After Transmigrating Into A Love-Brained Scumbag Villain - Chapter 31

That evening, when Zhao Shangrong learned that Wang Yaoshuang had returned, she wandered into the rear courtyard and entered Wang Yaoshuang’s room. She asked Jiumo, “The princess consort returned. Why did you not report it to me?”

Jiumo carefully glanced at her mistress.

Naturally, Zhao Shangrong also noticed that Wang Yaoshuang’s expression was unusual.

Wang Yaoshuang had changed out of the traveling clothes she had worn when she went out and into casual home robes. She was currently seated behind the desk, writing. Even when Zhao Shangrong came in, she did not rise to greet her. This was very inconsistent with Wang Yaoshuang’s usual conduct. To Zhao Shangrong, it was naturally extremely abnormal.

Hearing this, Wang Yaoshuang put down her brush, slowly rose, and unhurriedly bowed. “When this concubine returned, I saw that Your Highness was busy, so I did not have anyone disturb Your Highness. I ask Your Highness to forgive me.”

Zhao Shangrong suddenly understood. “So that was it!”

After a moment, she heard the deeper meaning hidden in Wang Yaoshuang’s phrase “Your Highness was busy” and said, “I originally planned to accompany you back to the Wang family, but you would not allow it. I had nothing else to do, so I could only continue practicing the pipa.”

Wang Yaoshuang smiled without speaking.

Jiumo wanted to speak but stopped herself. Your Highness, was that practicing the pipa? You were mentally torturing people, weren’t you?

Wang Yaoshuang asked, “May this concubine ask why Your Highness has come over so late?”

After dinner, Wang Yaoshuang had originally wanted to continue working by lamplight on internal affairs. Then she suddenly remembered His Highness’s words and had no choice but to stop, asking Jiumo to prepare her medicinal bath.

She shook her head. “After her identity was exposed, Xun Xuan considered her past achievements and did not execute her for deceiving the ruler. Instead, he dismissed her from office. After that, she vanished without a trace. Some believe she already died alone and helpless, some believe she merely lived in seclusion in the mountains, and some believe she married. If she is still alive, she should now be over fifty.”

Zhao Shangrong thought that in her previous life, most of the teachers who taught her had been women. What was there worth mentioning about that?

She said indifferently, “It doesn’t matter. In any case, no matter who teaches me, knowledge will only float through my brain without leaving the slightest trace.”

Suddenly, she remembered Wang Yaoshuang’s question and said, “I do not have any particular view. Whether men or women, all are qualified to study. Knowledge has no gender. As long as someone possesses profound learning, then they are qualified to accept students and teach. But in this world, I will admire women who are able to take this step even more.”

To describe being ignorant and incompetent in such a fresh and refined way—as expected of His Highness.

Zhao Shangrong’s eyes suddenly shone. “Lou Cheng is truly amazing. Is she still alive? I want to find her to teach me chess!”

Then she added, “Go to the Variety Theater and see whether the female musician named Zhenyue has rested. If she has not, bring her here.”

Wang Yaoshuang: “…”

Zhenyue had just been about to say that nothing had happened to her, and the one in trouble was her pipa, when the voice of the female attendant in charge of the Variety Theater sounded outside the door. “Zhenyue, the princess consort wants to see you. Prepare yourself.”

Wang Yaoshuang: “…”

Zhao Shangrong pretended not to hear and pointed at the desk. “From now on, when only the princess consort and I are eating, separate servings are fine, but do not use separate tables. I will sit together with the princess consort.”

After confirming that His Highness would not obstruct Xiaoshuang because her study attendant might be a woman, Wang Yaoshuang no longer worried on Xiaoshuang’s behalf.

At this moment, they saw Bihe passing by and immediately felt that Zhenyue was saved.

“Yes.”

Someone leaned close to Zhenyue and asked, “Today… nothing happened, right?”

The maidservants serving the dishes looked at one another, then responded in unison, “Yes.”

Inside the Variety Theater.

Zhao Shangrong said regretfully that this was just like Hua Mulan—simply the ancestor of women disguising themselves as men to serve as officials!

“If the one teaching Your Highness is a woman, does that not matter either?”

