Chapter 110: Seeking Support

An Yi could not think of anything about An Qinghe that would be worth the Huang family spending such a vast amount of capital on. She decided not to dwell on the matter for the time being. After bathing and changing, she circulated her inner energy through her meridians, then went to bed. Tomorrow she still had to meet Princess Lanyi, so she needed to be well rested.

An Yi was barely drifting off when she suddenly heard faint sounds coming from next door. Focusing her attention, she heard Madam Luo speaking to An Qinghe.

“If she does anything wrong, don’t blame her. Don’t scold her…”

“Autumn, Xier hasn’t done anything wrong. Even if she did, I wouldn’t blame her, much less scold her.” An Qinghe paused. “I’m overjoyed that Xier has returned to us safely. As long as she’s happy, she may do whatever she wishes.”

“Don’t say that in front of her. That girl is already willful enough. Today I kept the Seventh Young Master of the Han family for lunch, but he doesn’t eat fish, and two of the five dishes contained fish. I told her…” Madam Luo began listing An Yi’s faults without end.

“Without rules, there can be no order. Xier did the right thing.” An Qinghe stood firmly on An Yi’s side.

“You spoil her as much as you please, until she no longer knows her own limits. When she goes out, she won’t know how to restrain herself either. What will you do when she causes trouble?” Madam Luo was pleased that An Qinghe doted on An Yi so much, though she deliberately spoke in the opposite vein.

“In this capital, I, An Qinghe, may not count for much. But, Autumn, believe me—I have the ability to protect our daughter. I won’t let anyone bully her.”

“I’m afraid she’ll bully other people.”

“Xier is sensible. She won’t go looking for trouble.”

“But what if she causes trouble outside? What then?” Madam Luo pressed.

“Even if she does, I’m here. You needn’t worry.”

An Yi smiled softly. Whether or not An Qinghe truly meant what he said, the fact that he was still willing to placate Madam Luo showed that he still had feelings for her.

Madam Luo sighed. “Xier doesn’t seem to like Sister Huang very much. She had only just returned when Sister Huang began…”

“It’s very late. Go to sleep.” An Qinghe was unwilling to discuss Madam Huang with her.

The room next door fell silent, and An Yi closed her eyes as well.

The following morning, An Yi instructed Second Stewardess Guan to have someone prepare Bright Pearl Pavilion. She left Fragrant Hibiscus behind to watch over Madam Huang, then set out for the princess’s residence in a carriage with Fragrant Celery.

With the token in her possession, entering the princess’s residence was easy. The carriage went in through a side gate and stopped outside the second gate, where An Yi changed into a sedan chair.

Fragrant Celery carried two brocade boxes in her hands and followed forward without looking to either side. Through the curtain, An Yi observed her conduct and gave a slight nod. Auntie Hua certainly had an excellent eye for choosing people—no wonder she was a veteran who had spent decades immersed in the intrigues of the inner household.

The sedan chair stopped before Orchid Garden. An Yi stepped down and handed a purse to the bearers.

“Thank you both for your hard work.”

“Thank you for the reward, Young Lady.” The bearers accepted the purse with cheerful smiles and no false modesty.

The maidservant in charge of Orchid Garden had hurried inside to report the moment An Yi alighted. After waiting at the entrance for a short while, An Yi saw her return.

“Miss Luo, the princess invites you inside.”

“Thank you.” An Yi handed her another purse.

Fragrant Celery could not accompany her into the room. At the entrance to the main chamber, An Yi took the brocade boxes from her and instructed her not to wander about. Then she entered and curtsied to Princess Lanyi.

“Your Highness, this humble daughter pays her respects. May Your Highness enjoy boundless fortune and blessings.”

“There is no need for such ceremony. Rise and sit,” Princess Lanyi said with a smile.

An Yi handed the brocade boxes to Peony, who stood nearby. When the tea was served, she said, “I have come today to confess certain matters to Your Highness.”

A flicker passed through Princess Lanyi’s eyes. She raised a hand, and Peony curtsied before leading the other maids out.

“What do you wish to confess to me?”

“My surname is not Luo. It is An. Luo is my mother’s surname, and my father is An Qinghe.”

Princess Lanyi smiled. “I thought you would wait at least a few more days before coming. I did not expect you to arrive so soon.”

An Yi was not surprised. The people who wished to know about An Qinghe going to the offices to register her household status had likely already learned of it. She lowered her eyes and said, “Although I did not intentionally deceive Your Highness, deception is still deception. No amount of explanation can change that fact. I can only beg Your Highness to forgive the circumstances that forced me to do so.”

“I know something of the An family’s affairs. You suffered an accident, were separated from your family, and came to the capital in search of your relatives. You concealed your identity out of prudence. If I were to take offense at even that, I would be utterly lacking in human feeling. I understand why you had no choice.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” An Yi rose and bowed.

Princess Lanyi smiled faintly and lifted her teacup.

An Yi took out the token and the deed to the residence and placed them before the princess. “There are too many household matters to attend to. I fear I may no longer have time to come to the residence and take Your Highness’s pulse.”

“As far as I know, Madam Huang is the one managing the An household.”

“She was, until yesterday. After yesterday, she is not.”

“Madam Huang is rather sensible. She was actually willing to return the authority in her hands to you.”

“If she were sensible, she would not have shamelessly insisted on becoming my father’s concubine.” An Yi gave a mocking laugh.

“So the authority was not something she relinquished willingly. You seized it from her.”

