cold clothes

Five days after the wedding, a carriage stopped in front of the villa.

Leng Yi had expected Zhao Qun to be the one who came, so she was taken aback when she saw who it was, and then she couldn't help but show a look of bewilderment.

"Yuqing, it's you?"

"You're not happy to see me?" Wang Yuqing's face hardened slightly. "From now on, you'll be staying in the backyard of the Prince's Mansion. Your food, clothing, and lodging will all be taken care of by me, so you'd better try to please me."

Leng Yi smiled and her eyes narrowed. She quickly fawned, "Yes, Your Highness, I will certainly obey Your Highness's orders."

After saying that, the two of them couldn't help but laugh.

"Yuqing has just entered the Prince's Mansion and should have many matters to attend to. Why waste time coming to pick me up personally?" Wang Yuqing and Lengyi went out together, and Lengyi asked as they walked.

“Even with a lot of work, you still need to take time to rest. Besides,” Yuqing covered her mouth and chuckled, “the sooner you enter the Prince’s mansion, the more you can help me with the chores.”

Sharing miscellaneous tasks—it sounded so easy, but in reality, it was giving Leng Yi the power to manage the household. Leng Yi's mood gradually grew heavy. How could she not feel guilty when Wang Yuqing had such a high level of affection for her?

There were no necessary ceremonies for taking a concubine; it was simply a matter of registering with the government that someone was so-and-so's concubine, and that was it. Now that the emperor values ​​frugality, taking a concubine must be even more discreet.

Leng Yi was led by Wang Yuqing to the Zhao Prince's Mansion, a three-courtyard complex of similar scale to the main residence. However, since the Zhao Prince's Mansion currently only has the Prince and Princess as its owners and the number of servants is also small, the Zhao Prince's Mansion appears more spacious.

Wang Yuqing arranged for Leng Yi to stay in the east wing of the main house, which was the highest-ranking bedroom besides the main house itself. Leng Yi stood in front of the bedroom she had been given, somewhat dazed.

“Ningbi, you can live here from now on. Don’t be too surprised. This is a decision that the prince and I discussed.”

Leng Yi couldn't feign happiness; her eyes dimmed, and her voice trembled as she said, "How could this not surprise me..."

“The prince told me that he wants to make you his concubine in the future, and I think that’s great.” Wang Yuqing smiled and said, “Why do you still find it so hard to believe? I told you before that I have no feelings for the prince and do not need his favor. Moreover, no matter who my concubine is, it will not threaten my position. Originally, I didn’t care, but because of you, I feel that everything is better.”

Wang Yuqing's gentle and calm smile made Leng Yi feel inexplicably dizzy. A certain idea that had been swirling in her mind seemed to have been confirmed.

Could it be that Yuqing... likes her?

Even if a woman dislikes her husband, she wouldn't act so indifferent. Wang Yuqing seemed to regard Zhao Qun as a business partner. If she wasn't gay, Leng Yi couldn't find any other reason.

However, this only made her feel even more guilty.

After Wang Yuqing left, Lingcao, who had been silently standing by, finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up. She looked confused: "Ningbi, the Princess Consort actually agreed to make you a concubine? And the Prince actually wants to make you a concubine?"

After the chaos subsided, Suzuka was overjoyed: "As expected of Ningbi!"

Leng Yi covered her face in shame, her tone revealing a deep sense of disappointment, "Don't praise me, I don't know why I'm like this."

Seeing Leng Yi like this, Lingcao felt as if her heart was being pierced by needles, and all her joy vanished. She knew why Ningbi was in so much pain; she had been watching closely all along.

Ningbi possesses wisdom and aspirations unlike those of ordinary women, and is also a kind-hearted girl who is constantly tormented by Prince Jing and Fengxianglou.

What can I do to save Ningbi? I don't care if I'm shattered to pieces, as long as Ningbi can be happy.