Chapter 2, Presumptuous Discussion

I fear that she is using those shameless tactics she learned in the brothel to ensnare our lord. Bah, truly shameless, a lowly wretch is just a lowly wretch. " Dà Yǔ Jī said indignantly. Originally, before leaving in the morning, our lord had promised to come back to her place in the evening, but halfway there, he was intercepted by Liú Sè Sè.

Daiyu saw Xiaoyu, who was naive and ignorant, and pulled her into the inner room to speak softly, "You do not know about that Empress Su, which is why you do not understand the situation of Princess Anle. It is said that before the Emperor of Zhongzhou took that Empress, he was also considered diligent and benevolent. However, ever since he married her, it is as if he has been bewitched. Not to mention that he has not attended court for over ten years, he has also extensively recruited laborers, built grand palaces, and constructed the Chengtiantai for indulgent pleasures. Just for this one project, in order to expedite the work, over ten thousand laborers have died from exhaustion."

How much money will this cost?" exclaimed Xiaoyueji.

Xiao Yuji nodded and said, "But, with Empress Su being so formidable, sister, do you think Princess Anle might also be very skilled at charming men?"

"This can't be, can the Son of Heaven in the Central Plains not notice it?" Xiao Yuji questioned in confusion

"Your Highness..." said the shy Ji Jiao.

The words spoken by the courtesan were all heard from the noble ladies she served during her time as a dancer.

Elder sister Da Yu is two years older than younger sister Xiao Yu, yet the faces of the two sisters appear as if they were cast from the same mold. Those who do not know might think they are twin sisters. Upon hearing Xiao Yu's question, she replied: "Princess Anle is the daughter of Empress Su of Zhongzhou, and this empress is no ordinary person. She was originally the wife of Shi Zun, the governor of Liangzhou, and the emperor exchanged her for five carts of precious pearls. Since then, she has been the sole favorite in the harem, and she has only one daughter, who is this Princess Anle." She was originally the wife of Shi Zun, the governor of Liangzhou, and the emperor exchanged her for five carts of precious pearls. Since then, she has been the sole favorite in the harem, and she has only one daughter, who is this Princess Anle.

The phrase "the one from the northeast" in Qi Beiyuan's mouth refers to Ruan Yun, a girl from the Ruan family in Yanzhou Chenliu, who became a concubine of Shen Du three years ago

Upon hearing this, Da Yuji's smile faded somewhat, "No matter how good the colors are, can they compare to the two ladies of Huanhua Courtyard and Songlin Courtyard?"

Dai Yu sneered and said, "That may not be the case."

Qi Beiyuan is the sister of the Prefect of Qiao County. Compared to the concubines such as Ji and Liu Sese, her background is naturally much higher. Unfortunately, she has a narrow mind and is particularly fond of being jealous and resentful. She looks down on the other women competing for favor with her and wishes she could cut them all off with scissors.

In that case, does this Princess Anle not stand a chance against the one from Songlin Garden?" Xiao Yujie said indignantly. She was young, having just entered the marquis's residence not long ago, and her temperament was quite carefree. Unlike Dayu Jie, who had spent two more years as a dancer, experiencing the hardships of life and hearing countless stories, her character had matured significantly. Therefore, despite Dayu Jie speaking at length, she was still only concerned about whether the one from Songlin Garden could still bounce back.

One year, there was a severe drought in Jizhou. Mr. Min, who was beside Shen Du, observed the heavens at night and predicted that it would rain in three days. Therefore, Shen Du set up a rain prayer platform and, after fasting for three days, ascended the platform to pray for rain

Dàyú Jī tapped Xiǎoyú Jī's forehead and said, "Foolish bug, do you see our lord? How could he be the kind of man who listens to women's words? Moreover, once she marries in, the old lady and the madam will control her, and I fear she won't even be able to get close to our lord."

The Emperor of the Central Plains is over twenty years older than Consort Su. After taking her as his consort, he has been captivated by her beauty every morning and has indulged in her charms every night, to the point where he has become haggard and his vitality has waned. How could he still care about Consort Su

The Ruan family of Chenliu was once a renowned aristocratic clan, and even a daughter of the Ruan family would be worthy of becoming the legitimate wife of Shen Du; unfortunately, the Yun family was still present at that time

Xiao Yuji nodded, and could not help but think of her own master. Was it not also the case that every morning he enjoyed beauty and every night he gathered fragrance? Both she and her sister served him together, and they were exhausted to the point of sweating profusely. The next day, the two of them could not get out of bed, yet their master was still able to go to another courtyard to ride horses and practice swordsmanship. That truly could be considered the spirit of a dragon and horse.

"Then we must have someone in charge at our residence. It seems that the lady's health has not been very good lately, and she is currently only managing to support the steward with great effort. Should the master consider visiting the main house more often?" said Man Shuang.

