A Concubine’s Competitive Life in the Prince’s Household

Chapter 10

Prince Yan had the Imperial Physician take Shen Wei's pulse.

He stood by the bedside, noticing a set of exquisite men's clothing hanging on a clothes rack not far away.

It was a brocade robe made of shimmering silk, with an overlapping collar inside, meticulously sewn and accompanied by a pale silk belt.

With just a glance, Prince Yan knew how perfectly it fit.

Every stitch was a labor of love from Shen Wei.

Yet, he had once thought Shen Wei was greedy and willful... In that moment, Prince Yan's heart was overwhelmed with guilt. He had almost wronged a girl who loved him wholeheartedly.

Shen Wei had his heart, and even if she had some minor flaws like being a bit greedy and willful, they didn't matter. Nothing is perfect, and nobody is without fault.

This heavy, genuine love was the rarest of all.

Prince Yan silently reconciled within himself.

After taking the pulse, the Imperial Physician reported to Prince Yan: "Your Highness, Mistress Shen is physically weak, with internal imbalances and a slight fever. I will immediately prepare a prescription to treat her."

Prince Yan urged: "Hurry."

Cai Lian accompanied the Imperial Physician to fetch the medicine, and they began preparing it through the night.

Everyone left, leaving only the slumbering Shen Wei and Prince Yan in the room. Prince Yan sat by the bed, holding Shen Wei's delicate hand.

He murmured: "You are the first woman to personally make clothes for me."

As a prince of Da Qing, his attire was always prepared by the Palace Clothing Bureau. Even his mother, the empress, and his principal wife had never made him clothes.

Shen Wei was the first.

She had never asked for Prince Yan's measurements, yet she managed to sew a perfectly fitting garment.

Moved, endeared, and gratified, Prince Yan was filled with a myriad of emotions.

Shen Wei was ill, so Prince Yan was cautious not to disturb her rest. He stayed in Fangfei Courtyard until deep into the night before leaving, taking the shimmering silk robe with him. Before leaving, he repeatedly instructed the maids and eunuchs to take good care of Shen Wei.

A stream of nourishing delicacies was also sent into Fangfei Courtyard.

The next morning, Shen Wei yawned and got out of bed. She had slept very well.

Sick?

Of course not. It was all an act. The physician's diagnosis of her poor health was due to pre-existing conditions in her body.

Even the clothes made for Prince Yan were just used as a ploy. Shen Wei only provided his measurements—having spent much time with Prince Yan, she naturally knew his body dimensions.

The tailoring and embroidery were all done by Nanny Rong, Cai Wei, and Cai Ping.

Shen Wei quickly jumped out of bed, ran a few laps in the courtyard, and then returned to bed to continue pretending to be sick.

Not long after, Prince Yan, just back from court, indeed came to visit.

"Your Highness," Shen Wei weakly opened her eyes and reached out to Prince Yan. Her pale face and dark hair spread across the pillow made her look like a fragile flower, eliciting deep sympathy.

Prince Yan held her hand: "Weiwei, are you feeling better?"

Shen Wei feebly gave a smile: "Did Your Highness try on the robe to see if it fits? If not, I can make adjustments."

If it were another concubine, she would surely complain about her illness to gain Prince Yan's pity.

But Shen Wei was different. She didn't mention her "illness" at all but instead brought up the robe she made for Prince Yan. This made him feel that her entire focus was on him, even neglecting her own well-being.

"It fits perfectly," Prince Yan held Shen Wei's hand, his eyes filled with tender emotions. "Making clothes is hard work. Let the servants handle such things in the future."

Prince Yan had already tried on the robe the previous night.

It fit him flawlessly!

Every stitch was a testament to Shen Wei's love, which filled him with deep gratitude.

Shen Wei widened her eyes, a bit angry: "The clothes I make myself are different from others'. How can they be made by someone else?"

After a pause, she seemed to realize her tone was too domineering. With a pout, she lowered her eyes, muttering: "Please don't scold me, Your Highness... That day, I saw the shimmering silk and thought it would be perfect for making a robe for you. I just want to do something nice for you."

Her demeanor was that of a jealous young girl, her heart and mind consumed by her love for him.

The reason she took the shimmering silk was just to make clothes for the prince, so how could she be blamed?

As for the remaining half of the silk, she kept it for herself—what was wrong with that?

Prince Yan's heart warmed, thinking, she really loves me so much!

But still concerned about Shen Wei's health, Prince Yan adopted a stern tone: "Be good, just focus on recovering. That's the best way you can care for me. I've already sent some fine fabrics from the Internal Affairs Office. They will be made into new clothes for you."

This silly girl, always thinking of making new clothes for him, forgetting about herself.

Prince Yan sent her some exquisite fabrics so she could have beautiful dresses for the upcoming spring banquet.

Shen Wei pouted, looked at Prince Yan, then retreated back into the covers, sulking.

It seemed she was pouting in silence.

Under the covers, Shen Wei rolled her eyes in disdain—this acting is so fake, ugh~

Outside ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????the covers, Prince Yan smiled indulgently—jealous and willful, so endearing.

Prince Yan stayed in Fangfei Courtyard for a while, but with pressing duties, he eventually left.

As a prince of Da Qing and a key aide to the crown prince, Prince Yan doted on Shen Wei but ensured not to let himself become too indulgent.

Before leaving, Prince Yan also checked on the small vegetable patch.

Cabbage and radish sprouts had emerged, their tender leaves dancing in the wind, showing promising growth.

