of a child, in exchange for his father's fame and future, who knows, even the throne, is worth it. Every time I think of this, I feel ironic.

Lu Li, now receiving imperial favor again, seemed different from before. He was no longer the aloof and detached Prince Ning Shuo, but had become a refined gentleman indulging in romance and pleasure. In court, he was no longer easy to talk to or mild-mannered; his coldness was palpable, and he seemed even more intimidating than the Fourth Prince. He frequented brothels and often stayed overnight, seemingly unwilling to return to the corrupt and decadent Prince Ning's mansion. This, ironically, gave me more freedom. I, as the Princess Consort, became increasingly adept at my duties. I did what others did, and I did everything others didn't. I begged for what others dared not do, and I gladly tried what others disdained.

Ironically, what I did became increasingly outrageous—openly inviting high-ranking officials to my residence for tea, and hosting banquets and feasts were commonplace. Tribute items destined for the palace were being delivered to my courtyard in a steady stream thanks to my roundabout remarks. Even worse, I openly sold official positions and titles using Lu Li's authority, becoming a source of astonishment and wonder for the people of the capital.

It's said that many people in the court submitted memorials to me, but unfortunately, those who protected me were more powerful. Behind my back, countless people cursed me, yet no one dared to utter a single word of criticism to my face. The Emperor turned a blind eye, returning some memorials without even reading them. Lu Li simply pretended to know nothing; no one told me what not to do, so I continued doing it.

"An agate single-eared cup, a rose quartz covered bowl, a Qing jade inkstone..." I examined each of the end-of-month gifts presented by the Jiangsu Provincial Military Command. Just a month ago, this court official, already over fifty, had recognized me as his godmother. Since he was so kind, I didn't hide it and called him "son" in public and private. He didn't ask for much, just the position of Governor of Liangjiang. Coincidentally, there was indeed such a vacancy in my hands, so why not be a good person and take on another "son"?

I was making great strides in my official career, and I was also gradually establishing my authority among the women in my household. Although there weren't many women, neither of them were easy to deal with. Realizing that dominating only the two of them wasn't enough, I organized my own concubine selection ceremony. For a time, merchants and officials from both inside and outside the capital brought crates of valuable goods and their daughters to participate. My principle was to accept all gifts and select the best women, but in reality, I focused on quantity, not quality, until the entire Prince Ning's mansion was overflowing with them.

The mansion was filled with beautiful women, which often left Lu Li with nowhere to stand. However, he never protested to me, so I just assumed that he was happy to have a harmonious atmosphere.

Gradually, the Prince's mansion became my domain, and he settled comfortably in his own paradise—the brothel.

Chapter Eight: The Drunkard Princess

The elegant hall of Qingyou Residence.

I only heard that an extremely generous official had come to the capital hoping to obtain a minor official position. He brought three trunks of pre-arranged gifts into the hospital, each trunk filled with rare and precious treasures. As is customary, I treated such an extraordinary person specially, booking the most luxurious teahouse in the capital for a banquet, and listened to his "difficulties."

The person behind the screen sat upright, and despite several attempts to peek, I couldn't catch a glimpse of their face. The steward beside the table occasionally returned behind the screen to check on his master's intentions. I couldn't help but feel a little disdainful. Who was this person, putting on airs in the capital that were more important than me?

I pushed the cup in front of me, signaling to Yiliang to step forward and make an offer. The little girl reluctantly said loudly, "Seeing that your master is generous, let's start with the fourth rank. The fourth rank Left Vice Minister is five thousand taels of silver, the third rank Minister is eight thousand taels of silver, the second rank Assistant Minister is twenty thousand taels of silver, and the first rank Prime Minister is currently vacant, so the advance reservation fee is forty thousand... gold bars."

The butler nodded and hurriedly turned back to report from behind the screen. I waited for a while with my teacup in hand. Siliang was restless and uneasy. Whenever I tried to "discuss business," she was very uncooperative. She would often look downstairs, her nerves were extremely sensitive, and she would be terrified by the slightest noise, as if I were involved in murder and arson.

The steward finally stepped out and said only one sentence, which frightened Siliang to tears. The steward said, "Our master asked me to ask you what the price is for the throne."

I forced down my tea. "You've got ambition. Can we talk in person?"

The butler smiled, then turned and left the inner room, closing the door behind him. I, sensing the situation, also told Siliang to leave. Once everything was quiet, the person behind the screen slowly emerged. His simple clothes could not conceal his radiant presence; he was indeed a man of the utmost elegance.

I narrowed my eyes with interest and slowly brought the wine to my lips. "You, this leisurely prince, certainly have plenty of free time, don't you?"

Lu Xiu sat down next to me, toying with his wine glass, and shook his head helplessly. "I think—shouldn't we—avoid suspicion?"

