Free Web NovelChapter 1297: Chapter 1286: Illegitimate Son
"Ye Jing has been arrogant in Nanyue for so many years, and she even gave birth to a son while staying by the Prince’s side. If I don’t assert my authority, how will the people below see me? Is she the mistress of this Prince Wang Mansion or am I?" Princess Kang walked in front, occasionally glancing back. Seeing Ye Jing kneeling upright under the sun made her feel increasingly smug.
"Look at her fair little face; she must have used a lot of good skincare products. I specifically want to make her tan. A concubine should know her place. Here, she has to keep a low profile. If she complains to the Prince afterward, I’ll punish her for disrespecting the legitimate wife. Let’s see if the Prince wants to bear the stigma of favoring a concubine over his wife. Besides, she only has one son, and the Prince has other sons. It’s not necessary to seal her son as the heir." The Princess Consort’s face flashed with coldness and cruelty, clearly intending to stir trouble.
The maidservants attending to Ye Jing were frantic. When had their concubine suffered such humiliation? In Nanyue, didn’t everyone treat her with respect? Lady Mingming adhered perfectly to the rules and etiquette, yet the Princess Consort came to teach her a lesson. How was she treating her? With the Princess Consort disrespecting her like this, how could Lady Rong and the Princely Heir establish themselves in the Prince’s Mansion?
"My Lady? This... the Princess Consort is too bullying here. Under this scorching summer sun, what if you get hurt? My Lady, why don’t you get up first? Even if the Prince finds out later, he wouldn’t blame you."
"The one setting the rules is the Princess Consort; it’s not about bullying. Don’t say such things again, and don’t complain to the Prince about today’s matter." Ye Jing spoke calmly.
"How can that be? Are you going to let others manipulate you for nothing? What will people think of you in the long run? Even the dignity of the Princely Heir would be in jeopardy." The maid disagreed.
"No, they won’t."
"Hmm?" The maid didn’t understand what Ye Jing meant. Seeing her determined, she took a step back and said, "If you won’t get up, then I’ll fetch a parasol for you."
"No need to do extra work. Either go rest or kneel with me." Ye Jing was calm, despite her increasingly flushed cheeks and pale lips.
Having no other choice, the stubborn maid Xiao Die knelt a step behind her, eyes filled with worry.
"The maid is quite loyal. Support me inside to rest and let them kneel here," Princess Kang gave a cold snort, no longer paying attention. Soon, those in the courtyard either left or were sent away, leaving only those brought by the Prince kneeling in the courtyard.
By the time Prince Kang and Xiao Rui returned, what they saw was Ye Jing swaying, and at the sight of her son, finally losing the strength to stay upright and collapsing.
Xiao Rui, full of anxiety, shouted loudly while carrying Ye Jing inside: "Imperial Physician, quickly call an Imperial Physician!"
Prince Kang’s expression was extremely unpleasant. He never expected such an incident upon returning home: "Why was Lady Rong kneeling in the courtyard? What happened?"
Those still kneeling were Ye Jing’s loyal followers, all following her previous instructions and did not complain voluntarily.
"You, why is your Mistress kneeling here?" He pointed at Xiao Die.
Xiao Die lowered her head and softly said, "The Princess Consort ordered the kneeling, saying it was to set rules for Lady Rong."
Prince Kang’s anger intensified: "What proper rules? Did Lady Rong disrespect the Princess Consort?"
Xiao Die never expected Prince Kang to respond this way and hurriedly kowtowed: "Your Grace, you wrong her. When has Lady Rong ever been arrogant? From the moment she met the Princess Consort, her manners have been impeccable. I don’t understand either. Your Grace, if you don’t believe me, you can ask others in the mansion."
The master of the house, upon hearing that Prince Kang had returned, just then arrived. Prince Kang seized the opportunity to ask him: "Why did the Princess Consort punish Lady Rong?"
Being astute, the steward had suffered under the Princess Consort before. Now, any sensible person could see that Lady Rong might wield substantial power in the Prince’s Mansion soon. Once the Princely Heir takes over, even if the Princess Consort is the main wife, what status would she have left? Wouldn’t the Prince’s Mansion eventually belong to the Princely Heir?
Understanding who truly deserved favor in the Prince’s Mansion, he didn’t embellish but stated plainly: "The Princess Consort said the concubine had been away from the Prince’s Mansion for many years and probably didn’t regard the Princess Consort. She said a concubine should know her place. Having not attended to her before, she should now properly adhere to the rules."
Prince Kang became angrier with each word: "Did she actually say this?"
"This old servant wouldn’t dare lie."
"The Liang Family is truly bold. Using her position as the main wife to persecute a concubine with such baseless claims, where is she?" Prince Kang was furious, on the verge of losing his temper.
"Your Grace, the Princess Consort has gone to rest."
"Under such scorching sun, she let them kneel in the courtyard and went to rest herself. Does she want them dead?" Prince Kang couldn’t imagine what might have happened to Ye Jing if he’d returned any later.
He hadn’t had the best impression of her initially, but over the years, she’d always been by his side, advising him and even giving him a smart, healthy son. His feelings for her were far from ordinary.
If she had an accident under his watch, not only would his son not forgive him, but Ye Qiu might not either. Losing Ye Qiu’s support could lead to countless difficulties in the future.
He thought that after ignoring Liang for so many years, she would repent. He didn’t expect to return to such a ’pleasant’ surprise!
At this moment, the main courtyard was in a panic. Princess Kang and her people never expected Prince Kang and Xiao Rui to return from the palace so soon and to stumble upon Ye Jing’s fainting.
"That woman, she is definitely pretending to faint." she muttered angrily while combing her hair.
"Who are you saying is pretending?" Prince Kang, who came specifically to confront her, overheard this. She hadn’t corrected her behavior and was instead blaming Ye Jing, who was in trouble.
"Your Grace, why are you here?" she asked in panic.
"If I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have heard these words of yours. Liang Family, you truly are a good Princess Consort!" Prince Kang looked at her coldly, "Everything you’ve done over the years, I will settle with you one by one."
Princess Kang, instead of receiving Prince Kang’s tenderness, was threatened and became somewhat hysterical: "What are you going to settle with me? I have managed the Prince’s Mansion for you all these years. Even without merit, there is hard work. Are you going to deposed me for that woman? Let me tell you, it won’t be that easy!"
Her demeanor was almost manic, appearing extremely harsh and unreasonable, making Prince Kang realize how far she had drifted from the woman she once was to him – with murky eyes and a face full of wrinkles. He shut his eyes in disappointment, and when he opened them again, there was coldness and ruthlessness, and he didn’t even want to speak another word to her.
Ultimately, men are indeed visual creatures. Not only had the Princess Consort’s character changed, but her appearance too. Could Prince Kang still find the feeling of old?
