northernbook Chapter 252 The Cowardly Concubine 2
Chapter 252 The Cowardly Concubine 2
Shimizu-in.
Qingmo was leisurely eating pastries while reading a novel, while Jinzhu stood guard outside the door.
"king…"
Before Jinzhu could finish speaking, Prince Rong waved his hand to interrupt her, silencing her with a single glance.
Jinzhu was helpless. Although she wanted to remind her master, she could only tell him to pray for good luck and not to anger the prince by pretending to be sick.
Prince Rong stood outside the door for a while, but did not hear any movement inside, before pushing the door open and going in.
Qingmo was lying on the bed, breathing steadily, seemingly asleep. Her usually beautiful face was now deathly pale, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.
Prince Rong approached the bed and gazed quietly at Qingmo. He reached out and gently touched Qingmo's forehead; the touch was warm and did not suggest illness.
Prince Rong's lips curled into a playful smile as he whispered, "You've got a pretty good grasp of faking illness, you little rascal."
Qingmo was not asleep, of course. Seeing that Rong Wang had seen through her, she did not get up and remained lying peacefully in bed.
Upon seeing this, Prince Rong withdrew his hand.
He wondered what tricks this little woman was up to. Let's see what she's up to.
Just then, a commotion arose outside.
Prince Rong glanced at Qingmo, and seeing that she was still pretending to be asleep, he didn't say anything more, and went out to see what was happening outside.
When Prince Rong came out, the people outside immediately fell silent and bowed to him.
"Alright, no need for formalities. What's all this commotion about? Don't you know Aunt Qing is ill?"
At this moment, a maidservant stepped forward. She was Xizhi, the head maidservant of Consort Liang.
"Your Highness, the concubine suddenly felt palpitations tonight and is feeling very unwell. She would like to ask you to come and take a look at her."
"Oh? Did you call a doctor?"
"Your Highness, the concubine says she will not go to fetch a doctor until you arrive. Please go and see our concubine."
Prince Rong pondered for a moment, glanced back into the room, and thought that since Consort Qing was faking illness, he would let her continue.
"Let's go to the concubine's quarters."
As soon as Prince Rong left, Jinzhu secretly stamped her foot and went into the room. She found that Qingmo had been lying on the couch reading a book, with a piece of osmanthus cake in her mouth.
Jinzhu said disapprovingly, "Master, why can't you be a little more assertive? You should at least keep the Prince here. How could you let the concubine intercept him? You're just too kind-hearted, sigh."
Qingmo nonchalantly brushed the crumbs off her hands and continued flipping through the book, showing no intention of answering.
Jinzhu was left with a look of disappointment and frustration. She shook her head helplessly before turning around and leaving to continue guarding outside the door.
If you're talking about someone as serene and unassuming as a chrysanthemum, Qingmo is definitely not that kind of person. But everything has to be done slowly, right? That's what makes it fun, isn't it?
The original owner came from a poor family. Her parents had four siblings, including two older brothers and one younger sister.
Originally, she was just an ordinary commoner woman in this dynasty, but she became famous because of her beautiful face.
Her parents doted on her more than their younger sister from a young age, hoping that she would marry into a good family and improve their family's reputation.
One day, while out on the street, she was spotted by Prince Rong. At first glance, her beautiful face, like a lotus emerging from the water, captivated him, and he took her into his household as a concubine.
To be honest, this Prince Rong was quite handsome, a true dragon among men, but at twenty-five, he was a full ten years older than the original owner of this body.
Whether the original owner was willing or not, she was forced to accept it under the influence of power.
When Prince Rong took the original owner as his concubine, he already had a queen and a secondary concubine, and naturally, he had quite a few maids and concubines in his household.
The princess gave birth to a legitimate son for Prince Rong, a concubine gave birth to a daughter, and there were also several illegitimate sons and daughters born to his concubines. It is clear that Prince Rong was nothing more than a lecherous man.
The original owner had no feelings for Prince Rong; it was just that her appearance was truly extraordinary, with a delicate, sickly beauty that made her look fragile and pitiful.
When the original owner first entered the manor, he did indeed receive the favor of Prince Rong. After all, men are naturally driven by food and sex.
This aroused the dissatisfaction of the princess and the women in the harem. They were equally jealous of every beautiful woman by the prince's side, so they made things difficult for the original owner in every way.
The original owner had neither family background nor connections, and was also mild-mannered, so naturally he could only choose to swallow his anger.
She took a step back, and they naturally took a step forward. She kept retreating, and they kept pressing her. She thought that as long as she didn't cause trouble, she could live peacefully in this palace.
She didn't seek wealth or the prince's favor; she only wanted a peaceful life. But others didn't think that way.
When Prince Rong favored her, they were jealous; when Prince Rong's novelty wore off, they became even more eager to kick her while she was down. This is the nature of human nature.
The original owner was just an ordinary woman, unlike the young ladies raised by wealthy and powerful families. She didn't understand the intricacies of the inner quarters of the household, and with her simple mind, she naturally couldn't survive.
She didn't die at the hands of any one person, but rather in this secluded mansion.
Everyone was a murderer, everyone contributed to the chaos, and everyone found pleasure in bullying her.
And men? Ha.
They only care about physical pleasure. What's wrong with a mere concubine suffering a little grievance?
He might offer a few words of comfort or bestow some gifts, but he wouldn't take any real action. As long as it doesn't harm his own interests, he won't care.
For Prince Rong, it was merely the death of one of his concubines; for those women, it was simply the loss of a rival in love and an object of their amusement.
The original owner died quietly, and no one cared.
In the dead of winter, he fell ill and died on his bed.
Princess Rong was unwilling to hire a doctor for her, and Prince Rong didn't care about his concubine whom he had already grown tired of.
Only Jinzhu, this little maid, was utterly loyal.
On a snowy day, he knelt in the snow for four hours straight, from dawn till dusk, until he fainted from the cold, all to beg the princess to give her mistress a way out and to find her a doctor.
Unfortunately, no one was willing to lend the original owner a hand.
Two years, the best years of her life, were swallowed up by this grand mansion.
Her parents and brothers, receiving the compensation money from the Rong Prince's Mansion, lived a good life, and no one felt sorry for her.
The current timeframe is shortly after the original owner entered the Prince's mansion. Prince Rong still has a fascination with her, so even if people make things difficult for her, they won't go too far.
Qingmo didn't intend to cause any trouble. How could someone as kind as her cause trouble? Hehe.
However, anyone who makes her unhappy will have to wait and see.
Qingmo was quite at ease, but Consort Liang's side presented a completely different picture.
When Prince Rong arrived at Consort Liang's residence, he saw that Consort Liang's makeup was exquisite, and she showed no signs of illness whatsoever.
Prince Rong was displeased, but he did not show it on the spot.
Consort Liang approached Prince Rong with a coquettish tone, expressing her longing for him.
"Your Highness, it's been so long since you've visited me. I've missed you so much." As she spoke, her hands began to roam over Prince Rong's body.
Soon, Prince Rong was aroused by his concubine and picked her up, carrying her to the bed.
As for the slight displeasure he felt earlier because his concubine was feigning illness, he had long since forgotten about it.
"You little vixen, I knew you deliberately lured me here. Humph, let's see how I punish you."
"Your Highness, no, I was wrong..."