I laughed so hard I almost spat out my drink. "Are you scared?"

"I'm not afraid."

"Do you care?"

“I don’t care—” He slowly raised his head, looking at me. “But I’m afraid—you do care.”

I shook my head. "I don't care."

He smiled calmly. "I should understand your personality."

I stood up. I raised my glass and drank alone. "Caring too much means drinking alone, suffering alone, and being melancholy until dawn. So—I'd rather not care—you know, I hate drinking alone the most."

He tilted his head and squinted at me. "Have you been drinking a lot lately?"

"You could say I've had a wine glass with me for over a year." I smiled ingratiatingly. "You know I'm a heavy drinker."

His expression was tense, and he said in a deep voice, "I'm taking all the alcohol from here today. From now on, you must strictly control it."

I blinked, deliberately put my arm around his shoulder, slowly lowered my head, pressed my face against his, and looked at him from the side, the tassels of my long hair falling down on his chest.

"You want to seduce me?" he asked calmly, swirling the contents of his glass.

"Spare me this time. I can't live a single day without alcohol," I whispered sweetly in his ear.

"I just can't do anything with you."

I chuckled, lifted my shoulder, turned around and went back to the table, filling my glass with wine. "You've moved pretty quickly, arriving in Beijing in just a few days."

"I heard that you encouraged all the high-ranking officials to jointly petition the Emperor to allow me to return to the throne?"

I casually fiddled with my hair, my voice barely audible, "It seems like there was such a thing, but I've been doing too much lately to remember."

Lu Xiu shook his head, took a sip of wine, and said, "This wine is too bitter. You've gone too far."

I smirked. "Hmph, I've spent a fortune on you, and you'll have to pay me back sooner or later, with interest."

"I know you're skilled in political maneuvering, but the palace is different from other places. Since you've decided to stay, you must avoid suspicion. A single word, a single glance, can destroy you." Lu Xiu's words were icy cold.

"Then I'll wait to be shattered to pieces!" Another cup of sake went down his throat, a chill seeping into his bones.

He stood up and sighed softly, "You really did this on purpose."

He stared intently at me, his eyes flashing with light. His hand unconsciously rose, as if to stroke my temples, but finally stopped at my temples, frozen in a stiff position.

"Seeing you like this...it really hurts!"

I laughed, spilling the entire glass of wine onto my skirt, already tipsy. "I won't feel pain anymore, I've hurt so much I can't hurt anymore..."

Carrying a wine jug, I staggered along the corridor, my steps unsteady and shaky. The figure in the distance drew closer, but my vision grew increasingly blurry. Finally, I saw a mountain-like figure blocking my way. I reached out and ran my right hand over his neck, touching his stern face, feeling the coolness of his touch.

The maids behind him hurriedly knelt down, "Fourth Master, please don't be offended, our master is drunk."

I laughed, and the finger that was resting on the bridge of my nose slid to my lips and patted my taut face. "Fourth Master, don't freeze, or you'll get wrinkles."

His hand was grabbed and he was thrown down hard, the voice chillingly cold: "Indecent!"

"Your Highness, it's the Fourth Prince." A bold maid tugged at my sleeve, her voice lacking confidence.

“I know.” I laughed and shook off her hand. “Isn’t he the Fourth Master who showered me with love day and night, and then tried to take my life from the city walls with his bow? Isn’t that right, my dear Fourth Master? Your arrows are incredibly accurate; if you had just added a little more force, you could have pierced my shield and chest, and killed me on the city walls. What a pity, what a pity…”

He raised the wine jug, tilted it back slightly, and poured the wine straight into his mouth, feeling utterly satisfied! In the darkness of night, his pupils remained dark and unfocused…

I staggered out of the corridor and into the central hall. The maid helped me sit down, and Siliang lit the lamps, illuminating the entire room with a blinding light. Liushang brought me a damp towel, which I tossed onto the table, my eyes calm. "I'm not drunk yet."

"But just now?"

Ignoring Liu Shang's continued speech, I stood up, still reeking of alcohol. "Take the sedan chair to invite Madam Hua from Fifth Master's family. When the people at Fifth Master's residence ask, just say I need a drinking companion. Set out wine and dishes at Changchun Pavilion. Also, bring up the eighteen-year-old Daughter's Red wine that General Yang Wei sent the other day from the cellar and open it."

After drinking alone in Changchun Pavilion for a while, he finally saw Xiaoyu's figure slowly approaching from the winding stream, with a maid behind her carrying an old wine jar.

"Oh, did the famous Madam Hua steal some treasure from Fifth Master?"

