A Concubine's Competitive Life in the Prince's Household-Chapter 161

Prince Yan's Mansion, Liuli Pavilion.

Shen Wei struggled to open her eyes as noon approached, her head throbbing from the previous night's indulgence. Hazily gazing at the sheer muslin bed curtains, she strained to piece together her memories of the day before.

"Cai Lian! Cai Ping!" Shen Wei gasped.

Footsteps echoed outside as Cai Lian entered with a basin of washing water and Cai Ping followed with a sobering tonic.

Shen Wei pushed aside the bed curtains. "Where is His Highness?"

Cai Ping suppressed a smile. "His Highness left for the Eastern Palace this morning."

Clutching the bed curtains, Shen Wei asked cautiously, "I was drunk last night... did I say anything foolish?"

Drinking truly was a recipe for disaster. A wave of dread washed over her—had she let slip her true thoughts in her drunken state, Prince Yan might have seen through her long-maintained facade.

Cai Ping giggled. "Last night, Mistress clung to His Highness and whispered sweet nothings for ages. Things like 'I love only you' and 'I want to strip you bare'—it made our ears burn, and even His Highness laughed."

Shen Wei exhaled in silent relief.

Thank goodness. No loose lips.

After rising and freshening up, she donned a new summer gown and solemnly instructed her maids, "If I ever get drunk again, find an excuse to send His Highness away—no, never mind. I’ll just drink less from now on." freewebnoveℓ.com

Less wine, less risk—that was the surest way to avoid trouble.

Once sober, Shen Wei had her midday meal, played with the child in the cradle, handled a few household matters, and sent Li Yao a couple of toys... Her day passed uneventfully.

Managing the household grew easier with time, especially with capable aides like Nanny Rong assisting her. It wasn’t as exhausting as she’d feared.

Night fell, the summer air filled with the croaking of frogs in the pond, while lotus blossoms hid beneath broad leaves. Lanterns flickered in the waterside pavilion where Prince Yan lounged, cooling off, while Shen Wei practiced calligraphy nearby.

Prince Yan leaned over to examine her brushwork, his handsome eyes crinkling with amusement. "Excellent. Your handwriting has improved greatly."

Calligraphy had never been Shen Wei’s forte—her early attempts resembled chicken scratches. But under Prince Yan’s patient guidance, her strokes had grown neat and graceful, much to his pride.

Clutching the brush, Shen Wei flashed him a radiant smile. "With Your Highness supervising me so often, how could I dare slack off?"

A maid brought in a plate of freshly washed cucumbers.

These were from the vines Prince Yan had planted himself. He’d set up trellises in the garden, and the cucumber tendrils had climbed eagerly, blooming with delicate yellow flowers. Now, the flowers had faded, leaving crisp, ripe cucumbers behind.

On a sweltering summer day, biting into a cool, homegrown cucumber was pure bliss.

By the time Shen Wei finished writing, Prince Yan had polished off the cucumbers.

She tugged him back to their chambers, where the luxurious muslin bed curtains fell shut.

Candles flickered dimly in their holders.

Lying on the bed, Prince Yan teased her, "Drunk, you wanted to undress me. Sober, you’re suddenly shy—where’d that boldness go?"

Shen Wei: "..."

Internally, she groaned. Heaven knew she only wanted to strip Prince Yan of his wealth and privileges, not his robes.

A man of boundless energy was truly exhausting.

Wordless, she wrapped her arms around him. The night was long...

...

...

Lotus blossoms brightened the courtyard as time flowed quietly by. Under Prince Yan’s "guidance" and with the help of Nanny Rong, Steward Fugui, and others, Shen Wei steadily took charge of the inner household.

She even applied modern management techniques to Prince Yan's Mansion. Incentives like bonuses, attendance records, and merit-based promotions spurred the servants’ productivity. The capable earned more, worked more, and competed healthily for better positions.

Under these reforms, the once-stagnant household gradually brimmed with vitality.

Qixue Pavilion.

Xue Mei hummed a cheerful tune as she and two junior maids carried Liu Ruyan’s books outside to air in the sun.

Summer brought heat and mosquitoes, but Xue Mei remained unbothered. At her waist hung a lightly scented sachet—a mosquito-repelling gift from Shen Wei to all first-tier maids.

With this, Xue Mei no longer feared summer bites. And the scent was faint enough that even Liu Ruyan wouldn’t notice.

A young maid asked curiously, "Sister Xue Mei, Nanny Rong said if we serve in the mansion until sixty, we’ll receive monthly silver even after leaving. Is that true?"

Xue Mei nodded. "Likely so. Yesterday, I visited Nanny Wang at the estate. She entered the mansion at ten and is now sixty-five, bedridden—yet she still received two strings of coins."

The maid’s eyes sparkled with hope. "How wonderful! Even when I’m too old to work, I’ll have something to rely on."

The maids exchanged quiet, contented smiles, their hearts at ease.

...

In ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍Kunyu Courtyard, the Princess Consort waited days in vain for news of Xiang’er’s suicide in Liuli Pavilion.

When she sent Granny Liu to investigate, she learned that Xiang’er seemed to have had an epiphany—she now stayed quietly in her quarters, embroidering and weaving, never stepping beyond her courtyard.

"Useless fool," the Princess Consort hissed, gripping her prayer beads so tightly her teeth ached.

A creeping unease settled in her chest.

She had originally thought that Shen Wei, a mere peasant girl, would never be capable of managing Prince Yan's Mansion properly. Yet reality proved the Princess Consort wrong. Even from the confines of Kunyu Courtyard, she could see the changes taking place in the mansion.

Disobedient servants were sold off, troublemakers were expelled, and the staff became diligent, gradually transforming the atmosphere into one of renewed discipline.

The Princess Consort knew all too well that if this continued, her position would be reduced to an empty title. The servants now looked to Shen Wei as their leader.

"I am the rightful consort, the principal wife," the Princess Consort muttered, gripping her string of prayer beads tightly. She could no longer allow Shen Wei to act so arrogantly.

But Prince Yan shielded Shen Wei, the Empress favored her, and even her own daughter, Li Yao, frequently visited Shen Wei's courtyard. The Princess Consort's loyal attendants, like Granny Liu, were few and powerless, unable to assist her.

In such times, only her family could help.

The Princess Consort secretly reasoned that her parents doted on her, and the Dantai family wielded considerable influence. If they learned of her struggles in Prince Yan's Mansion, they would surely plead her case to the Empress.

After all, the Dantai family had played a pivotal role in supporting the Emperor's ascension to the throne, contributing vast resources and manpower. The Empress would have no choice but to honor their standing and restore the Princess Consort's authority over the household.

As luck would have it, her mother's sixtieth birthday was approaching.

As a devoted daughter, the Princess Consort seized this opportunity to leave Prince Yan's Mansion and return to the Dantai residence to celebrate her mother's birthday—and to voice her grievances.

After carefully formulating her plan, she instructed Granny Liu, "Granny Liu, select two birthday gifts from the treasury. In three days, I shall return to the Dantai family."