An Yi’s expression turned solemn. “Your Highness, my mother is the true Lady An. Madam Huang is merely a concubine.”

“She is a concubine, but the household authority is already in her hands. It cannot be easy to make her surrender it. I am very curious—how did you take back the authority that belongs to your mother?”

“A concubine has no proper standing to manage the household. Reclaiming that authority was not difficult.” An Yi omitted Auntie Hua’s role and recounted, in reasonable detail, what had happened the day before.

“Knowing that she has the Noble Consort and the Huang family supporting her, why did you confront her so forcefully and tear away all pretense of cordiality?” Princess Lanyi asked.

“Because there was no way to continue pretending.” An Yi had considered advancing step by step and making her move gradually. But once Madam Huang had openly declared her intention to kill Madam Luo, and An Yi had revealed her identity, there was no longer any possibility of peace between them. They could only face each other openly.

“You cannot keep her locked in a room forever and prevent her from seeing anyone. The Huang family will learn of this sooner or later, and they will not sit idly by. When they come to your door, how will you deal with them?”

An Yi pondered for a moment. “This humble daughter begs Your Highness to lend me a hand.”

Princess Lanyi placed her teacup on the table and fixed An Yi with a sharp gaze. “Why should I help you?”

An Yi met her eyes and replied calmly, “Your Highness indeed has no reason to help me, nor do I possess anything worthy of Your Highness’s assistance. My father is merely a second-rank military official, and my elder brother only a fifth-rank civil official. In this capital, where nobles and powerful families abound, we are insignificant and easily overlooked. By helping me, Your Highness gains no benefit and risks offending the mighty Cavalry General and the Noble Consort within the palace. This humble daughter is asking for more than she has any right to ask. Please consider that I never made such a request.”

“An Yi.”

“Yes.”

Princess Lanyi smiled softly. “There is no need to belittle yourself, nor to retreat in order to test me.”

“This humble daughter would not dare.”

“If you truly did not dare, you would not be sitting here today.” Princess Lanyi leaned back against the bolster. “I admire the bold. Put away the token and deed. I have never taken back anything I have given. You are one of mine, and I will protect you to the very end.”

The corners of An Yi’s lips curved slightly. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Someone come.”

Peony entered at once.

“Peony, summon Zheng Yun for me.”

Zheng Yun was the female official at Princess Lanyi’s side. The same age as the princess, she had once been her study companion and was now responsible for managing the entire inner residence. Princess Lanyi ordered her to personally escort An Yi from the estate.

The gesture alone was enough to show how highly Princess Lanyi regarded An Yi.

Yet before news of it could spread, trouble had already arrived.

Madam Huang’s mother, Madam Chang, sent someone to inform her daughter that she could enter the palace tomorrow to see the Noble Consort.

“Concubine Huang is receiving no visitors. Please leave.” Fragrant Hibiscus stood guard outside Brocade Embroidery Court, refusing to let anyone enter.

The visitor was Red Pearl, Madam Chang’s senior maid. She had come and gone frequently over the past three months and knew that, although Madam Huang had entered the household as a concubine, she had forbidden anyone to address her as such. Yet this woman had called her “Concubine Huang” rather than “Second Madam,” which left Red Pearl bewildered.

“Who are you?” Red Pearl asked.

“Fragrant Hibiscus.”

Red Pearl had never heard the name. “Whom do you serve?”

“The young lady.”

Red Pearl still knew nothing of the changes within the An household. “Since when has the An family had a young lady?”

“There has always been a young lady in the An family.”

“Miss An is already dead.”

With a sharp slap, Fragrant Hibiscus struck Red Pearl across the face. “You’re the one who’s dead!”

The blow left Red Pearl stunned. After a moment, she recovered and demanded furiously, “What are you, that you dare strike me?”

“Not only do I dare strike you, I dare throw you out as well.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Fragrant Hibiscus seized Red Pearl by the collar with one hand, supported her waist with the other, and hurled her several yards forward.

Red Pearl came down from midair and landed sprawled on the ground like a frog. The two young maids who had accompanied her could not help laughing, though they quickly stifled themselves and stepped forward to help her up.

“You—you just wait!” Red Pearl shouted before hurrying away with the two girls.

Fragrant Hibiscus dusted off her hands and said without the slightest concern, “I’ll wait, then. Do you really think I’m afraid of you?”

Second Stewardess Guan, who had been watching from the side, twitched at the corner of her mouth. She walked over and said, “Miss Fragrant Hibiscus, Red Pearl serves Madam Huang. After treating her this way, she will surely go back and run to Madam Huang with tales of what happened. I fear this may cause trouble.”

“Are you suggesting that I should have let her go in to see Concubine Huang? Or that I should have coaxed her politely, so she would obey me, refrain from seeing Concubine Huang, and obediently go home?” Fragrant Hibiscus lightly touched the ground with her toe and flew onto the low wall, where she sat. “Even if I had let her see Concubine Huang, would she not still have gone back to complain? Since the outcome is the same whether she sees her or not, why should I let her in?”

Second Stewardess Guan was left speechless.

An Yi knew nothing of what had happened at home. After leaving the princess’s residence, she directed the carriage to a money house and withdrew one thousand taels of silver. She had just reached the carriage when she caught sight of two familiar figures across the street.

Author’s Note:

Sob, sob. I was having moxibustion to warm my womb and ended up with a blister. I’m so pitiful!