Chapter 1435 - 346: What Damn Grand Scheme

Chapter 1435: Chapter 346: What Damn Grand Scheme

Lok Mansion;

The carriage from the Royal Mansion entered the estate straight through the back gate.

The reason it didn’t go through the front gate is that the front gate is for receiving guests.

One’s own people come in from the back; carriages, unlike servants, may enter the inner quarters.

Returning to her natal home to pay a filial visit were two women.

One was the "daughter" of this house, the other a maid raised by the Old Madam’s side.

By rights, when the consort of a prince comes, the rites must not be neglected, just as back then when Empress Tian returned to the Tian Family to visit, everyone of the Tian Clan had to kneel to welcome her.

But that was a homecoming by imperial decree; this time is just an ordinary visit.

Besides, rules are always prepared for those who need to abide by rules.

As wet nurse to the Yan Emperor, Lady Fengxin’s status is exalted; naturally she need not concern herself with such things.

Back at the Lok Family, Lingxiang was very happy. She was born and raised here, and is extremely familiar with every blade of grass and tree.

After getting off the carriage, she personally helped He Sisi down.

Chengjue’s inner residence was quiet; once she herself was brought in, she became a "concubine," and in the estate there were in fact only two women of the inner chambers.

Before becoming the maid accompanying the bride, Lady Fengxin had knocked some sense into her, letting her know the proper bounds of etiquette. The most important point was that before He Sisi bore a child, she must not go to Brother Chengjue’s bed.

While pregnant, He Sisi actually had the intention to bring them together. After all, in this era, women’s thinking and values still take the "husband" as heaven. Her body was inconvenient, but how could she let the master go without someone attending him at night?

That would not conform to propriety; if word got out, she herself would bear a reputation for jealousy.

Ji Chengjue himself didn’t mind. Lingxiang belonged to Lady Fengxin’s household; sooner or later she was meant to sleep with him.

On this point Ji Chengjue was far more open-minded than his good friend Lord Zheng. Anyway, the woman is his; once you’ve slept with her, you’ve slept with her—whereas Lord Zheng makes the whole business look like some kind of "pilgrimage," so affected.

But Lingxiang had always refused, either claiming she was having her monthly, or saying she had caught a slight chill and so on. In short, only after Ji Chuanye was born, and after He Sisi’s body recovered and she had served Ji Chengjue again, did Lingxiang finally stop refusing and go to Ji Chengjue’s bed.

The formal title had not yet come down. Ji Chengjue said there was no hurry: they’d report it once a pregnancy was in the belly.

Lingxiang was not annoyed at this. First, within the inner quarters of the estate, He Sisi was the principal wife, while she as concubine naturally ranked second.

Second, she was essentially still of slave origin; everything depended on a mother’s status rising by virtue of her son.

Life in the Royal Mansion was in fact quite comfortable, and she was very satisfied.

A woman, in the end, has to marry. The life she had now was already as good as she could imagine; she felt that even better days could hardly surpass this.

So,

she did not want to let these good days slip away.

After helping He Sisi down from the carriage, looking at the Buddha hall ahead, a surge of courage rose in Lingxiang’s heart.

Whether male or female, all live under a roof called "home."

Though the facade is held up by the men, if that facade collapses, the women within will end up worse off than the men.

Therefore, no matter what, that facade must not collapse—absolutely must not.

He Sisi reached out and patted the back of Lingxiang’s hand; she could feel that Lingxiang’s hand was somewhat tense.

Lingxiang smiled and let go.

Behind them, a nurse carried Chuanye down from the carriage.

At the door of the Buddha hall, a young girl had long been waiting. Her name was Lok Yi, daughter of Lok Bing, that is, the Old Madam’s granddaughter.

"Greetings to Your Highness the Consort. May Your Highness enjoy blessing and health."

"Hello, little sister." He Sisi reached into her sleeve and took out a pouch, untied the cord, and carefully took out a gold coin.

Trading caravans crossing the desert brought some gold coins, said to be minted in lands west of the sands, with the image of a woman wearing a crowned headdress upon them.

The design was fairly fine, good enough to be kept as an ornament to play with.

Of course, people of the East find it hard to understand this kind of "hen crowing at dawn" behavior actually being done so openly.

Since ancient times, it isn’t that the various realms have never produced powerful empresses. Often, when the ruler is young and the realm primarily suspicious of the country, the Empress Dowager and her kin become a force on court that cannot be ignored. But there truly has never been a woman who step out openly and wholly take her rightful place as the one who rules the world.

Common folk in their daily lives make no use of gold, but among the powerful, gifting gold actually seems a bit vulgar. However, this gold coin is finely carved and is indeed a delightful little plaything.

"Thank you for Your Highness’s reward." Lok Yi held the coin, fondling it lovingly.

"Ahem." Lingxiang coughed twice.

Only then did Lok Yi come to herself and laugh, scolding, "Oh my, Sister Xiang, are you waiting for Ah Yi to salute you too?"

"Come then, stand by."

Lingxiang said, smiling.

Lok Yi often kept the Old Madam company, and her relationship with Lingxiang was extremely good; when the two spoke, they could be somewhat unrestrained.

"Grandmother is waiting inside." Lok Yi said with a smile.

Behind the tea table in the side hall of the Buddha hall, the Old Madam sat quietly, rolling a strand of prayer beads in her hand. When He Sisi and Lingxiang walked in, a smile appeared on her face.

She noticed that there was no gloom between Lingxiang’s brows; clearly, her days in the Royal Mansion were passing light and smooth.

This girl had grown up at her side from childhood, under her tutelage, and had acquired a disposition of seeming weak on the surface but being strong within.

The Old Madam, having lived peacefully in Lok Mansion for so many years, had seen all manner of female schemers, and naturally understood that Lingxiang, at heart, was a seedling well suited for palace intrigue.

But no one is born liking to fight; who doesn’t prefer peaceful days?

From a single leaf one knows autumn’s coming.

A man with unstable inner quarters is not necessarily incompetent.

But a man with real ability will have an inner household that is unquestionably steady.