Chapter 3
I headed toward the lotus pond. From a distance, I saw a maid yanking Lin Chuxue by the hair and slapping her across the face.
“Stop!”
I shouted and quickened my pace. The young maid hurried after me, explaining through her panic,
“It’s Princess Consort Cheng. She’s the reason our lady lost her child. The secondary consort was afraid of causing trouble for His Highness, so she kept quiet and claimed she had slipped.”
“Why is Princess Consort Cheng targeting her?”
Tears streamed down the maid’s face.
“Because… because Prince Cheng…”
“Enough. I understand.”
The answer was obvious. Prince Cheng must covet Lin Chuxue’s beauty. His wife did not dare confront him, so she took her anger out on a defenseless little rabbit instead.
And the little rabbit would rather suffer in silence than bring trouble to my little dumpling.
What a foolish girl!
Forget the dignity expected of a princess consort. I lifted my skirts and sprinted toward her.
The braids I had woven into her hair that morning had come loose, and the hairpin I gave her lay on the ground, crushed to pieces.
When she reached for it, an exquisitely embroidered shoe came down on her fingers.
Her delicate, pale fingers instantly turned purple beneath it.
“This relic is from the previous dynasty. Concealing such an object is punishable by death, yet you dared wear it in your hair!”
The sight made my heart ache.
I still remembered how carefully Lin Chuxue accepted the hairpin when I gave it to her, wrapping it in a handkerchief and tucking it into her clothes.
When I asked why she would not wear it, she said it was a gift from her elder sister. She treasured it too much and feared damaging it.
I had snatched it back and thrust it into her hair, telling her that if she broke it, I would simply dive into the lake and fish up another.
She had been so happy, her bright eyes fixed on her reflection for ages.
Her eyes still glistened now, but only because they were full of tears.
The chubby prince was honest and kind, and this little rabbit was gentle and good. Neither of them had done anything wrong. Why should they endure such bullying?
Gritting my teeth, I charged straight at Princess Consort Cheng’s legs.
“Off you go!”
I wrapped my arms around her legs and heaved with all my strength, flipping her into the lotus pond.
“Your Highness!”
Several maids cried out in alarm as the rest of the guests came hurrying over.
“What happened?”
Consort Song’s face was livid.
Princess Consort Cheng’s maid wailed,
“Princess Consort Dun has no sense of propriety! She threw our princess consort into the lotus pond!”
Before anyone else could speak, I swung my arm and slapped the maid hard across the face.
“What utter… nonsense! Who am I? I am the daughter-in-law Consort Song personally selected. If you claim I have no propriety, aren’t you accusing Her Highness of poor judgment and an inability to recognize a woman’s character?”
Crushed beneath the weight of that accusation, the maid dropped to her knees.
“That was not what this servant meant! Our princess consort is still in the lotus pond!”
At a wave from Prince Cheng, several guards prepared to leap in and save her. I hurriedly stopped them.
“Wait. Men and women must observe proper boundaries. If the guards go in, they will inevitably have to hold and embrace Princess Consort Cheng. Her chastity would be ruined. The pond is shallow enough that she won’t drown. Quickly, find a couple of older maids who can swim.”
The guards rushed off to find someone while all of us exalted nobles stood on the bank and watched Princess Consort Cheng thrash in the water.
Prince Dun, round and panting, was the last to arrive.
He immediately swept Lin Chuxue into his arms, his eyes full of heartache.
My mother-in-law glanced at his hopelessly lovesick face and rolled her eyes.
“Princess Consort Dun, explain what happened.”
I dipped into a graceful curtsy. Just as I was about to speak, someone tugged at my skirt.
My little rabbit, Lin Chuxue, shook her head at me, eyes brimming with fear. Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito’s.
“Elder Sister, it was all my fault. I’ll confess…”
I gave her a reassuring look, then began spouting complete nonsense.
“Princess Consort Cheng admired Secondary Consort Lin’s hairpin and asked to borrow it for a closer look. Unfortunately, she dropped it and shattered it. Princess Consort Cheng is such an honest woman. I told her she did not need to compensate us, but she insisted. I explained that it was nothing valuable, merely something I had recovered from the lotus pond. Before I could stop her, she jumped in and insisted on fishing up a replacement!”
“She’s lying!” the kneeling maid blurted.
“That hairpin is clearly a relic from the previous dynasty. Our princess consort…”
I marched up and slapped her again.
“Where did this mad girl come from, babbling such dangerous nonsense? What place is this? This is the residence of Prince Dun, Consort Song’s own son and the younger brother of Prince Su. How could there be a relic of the previous dynasty here? Forget wearing such an object–even hiding one is punishable by death. Are you trying to implicate our entire family in treason?”
I turned to Consort Song and bowed with a grief-stricken expression.
“Mother Consort, who knows what sinister purpose this maid harbors? She dares smear both you and Prince Su, trying to connect our family to the previous dynasty. This daughter-in-law suggests that you have her arrested and thoroughly interrogated to discover whether some villain put her up to it.”
My meaning could not have been clearer. Like it or not, Prince Dun was her son and Prince Su’s brother. We were all bound together: if one prospered, we all prospered; if one fell, we all fell.
A sharp gleam appeared in Consort Song’s eyes. She had understood me.
She raised a hand to massage her temple and feigned exhaustion.
“Enough. It was merely a misunderstanding. I am tired. The rest of you may do as you please.”
Everyone present was a distinguished member of some noble house. They all understood perfectly that, whatever the truth, the matter could go no further. One by one, they departed with Consort Song.
Prince Cheng’s presence at today’s banquet proved that he belonged to Consort Song’s faction. Whether he liked it or not, once she declared it a misunderstanding, he had no choice but to swallow his grievance.
The courtyard fell silent after the guests left. Only Prince Cheng remained, watching as the older maids hauled his wife from the pond in a flurry of activity.
Whether she had exhausted herself thrashing around or truly swallowed too much water, Princess Consort Cheng was barely breathing by the time they pulled her out.
Prince Cheng did not seem particularly satisfied with his wife. He asked few questions and showed no distress before taking his people away.
Hmph! She bullied one of mine and thought she could walk away unscathed?
“One moment, Prince Cheng!”
He stopped and turned, furious.
His voice was vicious, and I could practically hear his teeth grinding.
“What else do you want?”
I dropped my frivolous smile and let my anger show.
“Your wife tormented my secondary consort until she lost her child, then crushed her hairpin. Do you intend to leave without offering so much as compensation?”
Prince Cheng’s face turned ashen. His eyes widened in disbelief as he advanced on me one step at a time.
“And if I refuse, what will you do?”
I refused to yield and lifted my chin to meet him head-on.
“If you refuse, I’ll bring every one of the dozens of people in Prince Dun’s household to visit your residence. We’ll stay for a month and call it a bargain. Of course, you can refuse to open the gates. We’ll bring our bedding and camp outside. We’ll eat, drink, sleep, and relieve ourselves there–people, dogs, livestock, the lot of us–all guarding the gates of Prince Cheng’s residence for you!”
Neither of us would back down. Our gazes collided, sparks and lightning flashing between them.
“Song Xuewei! You wouldn’t dare!”
“What wouldn’t I dare? Prince Dun is your younger brother. If he comes to visit and you refuse him entry, then when word reaches His Majesty and spreads through the streets, I won’t be the only one disgraced!”
I had nothing to lose. Why should I fear a man who did?