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

Chapter 2

...

Fangfei Courtyard.

The old mama, in accordance with the standards for concubines, arranged for Shen Wei to have two maidservants and then departed.

Zhang Yue stealthily followed and pulled Shen Wei to a corner.

Zhang Yue warned in a low voice, "Shen Wei, you're jumping into a fire pit! Last year, there was a beautiful maidservant in the Prince's Mansion who voluntarily served the Prince Yan for a few days, only to be forgotten by him. That maidservant went mad not long ago and drowned herself."

In Zhang Yue's eyes, Shen Wei was simply courting trouble.

Isn't it better to just be a maidservant?

"I have my own plans," Shen Wei replied with a faint smile.

Zhang Yue sighed, feeling sympathetic yet contemptuous. "I need to get back to the flower garden. You take care of yourself."

Zhang Yue was already waiting to see the joke that would be Shen Wei.

Shen Wei entered Fangfei Courtyard. The courtyard wasn't large, with only four small rooms. It had been uninhabited for a long time, and wild grasses were growing rampantly.

"Greetings, Mistress Shen," the two young maidservants stepped forward to greet her.

Shen Wei sat on the main seat, examining the two girls in front of her. The maidservants were about fifteen or sixteen years old, one named Cai Ping and the other named Cai Lian.

If "Fangfei Courtyard" were a newly established company, then Cai Ping and Cai Lian would be her initial employees.

Shen Wei instructed the maidservants to bring paper and brush. She spread out the rice paper and held the writing brush firmly: "I've just arrived at the Prince's Mansion and am not yet familiar with it. I ask you, when will the Prince Yan return?"

In Shen Wei's mind, she regarded the Prince Yan, whom she had never met, as her target customer. To successfully close a deal with a customer, one must understand their preferences.

Know thyself and know thy enemy, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.

Cai Ping and Cai Lian exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing sympathy and a touch of disdain.

Although young, these two maidservants had grown up serving in the Prince's Mansion, having seen countless women who sought to climb the social ladder by attaching themselves to the prince.

These women were beautiful, received the prince's favor, and then quickly faded away like scattered flowers.

"Reply to the mistress," Cai Lian, being slightly older and more composed, said, "The Prince Yan left a month ago to accompany the Crown Prince on a southern tour. He should return in two days."

Shen Wei pondered and quickly jotted down notes on the rice paper: "How old is the Prince Yan? What is his family background? What are his likes and dislikes? What foods does he enjoy? What are his daily hobbies?"

Cai Lian was momentarily taken aback.

She suddenly felt that this mistress before her was a bit different from those before her who were merely beautiful.

Cai Lian replied respectfully, "The Prince Yan is the second son of the current emperor and is twenty-eight years old. His harem includes one princess, three concubines, several lesser consorts, and several maidservants. The Prince Yan enjoys horseback riding, archery, reading..."

As the sun moved from its zenith towards the horizon, dusk approached.

Cai Lian and Cai Ping spoke until they were parched, sharing all the information they knew with Shen Wei.

Shen Wei asked so many questions that, in addition to inquiring about the Prince Yan's information, she also thoroughly inquired about the backgrounds of the other consorts and concubines in the harem, as well as the prominent families in the capital.

"Very good, thank you for your interview," Shen Wei organized the thick stack of rice paper, now having a general understanding of the Prince's Mansion.

As the sky darkened, the kitchen sent the evening meal to Fangfei Courtyard.

Two dishes and one soup, which was quite decent.

Shen Wei enjoyed her meal and then walked around Fangfei Courtyard in the evening. The moonlight was dim, and she observed the overgrown weeds and the dilapidated walls, her brow furrowing.

Fangfei Courtyard, located in the southwest corner of the Prince's Mansion, was in a remote area. Several other courtyards nearby housed over a dozen mistresses who had fallen out of favor.

Other mistresses, having lost their favor, had given up and neglected their courtyards, merely lamenting their fate while staring at the crumbling walls. Under the moonlight, the various courtyards resembled haunted houses.

