Chapter 564: Decision
Chapter 564 -565: Decision
Rong Ruiyuan felt a headache coming on. None of these women were easy to deal with. While he charged into enemy lines out there, the women in the inner residence couldn’t even lend a hand—worse, they were dragging him down. His patience had run out. Knowing there was no room for negotiation on this matter, he spoke.
“Princess Consort, don’t forget that as husband and wife, we are one entity.
“I don’t know what your maiden family told you, but in this life, you are tied to me.
“Think it through. The day might come when I ascend to that position. Are you sure you want to brush me off like this?”
Rong Ruiyuan wasn’t a fool. He had long noticed the shift in their attitudes. Back when he was in good health, these women fought over his favor every day with petty jealousy. Whenever he came here, the Princess Consort would make sour remarks, but now, she had resorted to cold mockery. This clearly indicated a change in the attitude of the family backing her.
He Yurou’s expression froze for a moment. How could she not know this? As long as the heir to the throne wasn’t finalized, every Prince had a chance. However, she wasn’t the only legitimate daughter in her family. Her father was already thinking about how to arrange a good marriage for her younger sister. She couldn’t help but feel bitter about it, as it meant her family’s resources would no longer be poured entirely onto her.
But she could weigh the pros and cons clearly. If Rong Ruiyuan truly had no ability to have children, the throne would definitely elude him. No matter which Prince ascended the throne in the future, to show magnanimity and imperial harmony, Rong Ruiyuan’s status as Prince Ning would remain unshakable. As a top-ranking Princess Consort, although she wouldn’t be as exalted as the Empress, she would enjoy a lifetime of wealth and worry-free living.
“Prince, I am naturally aware of my status,” she replied. “I definitely wouldn’t do anything to disgrace the Prince Mansion’s reputation. However, I am only a woman of the inner chambers. I can only manage my own little plot of land.”
Rong Ruiyuan stared at her intently before sneering. “Good, very good. I hope you remember your words today, Princess Consort.”
With that said, Rong Ruiyuan stood up, turned around, and left. Since the Princess Consort refused to appreciate his favors, she couldn’t blame him for not saving her any face.
In less than fifteen minutes, Rong Ruiyuan announced that the Princess Consort was unwell. To prevent her illness from clashing with anything, she would be recovering behind closed doors from now on. All matters of the backyard were handed over to the two secondary consorts to manage.
Little did he know, this decision made He Yurou breathe a sigh of relief. Whoever wanted the managing rights of the Prince Mansion could take it. God knew the head stewards of the inner and outer courtyards came crying about poverty every single day. She had even used some of her dowry to subsidize the expenses inside and out. Now, she finally didn’t have to keep filling a bottomless pit.
She immediately ordered her dowry maids to seal the main gate of her courtyard. A small side door was opened in a corner for the older servant women to go in and out for daily grocery shopping, turning the courtyard into its own independent little world. Anyway, as long as the main gate wasn’t opened, it was impossible for Rong Ruiyuan to enter or exit through a side door. Even if he regretted it later, he would probably have to swallow his pride and beg at her doorstep.
As for whether she would be trapped here for the rest of her life, He Yurou didn’t worry at all. After all, her marriage had been bestowed by the Emperor himself. During holidays and festivals, she would still have to go out and show her face. She had absolutely no objections to using the side door. Doing this was merely drawing a line in the sand—unless Rong Ruiyuan bowed his head first.
As for being resented? He Yurou didn’t want to think that far ahead anymore. At worst, she still had a capable maiden family. He couldn’t exactly take her life.
As for Gu Antong’s courtyard, Rong Ruiyuan personally went to the Imperial Household Department to request a few servants. After giving them a strict warning, he sent them directly to her courtyard, along with Cai Hua, who had been taken away earlier.
Having endured a beating with wooden boards, Cai Hua limped back to the small courtyard, only to suddenly realize that the place had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. The standard staffing for the courtyard had been fully restored. Aside from her, there were three other maids and four older servant women. The curio shelves in the courtyard were filled with ornaments once more, as if they had returned to the days when Gu Antong was favored.
She didn’t know what had happened, but this was a good thing for her. Disregarding her disheveled state, she tried to rush into the room, only to be blocked at the door by two older servants.
“I am the concubine’s personal head maid!” Cai Hua shouted at the top of her lungs. “Concubine, I’m back!”
One of the older women immediately slapped her across the face. “You unruly thing! How dare you shout and yell in this place?
“Furthermore, you are a servant. How can you refer to yourself as ‘I’?”
These women had just come from the Imperial Household Department. Having spent most of their lives in the palace, the rules and the hierarchy of status were etched into their bones. Being requested for the Prince Ning Mansion today, they had already been sternly warned beforehand. Arriving here, they knew they had to speak less and do more. If they failed to manage this courtyard properly, Prince Ning would return them to the Imperial Household Department.
If they were sent back, they would likely be assigned to the most grueling and exhausting labor. Therefore, everyone was on high alert, refusing to let anyone jeopardize their interests. This bruised and battered maid not only rampaged through the courtyard upon arrival but also showed no manners whatsoever. Even if she was the concubine’s head maid, she still had to follow the rules. They couldn’t let her implicate everyone else here.
“But I am the concubine’s personal head maid—”
Seeing the old woman raise her hand to slap her again, Cai Hua instantly lost her bravado and hastily corrected herself. “This servant… This servant…”
In the past, when it was just her and the concubine, Gu Antong had to rely on her, causing Cai Hua to gradually lose her sense of protocol. It was hard for a person to stay good, but turning bad took only an instant. Cai Hua never expected that after just a few days of holding her head high, she would be beaten back to her original form.
“Isn’t that much better? Remember to adhere to your duties.” Coming from the Imperial Household Department and having heard upon arrival that this concubine only had one dowry maid serving her, the old woman knew exactly where things stood.
The ones who had been sent here alongside her at least shared a superficial bond of camaraderie, but who did this outsider maid think she was? They had already seen Concubine Gu. Initially surprised by her size, they recalled Prince Ning’s previous warning and kept their mouths shut.
However, they also understood the reality of the situation. Looking the way she did, there was no way Concubine Gu would ever regain favor; otherwise, this courtyard wouldn’t have been so desolate in the first place. Things had changed because of their arrival now, but in the palace, one couldn’t survive without being shrewd. They immediately guessed that there was definitely some hidden agenda they weren’t privy to.
Issuing a gag order meant that the Prince Ning Mansion didn’t want outsiders to know about Concubine Gu’s current appearance. Therefore, as long as they kept up appearances, it would be fine. This so-called “personal head maid” was nothing more than a title. The courtyard was now under their control. As long as they served the only master here according to instructions and didn’t go gossiping outside, that would be enough.
As for this head maid, she needed to be trained well so her existence wouldn’t end up implicating them later.
“Since you are the concubine’s personal head maid, you will serve properly by her side from now on. Don’t go running around everywhere.
“Also, look at yourself. Covered in filth and with a bruised face—aren’t you afraid of offending the concubine with this appearance?
“Don’t go in yet. Hurry up and clean yourself up.”
Cai Hua was completely dumbfounded. She had only been taken away for a few days. Who on earth were these people?