A Concubine's Competitive Life in the Prince's Household-Chapter 120

Shen Mieyue and Shangguan Xuan led their troops to attack three border cities of the Yue Kingdom. When the news reached Prince Yan's Mansion, the prince was in his study, accompanied by Shen Wei and Li Yao.

Shen Wei was practicing calligraphy.

Li Yao was reviewing old account books.

A guard delivered a secret letter, and after quickly scanning its contents, Prince Yan's handsome eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

This Shen Xingxiu was truly unparalleled in bravery, embodying the saying, "One man can hold off ten thousand." Even more commendable was his unwavering loyalty to the court—he had not sided with Prince Heng's faction and remained neutral.

Once Shen Xingxiu returned to the capital, Prince Yan would find a way to draw him into his ranks. He would undoubtedly become one of the sharpest blades under the prince's command.

Prince Yan tossed the letter into the incense burner, watching as the paper turned to black ash and vanished without a trace.

"Father, look—did I calculate this entry correctly?" Li Yao's sweet voice rang out, her beautiful eyes curved like crescent moons as she happily beckoned Prince Yan.

Seated on a cushioned divan between Shen Wei and Li Yao, the prince took the account book she handed him.

He nodded approvingly. "Excellent, all correct."

Li Yao swayed with delight. "Then I'll calculate a few more entries and ask Father to check them later."

With Prince Yan "convalescing" at home, Li Yao cherished this rare time with her father, savoring every moment.

Outside, the Princess Consort arrived with a bowl of medicinal soup. Since the prince was "recovering," it was her duty as his wife to tend to him daily.

The summer heat left the study doors wide open.

From the doorway, the Princess Consort took in the scene: Shen Wei, dressed elegantly and simply, held a slender wolf-hair brush, tracing characters on rice paper. Li Yao clutched a ledger in one hand and flicked an abacus with the other, her small face alight with concentration.

Prince Yan sat between them—now leaning close to Shen Wei, guiding her hand in calligraphy; now frowning over the calculations Li Yao passed him.

Bathed in warm sunlight and the faint scent of flowers, the study exuded an almost familial harmony. For a fleeting moment, the Princess Consort felt as though she were witnessing a loving family of three.

A surge of bitterness, jealousy, disappointment, and resentment churned within her.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort is here," Shen Wei softly reminded Prince Yan.

The prince lifted his gaze.

The Princess Consort saw it clearly—his eyes were cold, distant. Her heart ached as if pricked by needles, but she forced a smile. "Your Highness, I had the kitchen prepare ginseng chicken soup."

Prince Yan replied indifferently, "You’ve worked hard."

It wasn’t that he deliberately ignored her, but the rift between them had long since left their conversations hollow.

Wine flows freely among kindred spirits, but even half a sentence is too much between those at odds. The prince had lost all desire to engage with her.

A young eunuch waiting outside respectfully took the food box from the Princess Consort.

Her smile stiff, she straightened her posture. "Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen have returned from their studies. I must attend to them and will visit Your Highness again tomorrow."

Prince Yan gave a perfunctory nod, his attention already drawn back to Li Yao’s ledger. Pointing to an entry, he said gently, "This one is wrong."

The Princess Consort took a deep breath and left.

Once outside the main hall, she leaned against a pavilion pillar, struggling to dispel the suffocating frustration in her chest.

Beside her, Granny Liu fanned her with a handheld fan. "Your Highness, that Shen woman has no sense of propriety—daring to sit in the prince’s presence instead of standing in attendance!"

The Princess Consort shook her head. "The prince has always been this way. When he favors someone, he disregards formalities. Back when Liu Ruyan was favored, she even stayed overnight in his study."

A mere peasant woman like Shen Wei was beneath her notice. As the second daughter of the illustrious Tantai family, she had no need to compete with such a lowborn woman.

What truly unsettled her was Li Yao’s behavior.

Prince Yan doted on the girl, his eyes brimming with paternal warmth—while his two sons rarely received even a kind glance.

Disappointed, the Princess Consort muttered, "Yao is my own flesh and blood, born after ten months of pregnancy. Yet she runs to the Glazed Pavilion every other day, forgetting her own mother—never coming to pay her respects. At such a young age, she’s already an ungrateful wretch!"

"And the prince spoils her too much. His study is filled with important documents—even I, his lawful wife, seldom enter. Yet an eight-year-old girl, at her most unruly age, is allowed inside. What if she damages something?"

But Prince Yan remained oblivious to her concerns, deepening her dismay.

Granny Liu consoled her, "Your Highness, the young mistress is still a child. With proper guidance, she can be corrected before straying too far."

The Princess Consort’s eyes darkened.

She needed absolute control over her children. The moment they slipped from her grasp, anxiety consumed her.

...

Night fell as Li Yao skipped out of the Glazed Pavilion, clutching two packets of fragrant chestnut cakes.

She had wanted to stay with Shen Wei.

Once, during an afternoon nap in Shen Wei’s bed, she had been enchanted—the blankets soft and cozy, the mat cool and refreshing, lightly scented with mugwort, the pillow just right.

Instantly, she had fallen in love with the room.

But ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍at night, Prince Yan often stayed in the Glazed Pavilion, forcing Li Yao to return alone to her own courtyard.

"Nanny, I’m back! Aunt Shen bought me chestnut cakes—I’ll share one with you!" Li Yao chirped as she entered her courtyard, beaming.

No response came from the old nanny.

Candlelight illuminated the room, revealing the Princess Consort inside. Li Yao’s eyes sparkled—her mother had come to see her!

Ever since the poisoning incident, Li Yao had sensed her mother growing colder. Each time she tried to visit, she was turned away.

Gradually, she stopped going to her mother’s quarters, seeking refuge instead in Shen Wei’s courtyard.

"Mother!" Li Yao dashed inside, overjoyed. "Mother, you’ve finally come to see me!"

Ecstatic, she placed the two cake packets on the table, unwrapping them to release their sweet aroma.

Her mother’s visit must mean forgiveness.

She picked up a chestnut cake and offered it eagerly, eyes shining. "Mother, this is from Wei-Yan Dessert Shop—it’s delicious! Try some!"

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Recently, Wei-Yan Dessert Shop had taken the capital by storm, beloved by nobles and ladies alike.

Li Yao, its most devoted little patron, longed to share the treats with her mother.

But the Princess Consort ignored the offering, her voice icy. "Your father is recuperating, yet you disturb him?"

Li Yao blinked in confusion.

"But Mother, Father allowed me in the study—"

The Princess Consort’s temper flared at the girl’s obliviousness. "Silence! You had time to visit your father, yet today you neglected to pay respects to me?"

Li Yao’s face flushed with distress, tears welling. "Mother, I came to see you before... but you said you didn’t want to see me anymore."

The Princess Consort hated nothing more than being contradicted: "Still arguing back! For every word I say, you have ten in return! Do your brothers or younger siblings dare to talk back like you?"