"Yes, it was said that we were going to visit Lady Liu, but in the end, Lady Liu's maid intercepted the master halfway, saying that Lady Liu was unwell, so the master changed direction and went to the Huahua Garden" said Man Shuang

"Nature cannot compare to it." Everyone knows that the fifth lady of the Shen family possesses a skill in playing the guqin that can attract phoenixes and make cranes descend, playing with such extraordinary finesse that all who listen are deeply moved

This Empress Su indulges in extreme luxury, slanders the loyal and virtuous, and appoints only her relatives to positions of power. The entire court is filled with her family members in key positions, and it is said that even the emperor's memorials are reviewed by this Empress Su on his behalf

"What a fool! How well can her piano play compare to that of Lady Wu?" Dà Yǔ Jī said disdainfully. The Lady Wu she referred to was none other than the widow of Shěn Zhuāng, Shěn Dù's brother, known as Zhù Xiányuè.

"How could the Princess Anle be worthy of our lord? Just look at that Empress Su, who is licentious and morally corrupt, with a heart as venomous as a scorpion. She has brought the Wei dynasty to ruin, leaving the people in despair, with corpses lining the roads. Just think about it, would our matriarch ever take a liking to the daughter of such a woman?" Dayu Ji analyzed, "Even if she were to marry in, she would merely be kept high on a pedestal. Once the tides change, this Princess Anle is likely to meet a grim fate." It must be said that Dayu Ji indeed possesses some insight; it is no wonder she was able to extricate herself from the throng of dancing girls and was chosen by Shen Du as a consort.

For instance, at this moment, Qi Beiyuan from Songlin Garden holds such a belief

The feather dress that Princess Anle wore on her birthday was worth ten thousand gold pieces, entirely made from the tail feathers of kingfishers

Now that the Yun family has perished and the new wife has not yet been married, it would be a matter of great prestige if any of the concubines could step forward to take charge of the household. Princess Anle can freely stay in the North Garden, and if Qi Beiyuan can obtain the authority over the inner household, the ladies of the prominent families in Jizhou would likely rush to curry favor with her Qi Beiyuan.

Do you take her for a member of the Yun family? Do not be deceived by the noble birth of that Princess Anle; with a mother like hers, I fear both the old lady and the madam would not dare to approach her.

Qi Beiyuan raised her hand, glanced at the freshly painted bright red nails, and with a breath said: "Both sides are equally despicable, let us wait and see them tear each other apart. Da Yuji is not an easy opponent either. They all come from that disreputable place, only knowing how to engage in lowly acts to seek favor, and when they see a man, they can't even walk properly."

Not only that, but Empress Su has never worn the same dress twice, nor has she ever worn the same set of jewelry more than once. Her daily meals cost thousands of coins for just one meal. The palace she resides in has floors paved with golden lotus bricks. She finds candles to be smoky, so the emperor ordered people to scour for luminous pearls to provide illumination. One of the jade mountains in her palace was transported from Hetian, and the transportation cost alone amounted to three hundred thousand gold coins, with thousands of laborers and transport ships involved.

The lady Da Yuji trimmed the wick, "Just don't provoke her. She possesses such beauty and comes from a good family, so naturally, the sovereign favors her a bit. However, recently, the favored ones in the Huanhua Courtyard have not had it easy, nor have those in the Songlin Courtyard. As for you, when Princess Anle marries in, make sure you don't go out of your way to curry favor with her."

It was clearly a bright and sunny day, yet as soon as he took the stage, the wind began to rise. In just half an hour, sweet dew fell from the sky, leading some to speculate that Shen Du was a dragon god descending to undergo tribulation

"Bring the old mountain ginseng that my brother sent last time; we will go to pay our respects to the lady tomorrow." Qi Beiyuan was determined to make a bold move this time

In fact, the notion that Shen Du is the incarnation of the Dragon God is merely a fabrication by those with ulterior motives, which subsequently gained a semblance of authenticity.

Unfortunately, the assistant ultimately chosen by Madam Xue was still that Ms. Ruan

Many people firmly believe in it, and Da Yu Ji is the most steadfast believer.

The sovereign is naturally different; he is a dragon deity descended to the mortal realm, and we mere mortals cannot interfere with him. " Lady Yu whispered, as if afraid of disturbing the dragon deity.

Isn't that so? Man Shuang quickly catered to her master, saying, "Such tricks will soon bore the master. Didn't that one from Chun Cao Garden also enjoy favor for a while? Now she doesn't even set foot here anymore. Only here with you, the master comes at least a few times every month; that is what truly matters."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuji smiled slightly and said, "That would be wonderful. However, our lord is known for his fondness for novelty, and the Princess Anle must surely be quite charming. I am just afraid that our lord might go over to her himself"

For this reason, Qi Beiyuan also looked down upon Ruan Yun, who belonged to a family that was on the brink of collapse and in decline. Ruan Yun acted like a concubine, yet presented herself as a legitimate wife, not knowing for whom she was putting on such airs

Seeing Xiaoyu Ji suddenly blush with embarrassment, Dayu Ji also guessed her little bit of enchanting thoughts, "What are you thinking?"

