Mo Kexin said that the Princess Consort of Prince Ping hadn’t shown her face in public for quite some time. “Word is her old illness has flared up again, and she needs to rest in peace and quiet. Prince Ping, ever the considerate husband, won’t let her worry about any household matters. He even summoned imperial physicians from the palace to attend her personally. On the surface, it all looks so tender and loving—no one could find fault with it.”
“But come on, who in Xuancheng doesn’t know the truth? Everyone’s just playing along with the act. These days, it’s Consort Zhou who’s running all the social affairs in the prince’s manor. Have you heard of her?”
Bai Qingqing hesitated a moment before nodding. “Just vaguely.”
That was her being modest. In her previous life, she’d heard the Princess Consort rant about Zhou Sichen more times than she could count—calling her a vixen, skilled in playing the weak and pitiful to gain sympathy and cling to Prince Ping. From the moment Zhou entered the manor, she’d been eyeing the Princess’s position. She was nothing more than a low-born concubine, yet she dared harbor such delusions.
Mo Kexin, worried that Bai Qingqing hadn’t heard the full story, took a sip of tea and launched into the details. “If you ask me, that Consort Zhou’s cursed with bad luck. You do know Prince Ping didn’t marry his wife willingly, right? Normally, people keep quiet about this sort of thing even if it’s true, but not him—he made his feelings for Consort Zhou public. The new Princess Consort, trying to appear magnanimous, had to pinch her nose and agree to let Zhou into the manor as a concubine.”
“Isn’t that absurd? The whole city watches the feud between the Princess and Consort Zhou like it’s some stage play. Prince Ping comes out of it all looking like the epitome of devotion, enjoying the best of both worlds. But if you ask me, his so-called ‘deep affection’ is bullshit. If he really cared about Zhou, would he be willing to let her stay a concubine, suffering all the whispers and barbed glances?”
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Mo Kexin worked herself into a fury. “The more I learn about the Fu family, the more I feel sick to my stomach. Was I blind before?”
Bai Qingqing gently tried to soothe her. “It’s not too late to see things clearly now. After all, it’s someone else’s family business—getting angry over it isn’t worth it. But what I don’t get is, why would Consort Zhou agree to enter the manor in the first place?”
“I wondered the same and went asking around. Apparently, the scandal was so widespread that everyone believed she and Prince Ping were deeply in love. Even her reputation was being dragged through the mud. If she didn’t agree to it, she wouldn’t be able to explain herself in the future, and her younger sisters at home might’ve been affected too.”
Mo Kexin sighed. “I actually saw her a few days ago. Not at all what I expected. There’s steel in her spine, I could feel it. That’s why I came to find you. I’ve got a feeling that Consort Zhou isn’t just some simple woman. The Fu family—things might get a lot more interesting.”
Bai Qingqing muttered, “...Well, thank you for going out of your way to tell me.”
“Oh, come on, no need to thank me.”
Mo Kexin casually threw an arm around Bai Qingqing’s shoulders. “If it weren’t for you, I might still be walking around in a daze. I owe you for that. From now on, anything juicy or fun I hear, I’ll come straight to you. Aren’t I the best?”
Her smug little face made Bai Qingqing burst out laughing. As she laughed, her mind drifted to Fu Yi’s current situation.
The Princess Consort’s status was deeply tied to his. Was he really planning to give up the title of heir in this lifetime?
...
“Where is Fu Yi! Where is he! Why hasn’t he come to see me yet?!”
As Nanny Chang stepped outside, she heard the furious shouting within. She sighed and opened the door, only to duck as something flew past her, grazing her forehead.
“Madam, please, you need to rest. Your health matters.”
“What health? What’s there to rest for? The royal manor’s no longer under my control! What do I have left to rest for? Are you all just waiting for me to climb into my coffin and rest for good?!”