Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C066 pt1

As Fulai entered, Prince Wei was seated behind his desk, flipping through a book.

He glanced at it, only catching the words "***Female Classic*", and it was not until he walked in that he noticed another person standing in the study, none other than the black-clad An Yi.

Prince Wei raised his head, waved his hand, and An Yi vanished in an instant.

Fulai stepped forward two paces, stopping three or four meters from the desk, and said, "Granny Gong has gone, and what should be said has been said to the Princess Consort. Not a single word that shouldn't have been said was mentioned."

Prince Wei gave a light hum of acknowledgement.

"Shuyu was encouraging the Princess Consort to build a kitchen in the back courtyard, which is likely still related to the Xi family. The Xi family's population grows year by year, and having grown accustomed to the imperial family's wealth, the salary of the imperial son-in-law alone is simply not enough to cover the Xi family's expenses."

In truth, Fulai had long noticed that auntie Shuyu was using her position to embezzle silver, but her authority was limited, and the amount she embezzled was not much.

He had once reported this to Prince Wei, but Prince Wei had said nothing, clearly not caring about the ten or twenty taels of silver she was embezzling. Fulai understood and made sure she only got that much.

Clearly, auntie Shuyu was not content.

Everyone knew that when it came to expenses, the kitchen was the most lucrative and had the most opportunities for profit in a mansion. This was why auntie Shuyu was so keen on building a kitchen in the back courtyard. Her desire to manipulate Wushuang was likely also related to this matter.

"There should still be spies from the Xi family who haven't been uncovered," Prince Wei said, tapping his finger on the desk.

Fulai couldn't help but shudder.

"They like to take advantage of the places where everyone thinks it's impossible and is therefore negligent."

Even Fulai had involuntarily made a judgment, which showed that this was truly a case of overlooking the obvious.

Because auntie Shuyu appeared strict and disciplined, no one would think she would embezzle such a small amount of silver. Others would even find it laughable, and because it was laughable, they would naturally overlook the true meaning behind it.

If a kitchen was built in the back courtyard, Wushuang's meals would naturally have to be prepared elsewhere, and there would be more opportunities to take advantage of.

"It's still the same old trick, but to still be thinking about it after so long, it truly makes one hard to guard against."

Fulai lowered his head in shame, "This servant will go investigate."

"Have someone keep a close watch on Xiangluan Courtyard, and cut off the silver given to the Xi family," Prince Wei added.

"Yes."

***

After Fulai left, Prince Wei lowered his head again to look at the book in his hand, his expression growing more and more displeased as he read.

He tapped the desk.

And tapped it again.

A black-clad figure appeared before him, the same An Yi who had just vanished.

Prince Wei did not speak, but simply looked at him.

"Your Highness forbade me from speaking," An Yi said quietly.

Prince Wei glanced at him and said, "Now, Your Highness is telling you to speak."

As expected, An Yi no longer hesitated and spoke of everything related to the book, including how Ji Yang had planned to visit a brothel that day, but later went to the Song family, and even deliberately pretended to be Prince Wei to seek answers from Song You. These books were all obtained by Ji Yang under Prince Wei's name.

Based on An Yi's report, Prince Wei found several more books in the corner of his study, the contents of which were identical to the previous one.

Has he been studying this in the study these past few days?

His study was filled with secrets and heavily guarded; not even a mosquito could fly in. It was usually used for handling official matters, yet he, of all things, was researching bedroom arts within.

"Late at night, His Highness will go to Xiangluan Courtyard."

Having finished his research, he would naturally seek someone to test it on.

Test it on whom?

With a soft thud, Prince Wei slammed the book in his hand onto the floor. He returned to his desk and sat down, his expression unreadable.

After a while, he tossed a booklet to An Yi, "From now on, record everything he does and says in this."

An Yi paused, picked it up, and then vanished.

***

Auntie Shuyu had thought she would be punished this time, but who knew that after being sent back, no one mentioned how to deal with her, and everything was as before.

She stayed in her room for only a day before she couldn't help but come out. Seeing that the maids and little chamberlains were still as respectful to her as always, she thought that His Highness still respected her, respected Princess Consort Xi, but was simply bewitched by that fox spirit.

She dared not provoke Prince Wei, and naturally, she could not deal with that fox spirit either, so she could only suppress the matter.

Just then, Xi Rong arrived.

Xi Rong was fourteen this year, inheriting auntie Shuyu's youthful looks. Although she had not yet reached her coming-of-age ceremony, her figure was well-developed, like a plump little peach, and she was also charming and lovely.