Xiaoyu sat down with a smile, ordered the maid to put down the wine jar, and dismissed the servants around her. The pavilion was empty, with only the two of us feeling lonely.

"Stop playing dumb with me! You've been eyeing our cellar wine storage all this time!" Xiaoyu blinked and patted the wine jar on the table. "This is the most valuable one."

"Fifth Master, are you willing to part with it?" I asked with a smile, meeting her gaze.

“He had no choice but to give it up.” Xiaoyu said nonchalantly. “I only mentioned that we couldn’t go empty-handed, and Fifth Master understood immediately. Without saying a word, he had it carried out from the cellar, saying only, ‘Fine wine needs a beautiful woman to ask for it.’ I really don’t know if he was praising me or you!”

I poured a full bowl of Shaoxing wine and pushed it towards him, saying, "Try this first, is it still aged enough?"

Xiaoyu glanced at it, smelled the aroma of the wine, and then said, "You finally opened this jar of Daughter's Red wine. Not bad, that shows sincerity. This trip was worthwhile."

"Having a drinking buddy like you in my life makes it all worthwhile!"

"What, have the men in your household gone off to have some fun again? Was it Yunxiang Residence or Cuihong Tower today?"

I didn't pay much attention and kept filling Xiaoyu's cup with wine. "In our household, there's a drunkard and a womanizer now. If we run out of wine in the cellar, we'll go out and drink with brothels."

"You're so irresponsible. If I follow you around, I'll always be choked by rumors," Xiaoyu glared at me fiercely.

"Hmph, do you believe that those who spread rumors won't even dare to open their mouths in front of me?"

Xiaoyu stared into my eyes. "Girl, you've really changed. But it's good this way!"

"You say it's good!"

"You're willing to drink with me, isn't that a good thing?"

"What's the latest rumor you're talking about?!" I asked casually.

"Speaking of which... two years ago, Qin Shi from the Ning Prince's Mansion died under mysterious circumstances, and Qin Shi's son also died under bizarre circumstances!"

I smiled and said, "Go on."

"Where should we begin?"

"Tell me about that night when the moon was high and the night was deep. Qin's first wife, Rong, gave birth to a son, but Rong tragically threw him to his death. Qin was so angry that she suffered a hemorrhage and died."

Xiaoyu smiled and asked, "You've heard about it?"

"I've listened to it several times."

Is it ridiculous?

"I laughed so hard my stomach hurts." I shook my head and downed another glass of strong liquor. "But starting tomorrow, I'll have to take charge."

"Oh, is the princess going to discipline the women?"

"If you don't discipline them for three days, they'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles!"

He then summoned Liu Shang, "Tomorrow, gather all the women in the manor, from top to bottom. Every single one of them who is still alive must be present. Otherwise, take care of yourselves!"

Xiaoyu clicked her tongue and said, "Well, they're getting serious now?"

I raised my empty glass to her and said, "It's not illegal to act crazy while drunk."

Another hangover. When I woke up, it was past dawn. Suddenly, I felt the atmosphere in the room was strange. I slowly dressed and went out. I saw a courtyard full of kneeling women, young and old, all of them women. Even more outrageous, there was a group of young eunuchs kneeling at the very edge.

I rubbed my still-aching head, glanced at Liu Shang beside me, and grumbled, "What's going on here? Are you all causing trouble? Don't you want to live here anymore? If you don't want to live here, just say so. The main gate of the Prince's Mansion faces south. Go straight without turning, and I guarantee you won't run into a wall. Those with long legs, just walk out yourselves. Nobody's stopping you!"

The trembling old woman, Jing, who was kneeling at the front, said, "Last night you sent a message saying that you would summon us early in the morning. You didn't say what time it would be, but now we've all been waiting here since dawn."

It took me a while to remember. I waved my hand and had Liu Shang bring a chair out from inside the house. I nestled comfortably in the chair in the warm sunlight, looking at the bustling courtyard with nowhere to stand, counting the heads of all sizes, and smiled, "Who among you wants to be the legitimate wife?"

He held a fan in his hand to shield himself from the sun, glanced at the group of people sweating profusely, and said, "It's really hot today."

As winter begins, sweat begins to drip onto the stone slabs in the courtyard, and people kneeling on the ground are all bowing their heads in a contest of humility.

I sighed. "Let's get back to the main topic. Today, since there's nothing else to do, I'm here to tell you all how to become the principal wife."

This time, several women who were nearby were on the verge of tears, shaking their heads like rattles.

"Looking down on me?" I glared at them. "I haven't even said anything yet, and you're already shaking your heads. Can't you at least listen before you give your opinions? Don't be so disrespectful. This is my first gathering, and there will only be more in the future, so you'll have to get used to it. By the way, it's not hard to sit here, there's only one condition: do you want to listen?"