Love In The Palace

Wound

This is chapter 33.

Up there is an instrumental song that I think suits this story most! (Maybe like an opening song?) Please listen to it!

Recap: In the previous chapter, Crown Princess Shana grows jealous of Jade, though she manages to hide it. When Jade is announced pregnant, Third Prince's Consort, Chisa Yang seems to be plotting something, and she starts with Autumn.

Oh and please support me for wattys2016? •3• Thankssss!
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Lis still cannot make out the meaning of her master's expression. Empress' expression remains stoic, though she blinks unnaturally often. One thing for sure, is that Empress is confused. It has been an indisputable fact that Empress dislikes Mistress Leanne. However, she is now pregnant with her son's first child. She dislikes the child in her womb as well, for that child will never turn out to be outstanding, she is sure of that.

Yet, it is still the first child of Crown Prince. Eliminating her son's child is enough to draw the guilty feelings out of her. Eliminating her son's first ever opportunity to be a father, she must have been a lunatic to do that. Still, she does not want the existence of that child. She does not want her grandchildren to be born of a mother from low social-background.

"How many times again has Crown Prince and Crown Princess ever really spent the night together?" She asks her servant.

"Once, Your Highness."

Once. What a pathetic answer. She cannot see anything bad from Shana. She is extraordinarily beautiful, also an intelligent woman who knows all the perfect rites of a woman. Not to mention that she is younger than Jade, and comes from the Wales family. She is perfection itself.

But Crown Prince still favours Jade over Shana. She cannot understand how is that possible. How? How can a man not be smitten by a woman's beauty, intelligence and gentleness?

All the men she knows are always seeking for beautiful women, like the Emperor who has always favoured Consort Shine and General Wales who has not forgotten her beautiful and gentle sister.

If it is spread out that Crown Prince favours the unwomanly Mistress over the beautiful, smart and gentle Crown Princess, how would people think? They will definitely see Crown Prince as weird and unmanly. Again, the roots of all problems lie within Jade.

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"Look at all these. Crown Prince surely treats you very well." The woman, who wears her hair up high in an elegant hairdo, fastened with gold pins with flower carvings and precious stones, looks around the room which is relatively small compared to her palace's. Jade's bedchamber has been filled with flowers which are said to have soothing effects and help her sleep better. Spread on the wooden table before her and Consort Lana are boxes of rare and precious herbs and several pieces of beautiful silk cloths.

"I..."

"You are a Mistress. You should not feel sorry for receiving all these gifts. You are worthy of them, for you are carrying Crown Prince's child."

"...." Consort Lana of course can understand Jade's feelings. They both come from extremely poor families, although she is adopted by the kind and gentle Madam of the Lana family while Jade is sold to the Leanne family. She is only luckier by a little, for the Lana family is like a humongous mountain behind her which puts people who despise her at their places. Who dares to offend someone who comes from the same family as Empress Dowager Oku Lana?

Consort Lana can empathise with Jade, for they are both in an unfavourable conditions. So, can she bear to harm a person, in whom she sees herself? Can she bear to harm a person who undergoes the same pain as her? She knows that sooner or later, Jade will go through the same thing as her. Will she proceed with her plans, or will she turn her head to save Jade?