This was not her first time coming to Prince Wei's mansion to find Shuyu. Many people knew she was auntie Shuyu's granddaughter, so she was smoothly led inside.

Walking along the way, Xi Rong was dazzled by the sights.

Every time she came to Prince Wei's mansion, she could sigh with admiration for days afterward, wishing she could live here, wear fine clothes every day, enjoy delicious food, and have a group of maids waiting on her.

She was quickly led to Shuyu. Seeing that her grandmother's complexion was poor, with a hint of gloom between her brows, she approached her after the maid who had led her in left, and said, "Grandmother, what's wrong with you?"

Shuyu asked in return, "Why have you come?"

Xi Rong, with a face full of unwillingness, went to sit on a chair beside her, and said, "Don't mention it. The third branch recently took in another concubine, and they asked mother for money to hold a banquet. Mother really had no choice but to send me to find you."

Upon hearing this, Shuyu's expression changed abruptly, and she began to scold with a cold laugh.

"That whole family is a chaotic mess. They can't earn a single coin, but when it comes to spending money, they are all better than each other. Your father is also a muddlehead, unable to even take care of himself, yet he brought in such a large family. If he had the ability to support them, it would be fine, but he has no ability and still wants to act rich."

Over a dozen years was enough to change too many things.

Shuyu was originally a woman from a small household. She married an incompetent husband who gambled and owed a lot of gambling debts that he couldn't repay, so he thought of selling his wife and children. Shuyu, forced into a desperate situation, ran away with her daughter, who was still in swaddling clothes, and by chance, came to the Princess's mansion to be a wet nurse.

The first ten years or so were not worth mentioning. Coming from that kind of situation to the Princess's mansion was like falling into a pit of blessings for Shuyu. She was very attentive to Xi Fu, putting all her heart and soul into her, and not caring much about her own daughter.

Later, Shuyu followed Xi Fu into the palace. Then, after that incident, when Prince Wei's mansion was built and she left the palace, she discovered that everything outside had changed, and her daughter, Yingge, had an affair with the Princess's consort.

At that time, the Princess's mansion was undergoing great changes. Princess Long'an had just died. Although the Princess's consort did not know what had happened, first his daughter died suddenly, and then his wife passed away, he could sense something unusual. But what could a powerless consort do? He could only continue to live in the Princess's mansion, which had not been taken back.

Yingge had long had some illicit relations with him. By the time Shuyu found out about this, the two had already had a child, which was Xi Rong.

It was impossible for the Princess's consort to remarry. Although he was a jinshi in the past, once he became a consort, it meant that he would have no chance of becoming an official in the future. If he remarried, not only would the Princess's mansion be taken back, but the title of Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant would also be taken back. The Xi family was originally a poor family, relying entirely on the fact that the Princess's consort had some talent and was not bad-looking to marry the Princess. How could they be willing to throw away the wealth and glory they had obtained?

Therefore, Yingge could only become a concubine to the Princess's consort. At that time, because Princess Long'an had just died, the authority of the Princess and her consort was still deeply rooted in Shuyu's mind. She even felt that her daughter being a concubine in the Princess's mansion was considered to be successful.

But as time passed, people grew distant. In previous years, the Princess's mansion was always included in the rewards for palace celebrations and family banquets. Now, with the passing of Princess Long'an, everything was gone.

Not only was the special honor gone, but the Princess's salary was also gone, not to mention the rewards that Emperor Taihe gave to Princess Long'an every year. Without these incomes, the Princess's mansion's days suddenly became very difficult.

That was not all; Old Madam Xi had always been fixated on her son being a consort, the Emperor's son-in-law and then brother-in-law, wanting to bring the whole family to live a good life with Consort Xi. When Princess Long'an was still alive, she dared not, but now, upon hearing that her daughter-in-law had died and her son was living alone in the vast Princess's mansion, she immediately led the entire family to the capital.

If it were before, the consort's meager salary would have been enough to live on, but now with so many more mouths to feed, how could they possibly manage?

Consort Xi was an honest man, perhaps fearing the imperial authority, and had never dared to take a concubine. Even if he had some dalliances with Yingge, they were all done in secret, only becoming open after Princess Long'an's death. With Yingge as his only concubine, she naturally managed the household. Shuyu thought that her daughter and granddaughter would inevitably have to take out silver to subsidize them in the future.