"No, the facade must be renovated!" Shen Wei resolved, determined to give Fangfei Courtyard a whole new look.

A well-dressed person and a finely caparisoned horse. A store that attracts customers must have an exquisite facade.

No customer would want to enter a shabby store.

Shen Wei had originally planned to wake up the two maidservants tonight to help pull weeds and clean the courtyard. However, since today was their first day on the job, asking them to work overtime on their first day would leave a bad impression.

Better to start tomorrow.

Shen Wei returned to her sleeping quarters and removed her hairpins in front of the mirror. The silver mirror was of good quality, clearly reflecting Shen Wei's appearance.

The original owner not only shared the same name but also the same looks, with a round face, beautiful peach blossom eyes, and a smile that made her eyes curve like crescents.

"Skin lacks water, the body is too thin, malnourished." Shen Wei pinched her cheeks, realizing she needed to slowly recuperate her health.

To gain the Prince Yan's favor, one needed both an outstanding appearance and a healthy body.

Earlier, Cai Lian had mentioned that the Prince Yan's prowess in bed was particularly strong, and the delicate mistresses in the harem often couldn't withstand his affections, fainting halfway.

Shen Wei would have to work hard to build up her physical strength!

After finishing her bath, Shen Wei went to bed. As she lay down, she began to examine her bed—a red sandalwood carved wooden frame bed, slightly old and chipped at the edges.

"The bedroom also needs to be renovated, styled with something new," Shen Wei thought.

Shen Wei sighed inwardly, clutching the fifty taels of silver gifted by the Princess of Yan. Her mind filled with various renovation plans, she slowly closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

...

The next morning, Cai Ping and Cai Lian yawned and got out of bed, preparing to assist Shen Wei with her washing and grooming.

But they saw their mistress, Shen Wei, already dressed in short attire, running around the courtyard at dawn. Her hair was tied high, her face flushed, running with heavy breaths.

Cai Lian was surprised, "Mistress, what are you doing?"

Shen Wei finished her jog, taking the handkerchief Cai Lian handed her to wipe her sweat: "Exercising."

Health was the capital for seeking favor.

Work hard in studies and exercise daily.

After finishing her jog, Shen Wei started doing squats. After thirty squats, she wiped her sweat and went to have her breakfast.

In Kunyu Courtyard, the old nursemaid brought tea to serve the Princess of Yan, who had just woken up. She massaged her temples and asked, "Is Shen Wei settling in comfortably at Fangfei Courtyard?"

The old lady replied, "It's quite strange. Shen Wei sent a maidservant to the flower garden this morning to ask for many flowers and vegetable seeds. She also had several young eunuchs bring tools to repair the courtyard walls."

"Repairing the courtyard walls?" The Princess of Yan paused mid-sip of tea.

Unlike other mistresses, who either quietly stayed in their courtyards waiting for the prince's summons or bought cosmetics and adorned themselves, this Shen Wei was rather unique.

The old matron wasn't concerned, "Fangfei Courtyard had been uninhabited for a long time, and the walls were damaged. Perhaps Shen Wei is worried that heavy rains will collapse the walls and decided to repair them in advance—she comes from a peasant background, so her perspective is limited."

The Princess of Yan sneered.

Indeed, only a woman from a peasant background would care about damaged walls and ask for vegetable seeds.

Let her do as she pleases; she won't stir up much trouble anyway.

The Princess of Yan, who did not consider Shen Wei to be of great importance, concentrated her attention on her children. She instructed the elderly female attendant, "Send someone to the school to keep an eye on them. Do not let the two children cause trouble in class. This year is the Empress's birthday, and the children must perform well in front of the Empress."

The old nanny asked, "When Prince Yan returns from his southern tour the day after tomorrow, should we let the two children have a day off to welcome him?"

The Princess of Yan frowned and shook her head, "Missing school isn't worth it."