There has been no news from Shang Zhenyuan yet, I will keep an eye on it. Man Shuang said while massaging Qi Beiyuan's legs, "My lady, what do you think? If the Princess Anle were to marry in, would the old lady in charge of the household affairs hand over the responsibilities to her?" Man Shuang asked.

Isn't this the hen crowing at dawn? Little Ji exclaimed again, as if she would only be exclaiming tonight

The lady Liu Seshe from the Huanhua Courtyard, although she came from a brothel, was still a pure courtesan before serving Shen Du. Therefore, when Shen Du wanted to take her as his concubine, despite the strong opposition from Madam Xue, he ultimately agreed. This was because Mother Qi said, why should one go against the child's wishes over such a trivial matter, as he is not someone who cannot discern between what is important and what is not

Xiao Yuji exclaimed: "What is the reason for this?"

The qin played well at the Huanhua Courtyard, and the temperament is also good, much better than that person from the Songlin Courtyard. The master loves to listen to the qin, sister, what do you think, should we also learn it?

At that time, the Yun family was gravely ill, and the Ruan family was also harboring the intention that Ruan Yun could be legitimized afterwards. However, little did they know that the Shen family had no such intention. Now, with the sudden emergence of Princess Anle, their hopes have naturally been dashed even further.

Xiao Yuji still seemed somewhat unconvinced: "The Son of Heaven is lustful, so how can we blame Empress Su for that?"

Sister, what kind of person is Princess Anle? I noticed that the expressions of the people in the residence seem quite strange. The several ladies do not show any signs of joy at all. Little Yujiji is only sixteen this year, coming from a background as a dancer, and her experience is inevitably somewhat limited

Isn't this too extravagant?" Xiao Yuji covered her mouth

Man Shuang's words clearly pleased Qi Beiyuan, and she smiled, saying: "Let them frolic as they wish. Those women are of no concern; they are merely playthings to amuse our lord. Have you heard that the princess of Anle is said to be marrying our lord?"

This is truly terrifying, "Xiao Yuji" once again covered her mouth and said

Xiao Yuji smiled and said: "If that is the case, this Princess Anle holds a noble status. Once she marries into our household, the one in Songlin Garden will probably no longer be able to smile."

Since the founding of the Wei Dynasty by its founding emperor, who established the Jinshi examination system to weaken the power of aristocratic families and promote the selection of commoners, scholars from humble backgrounds have been able to rise from being mere peasants in the morning to entering the imperial court by evening. Those aristocratic families, which once held themselves in high regard and boasted greater prestige than the royal family, have suffered considerable setbacks. Now, as chaos looms, they are even more eager to ally with various factions, which is why the Ruan family is willing to marry their daughter to the military governor of Jizhou and Youzhou, Duke Shen Du, as a concubine.

"Has the master gone to the Liu family again tonight?" Qi Beiyuan leaned back in her chair, allowing the maid to apply the rouge for her.

However, when Da Yuji was scolding Liu Shi, she did not consider that she herself was merely a dancer, and that she, along with Xiao Yuji, served Shen Du. To outsiders, they were nothing more than equally lowly beings.

Even more astonishing events followed. The Empress Su, by nature jealous and lewd, one day saw the Son of Heaven from Zhongzhou glance at a minister's wife. Immediately, she ordered the palace eunuchs to leave the palace, and that night, she sent the woman's head to the Son of Heaven, frightening him to the point of losing all color in his face. Da Yuji spoke with great authority, causing Xiao Yuji to gasp in shock repeatedly.

Indeed, it is said that she has been somewhat intimate with her half-brother, often summoning him to the palace to share her bed, and their affection is quite pronounced

However, when it came to this point, Qi Beiyuan felt somewhat dejected. Both Old Madam and Madam Xue hailed from prestigious and distinguished families. Qi Beiyuan considered her own background to be respectable as well; although she was merely a concubine, her virtues, demeanor, and accomplishments were not inferior to those of the Yun family in their prime. Yet, the two madams simply did not appreciate having these secondary wives lingering around them.

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyu Ji clicked her tongue repeatedly, thinking to herself that even immortals could hardly enjoy such a life of wealth and luxury

Seeing Qi Beiyuan hesitating, Manshuang further advised: "The master has been in the residence for so many years, treating people and handling affairs with utmost propriety. The old lady and the madam must have noticed this. The entrance of Princess Anle is no trivial matter; the madam will surely be too busy to manage everything alone and will need assistance. If the master does not take a more proactive approach, it is likely that the one from Shangzhen Garden will benefit from it for nothing."

Daughter of Da Yu saw the Daughter of Xiao Yu and said: "I have heard that within the Cheng Tian Terrace, there is a pool filled entirely with fine wine, large enough for boating."