Chapter 158
**Chapter 158: Threats**
Though the queen had confined the princess, she still allowed outsiders to visit her.
The princess frowned impatiently, struggling to recall the name. "Who is Xiang'er?"
Liu Mama replied, "She was the maid you brought into the palace, a farmer's daughter."
With Liu Mama's reminder, the princess finally remembered Xiang'er. When Shen Wei was pregnant, the princess had sought out a beautiful farmer's girl to divert Shen Wei's affections.
However, the plan had failed, and Xiang'er lost her value, so the princess had cast her aside.
As the princess changed her clothes, a thought began to form in her mind—it's easy to meet the King of Hell, but the little ghosts are troublesome.
Shen Wei was in charge now, thriving in her role. If Xiang'er were to stir up trouble and show the Yan Wang that Shen Wei was "inept at managing the household," perhaps the princess could regain her authority.
Regret gnawed at the princess.
She had once held the reins of the household firmly in her hands but had taken it for granted, even believing that the steward's role interfered with her ability to care for her child. She had carelessly handed over responsibilities to the chief steward, but now, having lost that power, she felt utterly empty.
You only realize the value of what you had after it's gone.
"Bring her in," the princess instructed Liu Mama.
Once dressed, the princess received Xiang'er in the main hall. It wasn't long before Liu Mama led a frail woman into the room. The princess squinted, nearly failing to recognize her.
Xiang'er had lost a significant amount of weight, reduced to little more than skin and bones. Her eyes were vacant, and she wore a tattered gray dress, her hair wrapped in a piece of old cloth.
"Greetings to the princess," Xiang'er said, dropping to her knees.
Desperation had driven Xiang'er to this point. Without the Yan Wang's favor, her monthly allowance had been seized by the maids. Her younger brother was ill, and her parents repeatedly begged her for money to treat him.
Xiang'er was financially strapped. With Shen Wei now in control of the palace, she dared not approach Shen Wei, especially after having clashed with her before.
She had no choice but to seek help from the Yan Wang's wife.
Xiang'er kept bowing her head, pleading, "Your Highness, my brother is gravely ill and needs a large sum of money. I beg you to spare me some silver to save him. If you are willing to help, I would be willing to serve you like a beast, even to the point of sacrificing myself!"
Thud, thud, thud—
Her forehead struck the floor, leaving a mark.
The princess sat regally in her seat, clutching a jade-green prayer bead, and said coolly, "You would truly sacrifice yourself?"
Xiang'er raised her head, blood trickling down her forehead. "I mean it!"
The princess toyed with the beads, calculating her words carefully. "You have offended the Shen family; you won't last long in the palace."
Tears streamed down Xiang'er's face.
The princess smirked, speaking slowly, "I promise to give your family ten taels of silver each year. You hide a dagger and go to the Liuli Pavilion to seek help from Shen Wei, then find an opportunity to take your own life in her courtyard."
A concubine dying in the side consort's courtyard was no small matter.
Rumors of Shen Wei "forcing a maid to commit suicide" would spread. With no evidence to the contrary, Shen Wei would be sullied by the accusations. Would the Yan Wang tolerate her? Would the queen?
With the stain of "causing a concubine's death," Shen Wei's reputation would suffer, and the authority of the household would eventually return to the princess.
Xiang'er knelt on the ground, tears soaking her face. "Ten taels a year, Your Highness, please don't deceive me."
The princess smiled. "My word is my bond; I won't lie."
Xiang'er closed her eyes, gritting her teeth and nodding.
As if she had made up her mind, Xiang'er slowly rose and stumbled out of the Kunyuyuan. The princess sat high in her seat, watching the frail figure disappear, and after a long moment, a cold smile crept onto her lips.
Exchanging a life for the authority of the household was a bargain worth making.
Shen Wei, a mere farmer's girl, had only gained the Yan Wang's favor by chance and had only obtained the authority of the household through luck. She was far too inexperienced to navigate the intrigues of the inner palace.
After days of gloom, the princess finally felt her spirits lift. She continued to count the beads, her lips curling up as she awaited good news.
...
Before dawn, Xiang'er stealthily left the Kunyuyuan. She kept her head down, trying to minimize her presence as she cautiously made her way back to her courtyard.
Having been in the Yan Wang's residence for less than a year, Xiang'er had already been worn down to the bone.
A worthless life.
If her life could earn her parents a bit of affection, it would be worth it. Growing up in a family that valued sons over daughters, Xiang'er had hardly received any love from her parents. If she could prove her worth, perhaps they would finally see her in a better light.
She even sadly thought that if she died, her parents and brother might regret their past neglect and wish they had treated her better.
In the early morning, the dew had not yet dried, and the grass on either side of the path was damp. Xiang'er's pant legs were soaked by the dew, and she quickened her pace.
As she reached the corner of the corridor, Xiang'er halted, her eyes widening in terror as she took two steps back.
In the faint morning light, Shen Wei stood at the end of the corridor, her expression unreadable, her lips pressed into a thin line. Dressed in resplendent colors, she resembled a peony blooming in the morning, vibrant and dazzling.
Xiang'er felt a chill run down her spine.
A wave of coldness surged from her ankles to the nape of her neck, goosebumps rising on her arms. A desperate voice in her heart screamed: Shen Wei knows everything! She knows it all!
The princess's cold warnings, the unlaunched scheme of slander—Shen Wei was aware of it all!
"Return to your courtyard and stay there," Shen Wei said, her voice still calm.
What should have been a normal tone struck Xiang'er like thunder.
Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.
Shen Wei turned and walked away.
Xiang'er struggled to lift her head, her vision filled only with that brilliant figure, more flamboyant than all the flowers in the garden. It dawned on her that she and Shen Wei were no longer on the same path.
Dazed, Xiang'er got to her feet and stumbled back to her small courtyard. At the entrance, Cai Lian and Cai Ping had been waiting for quite some time.
"You... you came to take me away?" Xiang'er asked, her face ashen.
Cai Ping rolled her eyes and scolded, "I've never seen someone so heartless. Since my mistress took charge, she has repaired the walls and roofs of all the courtyards in the southwest. Even your shabby courtyard was fixed up, so you wouldn't get drenched in the rain anymore. And what do you do? You run to the princess to plot against my mistress. Ugh, heartless wretch, ungrateful thing."
Xiang'er lowered her head in shame.
This was true; since Shen Wei took charge, she had allocated funds to repair the courtyards. In the rainy early summer, Xiang'er no longer had to worry about being soaked at night.
But... thinking of her sick brother, she could only feel sorry for Shen Wei.
Cai Lian stopped the scolding Cai Ping and kindly told Xiang'er, "If you keep your head down, the mistress will spare your life. If you choose the wrong path, you will be seeking your own death."
Xiang'er bit her lip in silence.
Cai Lian continued, "Your sisters have all been sold off by your parents to become servants, and the money saved will be used as your brother's bride price. Your brother isn't seriously ill; your father is just fabricating lies to get money from you."
Xiang'er was stunned, shaking her head frantically. "No, that's impossible! My sisters are still young; the youngest is only five!"
Cai Lian replied, "There are no secrets that can be kept forever. If you don't believe me, you can ask someone outside to find out the truth."
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