He glanced at Shen Wei's half of the vegetable patch, where the cabbage sprouts were yellowish and several radish sprouts had died.

Prince Yan felt an immense sense of accomplishment—it was clear his farming skills were superior.

...

Early morning, Maid Zhang Yue exited the greenhouse, holding a pot of fragrant gardenias, intentionally passing by Fangfei Courtyard.

Who didn’t know that Shen Wei had lost favor?

Zhang Yue was gloating.

Fortunately, she had been wise enough not to become a concubine of the prince. Otherwise, she would surely have become a laughingstock of the entire mansion.

As she neared the entrance of Fangfei Courtyard, Zhang Yue suddenly saw Prince Yan emerging from the moon gate. The dawn light accentuated his handsome and imposing figure.

Zhang Yue froze.

Hadn't Shen Wei lost favor? Why was the prince still visiting Fangfei Courtyard?

Hiding behind a large elm tree, Zhang Yue overheard Prince Yan instructing Fu Gui: "Have the Imperial Physician visit Fangfei Courtyard daily to check on Weiwei’s condition. Since she’s unwell, she must not like greasy foods. Have the kitchens devise some new dishes."

Fu Gui smiled: "Understood, Your Highness. We will take excellent care of the lady who holds your heart, of course."

Prince Yan and his retinue left, leaving Zhang Yue, hiding behind the tree, feeling frustrated, her nails digging into her palm.

What was going on? Why had Shen Wei regained the prince's favor?

...

After Prince Yan left, Shen Wei quickly jumped out of bed. The Internal Affairs Office had sent ten bolts of fine fabric and many exquisite delicacies.

Shen Wei had Cai Ping fetch the remaining shimmering silk. After making a robe for Prince Yan, half a bolt was left.

Shen Wei ran her fingers over the soft satin, unable to put it down.

Cai Lian suggested: "My lady, shall I make you a dress from the remaining silk? We can also use the leftover pieces to make some fragrant pouches."

Shen Wei shook her head.

The shimmering silk was too precious. If she wore a dress made of it, it would surely arouse the jealousy of the principal wife. The wife was from a prestigious family and had children, something Shen Wei couldn't compete with.

Her position was not yet stable, so she couldn't afford to provoke trouble.

After some thought, Shen Wei instructed Cai Lian: "Take this half bolt of shimmering silk out of the mansion and sell it at a cloth shop. Be discreet and don't let anyone discover."

Though the remaining half was of slightly lower quality, it was still very valuable. Even a small piece could fetch a high price.

"Got it, I'll handle it right away," Cai Lian understood, carefully stowing the silk and exiting the mansion discreetly.

Shen Wei took a sip of tea, her gaze sweeping over the courtyard, assessing the servants in Fangfei Courtyard.

Two eunuchs, Ji Xiang and De Shun, were weeding. Although from humble backgrounds, they were diligent and reliable.

Nanny Rong was experienced and skilled at accounting, managing Shen Wei's personal funds.

Her two maids were the most loyal. Cai Lian was intelligent and dependable, while Cai Ping was nosy and adept at gathering information.

Shen Wei leveraged the strengths of her employees, striving to make Fangfei Courtyard thrive.

While Cai Lian was off selling the shimmering silk, Cai Ping entered the room with a small packet of herbs, informing Shen Wei: "My lady, the new herbs have arrived."

Shen Wei instructed: "Store them in the cabinet and keep them hidden."

Cai Ping carefully placed the small medicinal packet into the secret cabinet, unable to resist lowering her voice: "My lady, you are currently in the favor of Prince Yan. Why would you take contraceptive medicine?"

Ever since she shared a bed with Prince Yan, Shen Wei would drink the contraceptive decoction every second day, without fail. The small packet Cai Ping had just brought back contained the ingredients for this decoction.

Cai Ping couldn't understand. If her mistress had a child, wouldn't her position in the Wang residence be even more secure?

Shen Wei shook her head: "You don't understand. Having a child also requires the right timing."

Her current body was not suitable for childbirth. Her constitution was not robust, and giving birth would likely lead to complications, leaving behind unsightly stretch marks.

Men, she thought, were all hypocrites.

They say they love you, but once they see your ugly, withered body, they'll be so repulsed they'll turn around and seek pleasure elsewhere.

For now, Shen Wei only wanted to improve her health.

Cai Ping placed the new medicinal ingredients for the contraceptive into the cabinet and secretly took out the leftover dregs of the previous decoction, disposing of them in the weeds outside Fangfei Courtyard.

That patch of weeds often had wild cats roaming around and was rarely visited. Cai Ping finished disposing of the dregs and left, believing she had done so without a trace. Little did she know, a shadow had stealthily followed her.

Zhang Yue quietly slipped into the undergrowth, dug into the dirt, and found the remnants of the dregs.

Zhang Yue frowned; the smell of the dregs was odd: "Disposing of medicinal dregs so secretively... could there be something wrong with this medicine?"

She collected the dregs and quietly departed, planning to consult a physician when she had the chance. If she could uncover some flaw in Shen Wei's actions, Zhang Yue would certainly take the opportunity to undermine her.

To be honest, Zhang Yue and Shen Wei had no real conflict.

But Zhang Yue had a narrow mind. Seeing Shen Wei enjoying unmatched favor, she felt extremely uneasy.

We were supposed to be mere maids together, yet you secretly won favor. Zhang Yue couldn't help but feel resentment.