The old woman sighed inwardly.

In recent years, the Princess of Yan had become increasingly uninterested in the Prince Yan, her entire focus on raising her children. The consorts and mistresses in the harem had also become more subdued.

The Prince's Mansion had become tranquil, a stagnant pool of calm.

No woman would likely stir up any trouble in the Prince's Mansion again.

...

Fangfei Courtyard.

After two days of hard work, Fangfei Courtyard had transformed from a simple room into a fully furnished space.

Shen Wei distributed a portion of the fifty taels of silver gifted by the Princess of Yan to the hardworking eunuchs and gave three taels each to Cai Ping and Cai Lian.

The eunuchs were overjoyed and thanked her profusely.

Cai Ping and Cai Lian were also thrilled, as three taels were equivalent to three months of their pay.

Shen Wei smiled inwardly. She wasn't a stingy boss. She rewarded her employees for their labor, creating a mutually beneficial relationship, ensuring that they would work more diligently next time.

"Mistress, our courtyard looks so beautiful," Cai Ping clutched her reward, genuinely praising.

The wild grasses and dead trees had been cleared, and many vibrant flowers were brought in from the flower garden, along with some peach trees. The dilapidated walls had been repaired, and Shen Wei had even painted vivid patterns on the outer walls herself.

Although not as luxurious as the Princess of Yan's courtyard, Fangfei Courtyard had a unique charm.

Shen Wei also planned to change the plants in the courtyard every season: peach trees in spring, lotus in summer, osmanthus in autumn, and plum blossoms in winter.

However, Cai Ping curiously pointed to the cleared, yet still barren vegetable plot: "My lady, are you planning to plant vegetables?"

Shen Wei took a sip of tea to soothe her throat, staring at the vegetable plot, her lips slowly curving into a smile: "It serves a purpose. It's waiting for the right person to plant in it."

Cai Ping was puzzled.

Shen Wei set down her teacup and told the two maids: "His Highness Prince Yan is returning today, and I want to sneak a peek."

Now a concubine of Prince Yan, and thus only a step above a maidservant, she was not qualified to welcome him back to the mansion.

But Shen Wei wanted to get a head start on understanding Prince Yan, observing his appearance and speech.

"This..." Cai Lian and Cai Ping looked troubled.

Shen Wei spoke with a gentle smile: "I'm just going to take a look, I won't get in his way. Let's be discreet and not get caught."

Since Shen Wei insisted, the two maids could only nod in agreement. As noon approached, the sound of ceremonial music echoed from the entrance of the Prince's Mansion.

Prince Yan had returned.

Shen Wei sneaked out of Fangfei Courtyard and hid in the corner of the main hall's courtyard, observing from the shadows. Her mind flashed with information about Prince Yan.

The Emperor of Qing had a scanty lineage, with only three sons. The Empress gave birth to the Crown Prince and Prince Yan, while the youngest Prince Heng was born to the Imperial Concubine.

The Crown Prince and Prince Yan were brothers, raised together since childhood, their bond unbreakable. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, when the Crown Prince ascended the throne, Prince Yan would become the new Emperor's right-hand man.

In other words, aligning herself with Prince Yan could bring Shen Wei an illustrious future.

"Shen Wei, what are you doing here?" A voice of confusion suddenly came from behind her.

Shen Wei turned around to see Zhang Yue, her former colleague, carrying a pot of flowers.

Zhang Yue naturally knew that Shen Wei had come to seek out Prince Yan.

Just like the new concubines who had been elevated before, they would intentionally show themselves, throwing themselves into his arms, hoping to make a favorable impression on Prince Yan.

Zhang Yue felt both pity and disdain, her tone becoming sharper: "I suggest you give it up. Even if you manage to charm the Prince, you won't be able to keep him—"

Before she could finish, Cai Ping beside Shen Wei frowned and chided: "You don't even pay your respects to your mistress, yet you dare to speak so boldly. Where do you get such nerve!"