Chapter 643 - 489: The Man of the Sisters_2

"Ah, then why are you only coming to see me now..." Su Yi asked, surprised and puzzled.

"I’m not in charge of your treatment, and I’ve been completely tied up these past few days. But now, I have a task that requires me to come over, so here I am."

"A task?"

"Yes, it’s to collect the scabs formed from the pustules that have come off your body," Lien Yurou explained. "Collecting this is used for researching how to prevent and treat smallpox."

"What’s there to research about that stuff? It’s disgusting."

"It might seem worthless to you, but for us, it has value. Not just for you; anyone who has caught smallpox and recovered needs to have it collected. You’re just recovering a bit faster," Lien Yurou replied. "This task was assigned to me by the young master."

"Young master? Yurou, are you serving someone as a servant?"

"Not really. ’Young master’ is what I call him. Actually, if I want, I can use a different title," Lien Yurou’s cheeks flushed slightly. In truth, she felt a bit inferior; probably only someone like the main wife, Sun Youwei, or Si Miaoxue could call Lin Miao ’husband.’ As a concubine like herself, they all called him ’young master.’

Lianxin and Liansuo, both from the Snow Mountain Sect, do the same.

Of course, at the Lin residence, they’re concubines, but only in relation to the main wife, Sun Youwei; in other aspects, they’re the same.

"A different title? Yurou, could it be that you’ve given yourself to this young master?" Su Yi couldn’t quite understand. Why would someone forego being a side consort to Prince Qi and instead become a servant to someone, possibly even just a bedchamber maid, not even a concubine?

Lien Yurou nodded: "Yes, I’ve given my heart and soul to the young master."

"Sister, are you serious? You haven’t lost your mind, have you?"

"Of course, Su Yi, I’m not foolish. Why wouldn’t I understand?" Lien Yurou said. "In your eyes, Prince Qi may seem like a fine match, marrying into riches and glory. But regardless, I’m not familiar with Prince Qi, haven’t met him, don’t know what kind of person he is or if we’re compatible. But everyone knows that Prince Qi is aiming for the throne, and if he fails, what would become of me as a side consort? Have you thought about that?"

Su Yi, being a talented woman, certainly understood. But with the emperor’s favoritism and support for Prince Qi, and the Crown Prince having no heirs, if Prince Qi bore an heir, then the throne would be his.

Moreover, her analysis showed that although the emperor gave the Crown Prince another chance, it was merely for show to the court officials.

"I’ve given the Crown Prince many chances, but he couldn’t seize them. It seems he’s not destined for it, and I’m helpless."

"We can’t let the Da Li Dynasty’s legacy end."

"Who dares say that future emperors will adopt from royal bloodlines?"

"That would be stepping on the emperor’s toes!"

"The Crown Prince has been trying for over a decade and still hasn’t had a son. Not even a daughter."

"In contrast, Prince Qi is young; he has the best chance. Who wouldn’t want to rise to glory in one step?"

"The noblewomen in the capital are all eager to get close to Prince Qi. Even if they can’t become Princess Qi now, as long as they spend a night with him and bear his child, they could rise in status."

"But what if Prince Qi fails?"

"Not everyone is willing to gamble."

"Moreover, Lien Yurou has Guan Siyao as a mentor and knows well what kind of person Prince Qi is. It’s just hard to speak openly because of his status."

"After all, some things I’ve witnessed with my own eyes, not entirely because of Mistress Guan Biyun."

"Lien Yurou doesn’t want to ruin her future for the position of a side consort to Prince Qi. If she were in the capital, perhaps she wouldn’t have this chance. But as she’s not there, and with this opportunity to escape, she’d be foolish not to seize it."

"Besides, the Lien Family doesn’t hold much importance for her. They only raised her to marry into some noble or influential family."

"So why not take her future into her own hands?"

"Her master’s arrangement is better than she could have imagined. Besides, it’s the man she admires, and being his concubine is far better than being caged like a canary."

"Now, she’s detached from the Lien Family and can do what she likes. In a place where few know her, she feels free, without any constraints."

"Does it matter if the man she’s married to isn’t hers alone? In this world, how many capable and powerful men stay truly faithful?"

"Incapable men can’t marry a wife, while competent and wealthy men can indulge in pleasures, playing the groom every night."

"Yurou, your young master treats you that well?" Su Yi asked, skeptical. "Better than Prince Qi?"

"I’ve never met Prince Qi, so how can I compare? Anyway, I’m living well now. Even if I don’t do anything, just indulging in life’s pleasures, I earn tens of thousands of silver annually," Lien Yurou said with unfathomable happiness in her eyes.

"What, you earn tens of thousands of silver a year?" Su Yi was shocked. Her father is a second-grade official, and after adding his salary, various court subsidies, and tributes like charcoal and ice, it’s about the same annually.

If Su Yi hadn’t worked to earn money, establishing some businesses in the capital, she wouldn’t be able to maintain her high spending and daily expenses there.