The Hostage Girl - Chapter 61-Part 2
Chapter 61-Part 2
Jiang Xiurun had witnessed this scene countless times in her previous life—Concubine Tian always finding ways to undermine Concubine Cao both in public and in private.
But now, hearing Tian Ying’s words, she felt a bit dazed. If the Crown Prince had really spent the night with Concubine Tian… Then who was the one who had stayed on her couch, entangling her until dawn?
The pastry in her mouth suddenly felt dry, and she couldn’t swallow any more.
Tian Ying, noticing the stunned expressions of the two concubines in the hall, felt even more triumphant.
Just as she had anticipated, the Crown Prince had indeed favored her last night.
Although he arrived late, slipping in only after the lights had been extinguished, he was young and strong and had not shown the slightest sign of weariness, staying with her all night.
Compared to her past flirtations with young men back in Han, they were nothing worth mentioning.
The Crown Prince—now he was a real man!
Thinking this, Tian Ying’s face bloomed like a peach blossom.
Jiang Xiurun slowly swallowed the pastry.
Last night, she had kept a light burning beside her bed, and she was certain the person on her couch was indeed the Crown Prince himself.
Even after drinking so much of that ‘soup’, the Crown Prince still hadn’t gone to Concubine Tian, which showed how much he loathed her.
Once the Grand Canal was dug, the balance of power in Great Qi would change, and who knew if Han would still be as favored by the Crown Prince as in her previous life?
From her personal perspective, Concubine Tian’s collusion with the aides in the household had been a grave mistake.
Without that, the Crown Prince wouldn’t despise her as much as he did now… But if he hadn’t stayed in her room last night, then who had?
Before she could think further, the carriages had arrived.
The three princesses boarded separately and set off for the Qi Palace.
Empress Wei had invited the three new brides to pay their respects and greeted them warmly, like a kindly mother-in-law.
She especially showed great concern for Concubine Tian, caring for her with much affection, but didn’t offer any particular favor to Concubine Cao.
Jiang Xiurun believed this was connected to the fact that the Crown Prince had drowned the two older maids sent by the Empress the previous day.
Empress Wei had likely realized that the Crown Prince was now fully grown and held great power as the heir to the throne, making him impossible to control.
She had opted for a gentler approach.
As for Jiang Xiuyao, the insignificant princess from a weak foreign state, brought in merely to fill the numbers, the Empress clearly had no interest in her.
She merely glanced at Jiang Xiuyao’s plain appearance and quickly looked away.
However, once the three concubines had left, the Empress’s face immediately darkened.
Madam Zhao, while helping the Empress remove her phoenix crown and massaging her temples, said, “Your Majesty, don’t dwell on it. You’ve been angry all night; didn’t you say you’d let it go? If you keep this up, your old headache will flare up again.”
The Empress tilted her chin slightly and said bitterly, “They’re all ingrates. The Crown Prince is just like the Emperor—unreliable men who can’t be trusted by women! Concubine Cao is newly married, and yet he left her alone in her room. How could he be so heartless? I hear he favored Concubine Tian all night—that means he wants her to bear the first child! But I won’t let him have his way! When the Crown Prince first established his household, didn’t I send a few reliable maids from my palace? Find one and make sure that, other than Concubine Cao, no one bears the first grandchild of the Feng family. Stronger medicine is fine; what we need is absolute certainty…”
Madam Zhao understood perfectly—the Empress planned to “gift” the other two concubines with contraceptive medicine.
She noted the instructions and went off to make the necessary arrangements.
That evening, Concubine Tian’s dinner included a bowl of pheasant soup, said to have been enriched with precious ginseng to strengthen her energy and blood.
Concubine Tian, overjoyed, drank it eagerly, preparing herself to await the Crown Prince’s visit that night…
The same tonic soup was also sent to Jiang Xiuyao’s quarters, but no one touched the food.
Taohua, not daring to make decisions on behalf of her mistress, dumped the untouched meal into the slop bucket to be thrown away.
Jiang Xiurun had already returned to her courtyard early, changed back into men’s clothes, and went to the study to dine with the Crown Prince.
Soon after, the Crown Prince gave her an early dismissal as a reward, allowing her to rest.
Tomorrow would be a significant day at the academy, with the reassignments being announced.
Jiang Xiurun had made great progress in her studies lately, receiving praise from Master Mufeng several times.
She wondered if she might be promoted to a higher branch of the academy.
She was also concerned about her friend, Dou Siwu.
In her previous life, he had been expelled from the academy around this time.
Later, after earning commendations for protecting the emperor, he received rewards but ended up opposing the Crown Prince, leading to an irreconcilable conflict between them in court.
Jiang Xiurun didn’t see herself as someone blindly loyal, but for now, she served under the Crown Prince.
If Dou Siwu aligned himself with Emperor Duanqing, they could no longer drink and joke together.
The thought of losing such a straightforward friend was a bit sad.
If things unfolded the same way in this life, she wouldn’t let Dou Siwu leave the academy in disgrace.
Naturally, she planned to prepare a banquet to cheer him up and encourage him, hoping to lift his spirits.
As the late spring air filled with drifting willow blossoms, Jiang Xiurun left her quarters wearing a light scholar’s robe.
The sweet scent of pear blossoms lingered in the breeze.
The Crown Prince, dressed in a thin moon-white robe and wearing a hollowed jade crown, stood at the door, waiting for her.
“I’m on leave today. I’m visiting Master Mufeng and will take you to the academy with me.”
Ever since that night, Jiang Xiurun has felt awkward around the Crown Prince.
In public, they acted like a proper ruler and aide, but in private, they had shared a secret that could never be spoken of.
The whole situation was something that had to be buried deep, impossible to explain.
