Volume One, Chapter Four: Consort Xu Confined to Qiuxiang Garden

As the father and son entered the courtyard, they were met with the sight of a displeased princess consort, the concubine Xu weeping uncontrollably, servants beaten beyond recognition, and a crowd of household staff bustling about.

Gu Nanxiao scanned the scene but did not see the woman he sought. She must have caused the trouble and then slipped away. It was one thing to leave him to clean up the mess; he only wondered if she had suffered any losses herself.

This commotion gave Prince Yong a headache—such chaos had not erupted in the manor for a long time. Just as he was about to ask the princess consort what had happened, Concubine Xu, tearful and pained, rushed forward, interrupting him.

“My lord, you must stand up for me! Today, I sent someone to deliver gifts to the first prince’s attendant maidservants, yet the servants I sent were each slapped thirty times. This is not just an insult to the servants but a direct affront to me. A newly favored attendant dares to mistreat me so brazenly—how am I supposed to live in this manor going forward?”

Prince Yong, seeing Concubine Xu’s tear-streaked face, felt a deep pang of sympathy. After hearing Yunxi’s actions, his anger flared. He had expected the new attendant to be a refined young lady, but instead, she acted arrogantly and even dared to discipline his beloved’s servant. Such insolence must be severely punished.

Gu Nanxiao’s eyes flickered with understanding. He had not been mistaken; the seemingly delicate and gentle little lamb was, in truth, a fierce little leopard with sharp claws. He instinctively touched his left shoulder, still smarting from the bite—it seemed she had not only dared to bite but had bitten with deadly intent.

Prince Yong’s gaze swept the courtyard, filled with familiar faces, yet no sign of the new attendant. He spoke, “Where is the attendant who struck the servants?”

All eyes turned to Zisu, the maid Yunxi had brought from her natal home. Zisu had never witnessed such a scene before, but for her mistress’s sake, she swallowed her fear and timidly replied, “My lord... my lady is currently... resting.”

At this, not only Prince Yong, the princess consort, and Concubine Xu but even Gu Nanxiao, who somewhat anticipated Yunxi’s character, showed expressions of surprise.

Before Prince Yong’s fury could fully ignite, Zisu quickly added, “The maids sent by Concubine Xu to deliver the gifts insulted my lady for nearly half an hour after finishing their task. They even said things like, ‘All this fuss for a hopeless person, arranging a shameless jade is just fooling oneself—such wasted effort.’”

Gu Nanxiao immediately caught Yunxi’s meaning: the “hopeless person” was clearly a veiled reference to the Empress Dowager; the “not humane” was an allusion to Prince Yong himself; the “fooling oneself” meant baseless gossip; and “wasted effort” hinted at Concubine Xu’s ambition.

Indeed, it was not the quantity but the precision of these accusations that mattered. With these heavy charges laid bare, Concubine Xu would not easily escape today’s ordeal.

Upon hearing the vile insults, Prince Yong’s face darkened, and he glared fiercely at Concubine Xu, who trembled all over, too frightened even to shed tears. Since entering the manor, the prince had never looked at her with such a terrifying expression, which filled her heart with inexplicable dread.

She did not understand that one might insult a man, but never his mother; one could say a man was incompetent, but never that his son lacked humanity. Yunxi’s words, conveyed through Zisu, were like sharp blades piercing Prince Yong’s heart. No matter how favored Concubine Xu was, this matter would not be so easily overlooked.

Sensing the danger, Concubine Xu’s tears fell again as she clung to Prince Yong’s sleeve, tugging gently. Seeing his expression soften slightly, the princess consort guessed this matter would again be brushed aside, her heart heavy with frustration. She knew that the moment the vile woman cried, the prince would unconditionally indulge her.

Just as Concubine Xu shot a provocative glance at the princess consort, Zisu spoke once more, “My lady wishes to tell my lord: ‘Vile servants and reckless minions are the root of all household disasters.’”

This was undeniably true. Although noble families appeared glamorous, each lived on thin ice. Many noble houses had suffered ruin because of lax discipline over servants, allowing wicked ones to wreak havoc and invite calamity. Countless houses had been targeted by enemies, resulting in their downfall.

Upon hearing this, Prince Yong’s face shifted swiftly from anger to ruthless resolve. He waved his hand and ordered, “Beat these six vile servants to death and throw their bodies into the paupers’ burial ground. Concubine Xu, for your failure to manage your staff, your monthly allowance is cut for a year, and you are confined to the Autumn Fragrance Garden, forbidden to leave for three months!”

Having issued these orders, Prince Yong shook off Concubine Xu’s grasp and strode into the house.

The guards promptly carried out the orders, executing the six servants and escorting Concubine Xu back to Autumn Fragrance Court.

Watching Concubine Xu’s servants be beaten to death, the princess consort felt a long-suppressed bitterness release from her chest. Her mood lightened immensely.

She had never imagined that the attendant, having seemingly died once, had grown so formidable. If she was truly useful, what did it matter if she showed her a little respect in the future?

Gu Nanxiao remained silent throughout, inwardly impressed. After personally escorting the princess consort back to Qingfeng Garden, he was led by servants to Yunxi’s new quarters.

The courtyard was exceptionally quiet, with servants moving delicately. It seemed the woman was indeed resting. Gu Nanxiao halted the summons and entered Yunxi’s bedroom directly.

Seeing the graceful beauty asleep with rosy cheeks, his expression softened involuntarily. Who would have imagined that such a delicate-looking woman could wield such formidable power?

Yunxi had never revealed herself but had managed to deliver such a crushing blow to Concubine Xu. It was a victory won from afar.

Over the years, his mother’s position as the primary wife had meant constant open and covert struggles against Concubine Xu, without ever gaining the upper hand. Yet today, a mere whisper through a maid had left Concubine Xu utterly defenseless.

Gu Nanxiao’s eyes fell on the faint marks at Yunxi’s neck, and his mind began to wander. He realized that women were like poison—once touched, one could not resist.

Though he told himself to remain restrained and not indulge in such pleasures, another voice argued that he had simply been lonely too long, craving more fiercely now but destined to return to normal after a while.

In the midst of this inner conflict, Gu Nanxiao bent down and kissed her. Just as his lips were about to meet hers, he heard her whisper three words: “Shi Qingchen...”

Hearing the name, Gu Nanxiao’s expression darkened suddenly, the desire in his eyes replaced by burning fury.