The Perilous Palace Dream - Chapter 94
Chapter 94
Xiu Tuhong was a man of wealth and status.
Aside from his two pregnant wives and concubines, he had also brought along two attendant concubines. It was said that these two women had once been maids serving Nulan in her father’s tribe.
Later, as their mistress became a consort and rose in rank, they too gained promotions, securing their mistress’s favor all the more.
When Nulan entered the General’s Mansion, she was in no hurry to rest.
Supporting her waist, she slowly walked around the courtyard, and at a glance, she set her eyes on the courtyard that Nie Qinglin had prepared for Princess Shaoyang.
She was discerning.
The courtyard’s layout was proper and symmetrical.
It had originally been built by General Gu of Qinglong Pass for his wife when she was expecting their legitimate son.
The thresholds of the doors were all trimmed away for ease of movement, and in the main room, not only was there a bed and couch, but also a heated brick bed made of jade slabs.
In winter, once the charcoal was lit, the jade bed would remain warm beneath one’s body.
The corridor in the courtyard was covered with mats woven from green reed grass, a specialty of the northern lands.
In a few days, when the snow began to fall, one could sit under the corridor to admire the snow, with a brazier burning beside them.
The smoke from the charcoal, filtered through the fine green reed mats, would carry the gentle scent of herbs that calmed the nerves and steadied the mind, said to be beneficial for a pregnant woman.
“This place is quite nice. Consort Nulan will stay here,” said a sharp-eyed attendant concubine named Feng Ya’er.
Seeing Nulan pause with a faint smile, she immediately called for her servants to move their belongings into the courtyard.
The old nanny guarding the courtyard saw this and quickly spoke up.
“Third Madam instructed that this place is to be reserved for the main Princess Consort. I must ask the secondary Princess Consort to wait a moment. The steward has already gone to prepare another courtyard for you…”
Before she could finish, there was a sharp crack as another concubine, Uma Duo, raised her hand and slapped the old woman to the ground.
This Uma Duo had also learned some martial skills in her tribe and had a fiery temper.
“This is the Princess Consort of General Xiu Tuhong of the Xiongnu. How dare a mere servant speak of ‘main’ and ‘secondary’ before her and block her way? You truly have no sense of propriety!”
With that, she kicked the old woman aside and helped Nulan into the room, while the servants carried their luggage past the fallen nanny and poured into the courtyard.
While chaos broke out on one side, the two sisters chatting nearby were unaware of what had happened.
Nie Qinglin spoke with Princess Shaoyang for a while, then said, “Sister, you must be tired after your long journey. I have prepared a fine courtyard for you, most suitable for resting and nurturing the child. Please take a break first.”
Saying this, she led Princess Shaoyang toward the prepared courtyard.
However, upon entering, they were met with a noisy scene.
Nie Qinglin saw several servants from the northern frontier arranging things inside and was momentarily taken aback.
The old nanny who had been struck earlier, seeing Nie Qinglin arrive, finally found her support and tearfully recounted what had just happened.
Hearing this, Nie Qinglin’s eyes flickered slightly.
She began to step forward, as if preparing to confront Nulan.
Princess Shaoyang quickly pulled Nie Qinglin back.
“Sister, do not.”
“Sister, Lady Nulan is so arrogant. If she behaves this way even in our Great Wei’s General’s Mansion, I cannot imagine how much more overbearing she must be in the northern palace. If you do not stand firm, who knows how she will bully you in the future? Do not worry, I know what I am doing. I will not make things difficult for you.”
As she spoke, she was about to enter the courtyard.
“Sister, you must not.”
Tears were already welling up in Princess Shaoyang’s eyes.
“The Prince has just reclaimed the Moerha tribe. It may seem glorious on the surface, but in truth, the situation is precarious. Although I stay in the inner court, I have heard that many chieftains from other tribes are unhappy because the Prince has gained too much benefit. He is now quite isolated. Lady Nulan’s father is the chieftain of the great Gerfan tribe of the Xiongnu. The Prince cannot afford to offend her at this time.”
