A Forbidden Happiness

Chapter 39

Xiang pin wished De gui fei wasn't such a perfect concubine. Now that Shen huang gui fei had 10th and 11th Prince to raise, she washed her hands off all her duties as an Imperial Noble Concubine, claiming that looking after the two babies left little time for anything else. With De gui fei being the highest rank after Shen huang gui fei, she was left to pick up the slack.

On one hand, De gui fei filling the shoes of the Imperial Noble Concubine, even for a little while, would get His Majesty to notice how much De gui fei deserved the title and how much Shen huang gui fei didn't. On the other hand, De gui fei being by The Empress' side stopped her from being by Xiang pin's side and scaring away His Majesty's more ambitious first and second-class attendants. Not that there was anything wrong with them, they were just...so young. It made Xiang pin feel like a walking pile of dust. Earlier, Xiang pin had sent Ping'er out to get some good fabric so she could sew some nice spring jackets for Yiqiang. Someone, somewhere, heard about this, and the girls nearly tore the hinges off the door with their baskets of embroidery and other little projects. De gui fei's stern attitude tended to keep the girls away, but with her gone these days, it was a free-for-all.

It wasn't so terrible. After all her time here, most of His Majesty's women either ignored her or hated the sight of her. It was nice to have an easy conversation with other concubines, even if she was old enough to be some of their mothers.

"Eh, jiejie," a squat first-class attendant whispered, "Did you hear? A maid finally confessed to poisoning The Empress Dowager!"

"How could a maid be so bold?" Her overly-rouged companion asked.

"Apparently, the maid's sister was expelled after 5th Princess' death, and the maid had been vengeful ever since,"

The mention of a sister had one girl pipe up about her family, and the incident was quickly forgotten.

Just according to The Empress Dowager's plan.

No one would ever know that she damn near put 1 foot in the coffin to try and fail to get rid of a concubine she wasn't too fond of. It had been a touch disappointing that The Empress Dowager didn't succumb to her own idiocy, but Xiang pin supposed that's why she was The Empress Dowager. She was just that blessed.

Xiang pin had just resigned herself to being swallowed up by the girlish laughter before her when a eunuch announced himself.

"Your Highness, Dowager Noble Consort Ling would personally like to thank you for your pastries,"

Xiang pin felt her heart stop for a moment, just a moment. In all the mess and machinations, she had forgotten that she had turned Dowager Noble Consort Ling into a very convenient shield without her knowledge.

"Her Highness honors me," Xiang pin said, putting her sewing to the side. She turned to her young guests, "Eat all the snacks, you like meimei and feel free to leave if you become too bored,"

The walk over to Shoukanggong did horrible things to Xiang pin's head. She went from twisting herself in knots, thinking Dowager Noble Consort Ling was going to flay her alive for involving her, to convincing herself that Dowager Noble Consort Ling really just wanted to simply thank her. By the time she was led through Shoukanggong's gates, her heart was near rabbiting out of her chest. Dowager Noble Consort Ling's placid face made it all the worse.

"This concubine wishes Her Highness Dowager Noble Consort Ling peace," said Xiang pin her voice clear, steady and hopefully, a little dopey.

"Rise," said Dowager Noble Consort Ling, "Sit, sit,"