A Concubine's Competitive Life in the Prince's Household-Chapter 149
The study in the main house.
The two sons were still studying at the Imperial College, but the Princess Consort was far from idle. She meticulously reviewed the schoolwork they had left behind, marking areas for improvement so she could guide them in making corrections that evening.
The Princess Consort was exhausted.
Every day, she had to strategize against the old matrons sent by the Empress, racking her brains to ensure her children learned as much as possible. Beyond their studies, she also had to oversee their daily needs—food, clothing, and shelter. With summer approaching, she needed to procure new fabrics to have cool, comfortable summer garments tailored for them.
She worked tirelessly until the afternoon, when she finally prepared to retreat to the prayer hall for meditation. Just then, Granny Liu hurried in. "Princess Consort, the stewards have arrived. This month’s wages for the mansion’s staff haven’t been distributed on time. They’ve come to ask for your intervention."
The Princess Consort lit a stick of incense, her tone calm. "Steward Fugui has always been responsible for distributing wages. Why come to me?"
Granny Liu hesitated. "Princess Consort, Steward Fugui fell ill yesterday. He’s bedridden now, unable to even take broth."
The Prince Yan's Mansion employed over a hundred servants, all eagerly awaiting their wages. Previously, payments had been punctually issued on the morning of the fifteenth each month. But this month, the delay had stirred unease among the staff.
The Princess Consort frowned. "Of all times to fall ill—why now?"
Granny Liu ventured, "Princess Consort, you have duplicate ledgers here. Perhaps you could personally review the expenses—"
Before she could finish, the Princess Consort cut her off. "Then let’s wait until Steward Fugui recovers. A delay of a few days is hardly a crisis."
Granny Liu opened her mouth to protest but held back. Most of the mansion’s servants came from humble backgrounds, toiling all month just to earn wages to support their families.
A delay of even a few days would surely breed discontent.
Even Granny Liu herself was counting on her wages to help cover her son’s betrothal gifts.
But the Princess Consort was already done listening. She reverently offered incense to the Bodhisattva, closing her eyes in silent prayer.
...
Steward Fugui of Prince Yan's Mansion remained gravely ill. He had long managed the household affairs on behalf of the Princess Consort, and without him, chaos erupted both inside and outside the inner quarters.
The servants, deprived of their wages, grew resentful.
Three days passed, and Steward Fugui still hadn’t recovered. The mansion’s stewards once again sought an audience with the Princess Consort, urging her to review the ledgers and distribute the overdue wages.
But the Princess Consort had been an absentee manager for years, unfamiliar with the mansion’s finances. Her old maids, though experienced in household management, hadn’t touched the account books in ages. Sorting through the mess in a short time was nearly impossible.
Soon, whispers spread through the mansion:
"The Princess Consort is too busy tormenting Concubine Shen to care about our livelihoods."
"Wasn’t she always indifferent? Why target Concubine Shen now?"
"What do you know? Indifference is just a façade for outsiders. The more she pretends to be pious, the guiltier she must feel."
"Exactly. Morning and evening greetings aren’t rigid rules—many noble matrons in the capital have done away with them."
"Even the Empress has exempted the imperial consorts from daily greetings. Yet here, the Princess Consort puts on airs."
"She withholds our wages while obsessing over Concubine Shen... How petty."
"My mother is sick—I was counting on my wages to buy her medicine. A grand mansion like Prince Yan's, yet they withhold our pay. Are servants’ lives worth nothing?"
The back chambers buzzed with gossip.
Though the mansion strictly upheld hierarchy, the servants were shrewd. They worked diligently when paid—but without wages, their efforts grew half-hearted.
The rumors soon reached the Princess Consort’s ears.
Enraged, she smashed two vases, her face contorted with fury. "Drive those insolent wretches out of the mansion! How dare they slander me? That Shen Wei—a peasant’s daughter—why would I ever be jealous of her?"
The Princess Consort valued two things above all: her sons and her reputation.
Now, the mansion was rife with gossip, accusing her of targeting Shen Wei while neglecting the servants’ wages.
Each rumor was a knife to her heart, threatening the carefully cultivated image of a virtuous wife and mother she had built over the years.
She had considered forcing Steward Fugui to review the ledgers despite his illness, but upon checking, she found him truly emaciated—his face sallow, his pulse erratic, unable to even leave his bed.
Reluctantly, she abandoned the idea.
Granny Liu soothed her, "Princess Consort, don’t distress yourself. The servants are just venting their frustration over unpaid wages. Once the wages are issued, the gossip will cease."
The Princess Consort snapped, "Then issue the wages! Why delay?"
Granny Liu sighed. "Some servants are due raises, others deductions. We must also account for this month’s expenses. Steward Fugui always handled this meticulously, but now that he’s ill, no one in the mansion can sort through the mess... Perhaps you could spare some time to review the ledgers with the stewards?"
The incense smoke in the prayer hall made the Princess Consort dizzy.
Rubbing her temples wearily, she ordered Granny Liu, "You’re my trusted maid, skilled in household management. Take a few others and assist the stewards. Distribute the wages within three days."
She simply couldn’t spare the time.
She had two children to raise and educate, and prayers to attend to. If she diverted her attention to household affairs, the Empress’s matrons would surely corrupt her sons.
Her children were her hope, her future. Their hearts must remain bound to hers—not swayed by outsiders.
Yet she couldn’t relinquish control of the household. After much deliberation, she decided to delegate the task to her most trusted aides.
Granny Liu never expected the tedious chore of reviewing accounts to fall on her. Having served the Princess Consort for years, her duties had always been light, her wages generous, and she rarely had to exert herself.
Her throat dry, she protested weakly, "Princess Consort, this old servant is past fifty and hasn’t touched ledgers in years..."
A few sleepless nights poring over accounts might cost her half her life.
The Princess Consort cut her off, lighting another stick of incense and clasping her hands in prayer. "Don’t refuse. I trust you with this task precisely because you’re capable."
Granny Liu: "..."
After a moment’s hesitation, the Princess Consort added grudgingly, "Inform Concubine Shen that she need not come for greetings these days."
Once the rumors died down, she would reinstate the old rules. After all, Shen Wei wasn’t going anywhere—she was trapped within the mansion’s walls.
...
At Glazed Pavilion, Shen Wei was playing with her child.
Cai Ping rushed in, delighted. "Mistress, your plan worked! The Princess Consort has suspended the daily greetings."
Shen Wei pinched her baby’s plump cheeks, a faint smile curling her lips.
In the past, Steward Fugui had shielded the Princess Consort’s incompetence, keeping the mansion’s inner quarters relatively peaceful.
But with him bedridden, the Princess Consort’s flaws were laid bare. Soon, the servants would realize their mistress was nothing more than a figurehead.
The Princess Consort was hypocritical, skilled at shirking responsibilities. Though born into a noble family, she possessed no talents and cared only for her own reputation and gains.
Shen Wei instructed Cai Ping, "Go inform Steward Fugui to prolong his illness a while longer. After years of toil, it's time he retired and enjoyed his twilight years."