At these words, Nie Qinglin suddenly understood.
So that arrogant Nulan had reason for her brazenness.
She paused and said, “I see. But we cannot let her look down on you either. Otherwise, she will only grow worse.”
After speaking, Nie Qinglin took the hesitant Princess Shaoyang by the hand and entered the room.
Nulan was sitting leisurely in a chair, resting, while her maid-turned-concubines were ordering servants to arrange and move things around.
“Secondary Consort Nulan certainly has a quick temper. I heard from the servants that you seemed to have lost it just now?”
Nie Qinglin asked with a gentle smile.
Nulan heard her deliberately emphasize the word “Secondary Consort,” and her anger flared.
With a cold laugh, she replied meaningfully, “We in the northern frontier do not follow the ridiculous customs of Great Wei. There is no difference between main and secondary consorts; everyone is the same. It is only natural that whoever comes first takes the place. Since I was the first to see and move in, this courtyard is mine. The servants here are ignorant of manners and should be taught a proper lesson with a whip.”
Her command of the Wei language was excellent, likely the result of learning from a Han tutor, yet her words were overbearing and unreasonable.
“If Secondary Consort Nulan is so fond of this courtyard, then by all means, you may have it. However, does His Highness send his wives and concubines here to seek protection under Great Wei, or because he feared the main consort’s pregnancy was unstable and wished for her to rest and be treated by skilled physicians? I ask the Consort to think more for His Highness’s sake and not forget the true purpose of your stay here. Do not act so domineeringly, lest you place His Highness in a difficult position. After all, this is the General’s Mansion of Great Wei, not the royal tent of the northern tribes. The general and his servants will not stand to see a secondary consort pointing fingers before Princess Shaoyang of Great Wei.”
Nie Qinglin usually appeared mild and gentle, but when she hardened her tone, her regal bearing was unmistakably that of a true princess.
Nulan, long accustomed to domineering behavior, had never been spoken to like this before.
Her face turned dark with displeasure, yet as she looked at Nie Qinglin’s composure and noble presence, she hesitated.
She could not quite grasp where a mere maid-turned-concubine found such confidence.
The maid-turned-concubine at her side, however, cared only for their mistress and paid no regard to anyone else.
Seeing Nie Qinglin’s sharp words challenging their mistress, one of them grew enraged, glared fiercely, and rushed forward to slap Nie Qinglin across the face, just as she had struck the old nanny earlier.
Nie Qinglin did not expect that even in the General’s Mansion, these women would dare act so outrageously.
Having been raised in the imperial palace, she had never in her life encountered such crude women who settled disputes with their hands.
She hurriedly tried to dodge, but her body, still weak after recent hardships, could not move quickly enough.
Princess Shaoyang, however, knew the temper of these servants all too well.
Her heart had been on edge from the start.
Seeing what was about to happen, she cried out softly and rushed forward to shield Nie Qinglin, placing herself in front of her.
Just as the concubine’s hand was about to strike Princess Shaoyang’s face, a shadow darted into the room.
It swept past Nie Qinglin like wind.
The next instant, there was a sharp cry as the concubine was sent flying backward, crashing into the screen.
The sandalwood screen shattered into pieces and fell to the ground with a loud clatter.
Nie Qinglin looked up and was astonished to see that the one who had come to her rescue was none other than the long-absent Nanny Shan.
It turned out that after Grand Tutor Wei had recovered the Dragon Pearl, he feared Nie Qinglin might face danger again.
Once Shan Tiehua helped Xiu Tuhong eliminate a small group of remaining rebels, he sent a message by carrier pigeon ordering her to return from the northern frontier.
Shan Tiehua first met with the Grand Tutor to report on the northern affairs.
The Grand Tutor instructed her, for the sake of Princess Yong’an’s reputation, not to reveal Nie Qinglin’s true identity as a princess.