It was precisely this day-after-day subsidizing of silver that made Shuyu completely lose her respect for Consort Xi, and instead, over time, it turned into disdain and disgust.

In fact, the Xi family was indeed currying favor with Shuyu to get by, not only because she was Xi Fu's wet nurse, but also because she was the last connection between the Xi family and Prince Wei's mansion. And Prince Wei's mansion would send a sum of silver to the Princess's mansion every year, which prevented Consort Xi from having to sell off the Princess's mansion's property to make ends meet.

If it weren't for these things, the Xi family would never have allowed a concubine to take charge. The Xi family knew it, and Shuyu knew it too, which was why she racked her brains to subsidize her daughter, putting on a show to maintain the facade of a Princess Consort's wet nurse.

If it were before, Shuyu wouldn't have had such great resentment, as she had already grown accustomed to it. But this time, because of the kitchen construction, so many things had happened, causing her to lose so much face in front of others, so naturally, her resentment was all directed at the Xi family.

Xi Rong didn't dare to advise her at the time. Only after Shuyu's anger had subsided did she approach her and ask what had happened.

Shuyu then told her about losing face because of the new Princess Consort. Xi Rong asked curiously, "Is the new Princess Consort really only fifteen? Prince Wei is almost thirty, isn't that old enough to be her father?"

Shuyu scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? His Highness is still young and handsome. If he weren't so much older, would he be so doting?!"

Thinking of how His Highness had wiped away that vixen's tears that day, Shuyu felt it was unfair to her own young lady. If Xi Fu hadn't died so early, how could it be someone else's turn?

"Is His Highness really that doting on that little Princess Consort?"

Seeing her granddaughter's eyes darting around, how could Shuyu not know what she was thinking? This girl had inherited her cleverness from her younger days, but her personality was like her mother's, unable to endure hardship and greedy for wealth.

"What are you thinking? Don't you dare let your mind wander!"

Xi Rong said, "I wasn't thinking anything."

Seeing her grandmother glaring at her, she then hesitantly revealed her thoughts, "I was just thinking that if Prince Wei can dote on her, he might also dote on me. I am beautiful, even if I can't become a Princess Consort, I can always be a concubine for the Prince."

Upon hearing this, Shuyu's face changed drastically, and she scolded, "You are shameless! At such a young age, you only think of bad things!"

"How am I not learning good things? Is being a concubine not learning good things? It also depends on who you are a concubine for!" Xi Rong retorted, "Grandmother, you said you lost face because of that new Princess Consort. If I were to gain Prince Wei's favor, she wouldn't have a say. By then, you would be the Old Lady of this Prince's mansion, and everyone would respect you."

Although her granddaughter's words were absurd, they did stir some thoughts in Shuyu's mind, especially since she still harbored some hatred towards Wushuang.

"Stop talking about this, you are truly shameless!"

Xi Rong rolled her eyes and changed the subject, "Grandmother, let me stay here for a few days, I really don't want to go back. You don't know how disgusting that family is. If I have anything good, they all want it."

Xi Rong had stayed here before, so it wasn't the first time. Shuyu didn't refuse, she just said with a stern face, "You can stay, but put away those messy thoughts of yours!"

Xi Rong giggled and replied with a 'yes,' but whether she took it to heart was unknown.

After Xi Rong settled down in the east wing of the small courtyard where Shuyu lived, the maid Chun'er stepped forward and said, "Miss, are you really going to stay here for a few days?"

"Why not? It's better to eat and drink well here than to go back and look at that house full of people."

"What about the matter of Madam asking you to get silver, and the matter of the kitchen?"

Xi Rong said impatiently, "Stop mentioning it. The idea you gave me was good, but Grandmother didn't succeed and instead got scolded. Don't worry about these things now, the most urgent matter is something else."

"What is it?"

"Come here, I'll tell you." Xi Rong beckoned.

Chun'er immediately moved closer. After hearing Xi Rong's plan, her eyes flickered, but she said timidly, "Miss, can this really work?"

Xi Rong smiled triumphantly, "Why wouldn't it work? Grandmother manages the servants in this back courtyard. Finding an opportunity for me to get close to Prince Wei is a very simple matter."

As she spoke, she rose again to rummage through her luggage. She had brought it with her on this trip, clearly intending to stay here.

She pulled out two sets of clothes, held them up against herself, and asked Chun'er, "Am I beautiful?"

"Miss is exceptionally beautiful. Even the new Princess Consort cannot compare to you."