Therefore, Shan Tiehua donned the clothes of a nanny in the General’s Mansion and came in search of Nie Qinglin.
Just then, Shan Tiehua saw a Xiongnu woman about to slap the princess.
Without hesitation, she charged forward and delivered a swift kick.
Having just returned from the battlefield, she was still full of pent-up strength after slaying a group of rebel leaders.
Though her role had changed, she had yet to restrain her power.
With one solid kick, her broad foot sent the concubine Uma Duo’s jaw askew, and the woman flew straight across the room.
After lowering her foot, Shan Tiehua bowed humbly and said, “Third Madam, this servant came late and has frightened you and Princess Shaoyang. Please punish me later.”
Nulan was both shocked and enraged upon seeing her maid kicked away.
She immediately stood up.
But when she looked carefully at Shan Tiehua, her heart trembled.
This old woman looked familiar…she greatly resembled that fearsome female general from Great Wei.
Years ago, when Shan Tiehua had followed the Grand Tutor to battle in the northern frontier, she had encountered Nulan’s tribe.
Nulan had seen from afar that female general of Great Wei cutting through the northern warriors as if through no-man’s-land.
The impression was unforgettable.
Now, seeing Shan Tiehua without her armor and wearing a servant’s garb, she was uncertain…could it really be the same person?
Could she be mistaken? How could a woman of such might and prestige as that general possibly be serving as a household nanny to a mere concubine?
Nie Qinglin, of course, had no intention of punishing this timely savior.
Yet the wild behavior of that Uma Duo had indeed opened her eyes.
Seeing the affection that Prince Hong showed for her sister, she had long wondered why her sister risked everything to return to Great Wei.
Now she finally understood what the so-called elegance of the Xiongnu inner court was like—truly full of foreign roughness and boldness.
That Uma Duo had clearly seen that the pregnant main consort was coming to intervene, yet she had not held back her strike.
Had Shan Tiehua not arrived in time, her own Eighth Imperial Sister would have been slapped across the face by a concubine of servant origin.
At that moment, another concubine named Feng Ya’er cried out as she helped the wailing Uma Duo up.
Glaring fiercely at Shan Tiehua, she shouted, “Who are you! How dare you strike the beloved wife of the Xiongnu Prince!”
Having served long by Princess Yong’an’s side, Shan Tiehua’s tongue had grown far less restrained than before.
She recalled that when she took her leave, the Xiongnu Prince had told her repeatedly to protect Princess Shaoyang and he had said nothing about any concubines or beloved wife.
She thus understood well enough.
With a cold snort, she replied, “I am merely a servant of the Grand Tutor’s household. When the frontier is peaceful, I sweep floors and fetch water for my masters in the Marquis of Dingguo’s residence. When there is war, I take up arms and follow the Grand Tutor into battle. I heard a commotion in this house and thought some reckless intruder had come to attack the General’s Mansion. My eyesight is poor; I cannot tell who is a guest and who is an enemy. But one thing I know, whoever dares to offend my mistress, the Third Madam, will be kicked to death like a worthless cur!”
As she spoke, she struck out with her hand, smashing one of Nulan’s wooden chests into splinters.
Even the Xiongnu people who did not recognize Shan Tiehua were so startled they could not speak for a long while.
Nulan, shrewd as she was, listened carefully to Shan Tiehua’s words and became even more certain of her guess.
This old woman truly was that famed female general of Great Wei who had made her name known across the northern tribes.
However, Shan Tiehua’s outburst also brought her back to her senses.
The prince had never cared much for domestic affairs; as long as he was away, that soft and delicate Wei princess was nothing but decoration.
Yet this was still Wei territory, not the Xiongnu General’s Mansion.
Her behavior just now had indeed been reckless.
Forcing a smile, she said, “Uma Duo, Feng Ya’er, you have behaved far too rudely. Since this place is arranged for the main consort, we will move elsewhere. Why make such a scene? I can live anywhere. We must not trouble our delicate and gentle main consort. If she were to be unsettled and harm her child because of poor rest, would that not deprive my unborn son of a younger sister?”
Supporting her belly, she lifted her chin and walked out.
When the noisy crowd had finally dispersed, Nie Qinglin grasped Princess Shaoyang’s hand and said, “Sister, you nearly scared me to death. That was so dangerous just now! How could you rush forward with your condition to protect me? Which of us should be cared for, and which should be doing the caring? You have turned it all upside down.”
Princess Shaoyang only smiled faintly.
“It is only because your Eighth Sister lacks ability and holds no authority in this household. How could I let you suffer humiliation on my account?”
Looking at her gentle sister, Nie Qinglin felt a warmth rise in her heart, yet she could not help but worry.
She said, “Sister does not have anyone by her side who truly understands her. There is a maidservant at the General’s Manor named An Qiao’er, who used to serve in the palace. Today she went out to visit her husband and is not at the manor, but when she returns, I will have her attend to Sister. She has given birth before, so with her taking care of Sister’s daily needs, one can be at ease.”
After helping her pregnant sister settle her luggage, it was already night.
The Grand Tutor had not yet returned due to important matters, so Nie Qinglin simply stayed to have dinner with her sister.
Because Princess Shaoyang was with child, the evening meal was far from bland.
The pork trotter and soybean soup was so thick and sticky that one’s lips almost clung together.
Nie Qinglin accompanied her sister for a few bites before feeling full.
After the dishes were cleared away, the two sisters lay side by side on the bed, talking intimately.
During the day, there had been too many people around for private conversation.
Now that they were alone in the inner chamber, Princess Shaoyang finally asked about the matter that had weighed on her heart for days.
“I heard from the Prince that you were captured by bandits. That Ge scoundrel… did he harm you?”
Although Princess Shaoyang was embarrassed to ask directly, how could Nie Qinglin not understand her real concern? She was not shy at all and replied calmly, “Although I was seized and taken into the bandit’s camp, fortunately my monthly bleeding had just begun. That man, fearing bad luck, did not dare to touch me. So my chastity is still intact.”
Hearing her sister speak so bluntly, Princess Shaoyang grew flustered instead.
“Who asked you to speak of such things? I only wanted to know that you were unhurt. You really have no sense of shame… to think I even worried you might not get over it.”
The mischievous side of the younger sister came alive.
She raised her brows playfully and said, “What is there to worry about? Even if that bandit had succeeded, I might not have taken it so hard. You must know that the Empress Zhaorong of the former dynasty kept countless male favorites in her palace, all fine men chosen from among the officials. It was common for her to share her bed with two men in one night, yet she never seemed distraught about it. That Ge Qingyuan, being once an imperial official and fairly decent-looking, would at least qualify as a concubine in the Empress’s eyes.”
Princess Shaoyang saw her younger sister speaking more and more boldly as the night grew late.
She was acting just like her mischievous twin brother.
In a hurry, she reached out to cover her sister’s mouth.
Having been startled too often by the Grand Tutor’s sudden appearances, she nervously stretched her neck to peek beyond the bed curtains.
Seeing no shadow by the doorway, she let out a long sigh of relief and said, “You have grown more unruly by the day. Where did you even hear such scandalous tales? Stop talking nonsense! You will surely give your future husband a headache.”
Yet no sooner had she scolded her sister than her curiosity was piqued by the mention of the former Empress Zhaorong’s legend.
“Do you think that story is true? How could a woman possibly share her bed with two men in one night? Wouldn’t they fight?”
Nie Qinglin thought for a moment and answered with the composure of one worldly-wise, “They must have taken turns—one in the first half of the night, the other in the second. If the Empress used a system of turning the name plaques, then they would not have met or fought.”
Inside the chamber, the two sisters whispered girlish secrets suited for the quiet of the night.
Outside, beside the wall, Nanny Shan anxiously watched the Grand Tutor, who was leaning slightly toward the wall, listening.
But since the Grand Tutor stood right there with such a gloomy expression, she dared not make a sound to distract him, her heart pounding in fear.
After a long while, the Grand Tutor straightened up.
From his expression, it seemed he had no wish to disturb the sisters’ long-awaited reunion, so he quietly walked out of the courtyard.
Nanny Shan, having overheard everything, found it strange.
By right, the Grand Tutor should have been pleased to learn that the Princess’s purity was unharmed, yet his darkened mood clearly showed that the mention of “turning name plaques” had spoiled his temper.
She intended to flatter the Grand Tutor on behalf of the princess, hoping to spare her young master from future trouble.
After thinking hard, Nanny Shan whispered, “That Ge bastard is hideous, not even worthy of a low-ranked concubine. Only the Grand Tutor possesses the bearing of a noble consort.”
The Grand Tutor turned his face slightly, a faint smile curling at his lips as he revealed a row of gleaming white teeth.
“General Shan certainly has good taste. No wonder you look down on rough men like Lu Yuda. When we return to the capital, this Marquis will select a few concubines for you, so your talent for admiring ‘grass’ will not go to waste.”
( T/N: This is a mocking euphemism that plays on the idea of “liking men” or “lusting after people”… hehehe…)
Seeing that the Grand Tutor was angry, Shan Tiehua quickly knelt before she could speak.
The Grand Tutor, however, simply flicked his sleeve and left, a chill wind sweeping behind him.
Under the moonlight, the female general of Great Wei knelt in remorse, scolding herself in silence.
What a fool she was to speak so clumsily! Why mention a noble consort? The Grand Tutor’s beauty was that of a celestial being, clearly fit for the title of Empress!
Nie Qinglin spent the night accompanying her sister.
The next morning, after sharing breakfast with her eighth imperial sister, she returned to her own chamber.
Since she feared that the scent of rouge and cosmetics might bother the pregnant Princess Shaoyang, she had not applied any after washing.
However, the northern air was dry, and her freshly washed face felt uncomfortable without some cream.
The day before, General Gu’s wife had gifted her a box of face ointment made from the fat of northern swan-head geese.
Since it was rendered from the oil beneath the goose’s head, it had a faint natural fragrance without the need for added perfume and was very moisturizing.
Scooping out a bit of the milky-white ointment with a small silver spoon, she found its scent light and pleasant.
She gently spread a thin layer over her face, and it quickly absorbed into her skin without greasiness.
Her cheeks now glowed softly, and she could not bear to cover them with powder or rouge.
It seemed wasteful to use such fine ointment only on her face.
Nie Qinglin called for Nanny Shan to help apply it to her whole body.
After removing her outer robe, Nie Qinglin lay on the bed in her thin underclothes.
She loosened the ribbon at the back of her dudou, letting Nanny Shan apply the ointment to the areas she could not reach, planning to do the front herself later.
Nanny Shan’s hands were trained and skillful, her warm palms spreading the fragrant balm over Nie Qinglin’s delicate back in smooth, practiced strokes.
Nie Qinglin let out a small sound of comfort, soft as a cat’s purr, her eyes closed.
Though she had just woken, the massage stirred her blood and made her drowsy again, and she soon drifted into a pleasant half-sleep surrounded by the gentle scent.
But in that hazy state, she suddenly sensed that those hands had strayed off course, sliding slowly toward improper places.
Nie Qinglin’s eyes flew open at once.
“Nanny Shan, I can take care of my hips myself!”
She began to turn around, but before she could rise, a strong force pushed her down against the bed again.
The hands grew bolder, completely unrestrained now.
Nie Qinglin twisted to look back—
it was no nanny at all, but the shameless Grand Tutor himself!
H
Dragon Pearl is in trouble again. Thanks for the updates!