Zhao Shangrong sighed. “I said before that you may freely assign anyone in the prince’s manor. There are many matters you do not need to handle personally and tire yourself over. Just hand them over to others. You are clearly weak, yet you always force yourself, which is why you fainted last time. So I have decided that from now on, for all three meals a day, I will come over and eat with you. I need to watch you eat properly.”

Zhenyue’s hand trembled, and the string she had just tuned tightened again.

Wang Yaoshuang smiled.

It was an answer both unexpected and within reason.

Zhenyue slowly put down the pipa, took a string of copper coins from the money she had painstakingly saved, and went out. The moment she saw the female attendant, she stuffed the coins into her hand and asked, “Elder Sister, why does the princess consort wish to see this servant?”

Or had His Highness noticed that there were Wang Yaoshuang’s people among the female attendants by her side, so…

The surrounding women musicians were chattering. No one knew who mentioned that Zhenyue had been punished to kneel a few days ago, but the atmosphere instantly froze.

Wang Yaoshuang’s breath caught. Was His Highness warning her not to stretch her hands too far?

The women musicians in the same theater were all somewhat worried. After all, the princess consort had just gone to catch an affair a few days ago and had punished Zhenyue by making her kneel. Today, while the princess consort was absent, His Highness had summoned Zhenyue again. They heard that after the princess consort returned and learned of this, she was very angry!

They feared that this trip would bode ill rather than well for Zhenyue.

Wang Yaoshuang let out a relieved breath, as if she had survived a disaster, and also felt somewhat annoyed that His Highness was always unconsciously tugging at her sensitive nerves… even though none of this was His Highness’s fault.

The surrounding women musicians all held their breaths, looking at Zhenyue with worried faces… This time, Zhenyue was probably going to fall into the princess consort’s hands.

During the meal, Wang Yaoshuang prepared to mention to His Highness that Xiaoshuang had recommended herself as a study attendant. But on second thought, whether it was Xiaoshuang or the Wang family, they all intended to handle this matter discreetly. With His Highness’s rather guileless temperament, perhaps Chief Clerk Chen would trick the information out of her, causing even greater trouble.

“This concubine has been eating properly,” Wang Yaoshuang quietly argued.

All Wang Yaoshuang’s thoughts froze instantly. Her mood was like a small boat riding rapids, rising and falling unstably.

They stopped Bihe and said with great enthusiasm, “Female Attendant Bihe, what a coincidence!”

Seeing that Wang Yaoshuang had stopped using her chopsticks, Zhao Shangrong asked, “Princess Consort, why are you not eating?”

Wang Yaoshuang looked at His Highness. Suddenly, inspiration came to her, and she told His Highness the stories of Lady Xuanwen and Lou Cheng that she had just told her family. At the end, she asked, “What does Your Highness think of women studying and teaching?”

Bihe: “…”

In the past, she had been the lowest-profile laundry maidservant in the prince’s manor. Naturally, after the princess consort transferred her to her side to help handle internal affairs, her status rose as well. However, she was still not used to these people treating her so warmly. It made them look like they were currying favor with power, and it also reminded her at every moment that she was now a piece of meat.

“What is it?” she asked coldly.

“Nothing much. We just wanted to ask the female attendant for a favor. Just now, Female Attendant Jiumo from the princess consort’s side came and took Zhenyue away. We do not know the reason, so we wanted to know whether Zhenyue offended the princess consort somehow?”

Bihe was extremely speechless. “Who is Zhenyue? I do not know her. I do not know.”

Suddenly, she paused, seeming to remember who Zhenyue was.

“His Highness summoned Zhenyue again today?” she asked.

The women musicians hurriedly nodded.

“She should be fine.” Bihe felt that in terms of reliability, the princess consort was definitely more reliable, so rather than worrying about Zhenyue being summoned by the princess consort, they might as well worry about her being summoned by His Highness.

Although she said this, after returning to her own room, she thought it over, then picked up a stack of account books and went to Wang Yaoshuang’s place.

Outside the door, Jiumo saw that it was her and smiled. “Sister Bihe, why have you come so late?”

Bihe said, “These are account books I have checked and reviewed. I did not know whether the princess consort urgently needed to look through them, so I brought them over first.”

Jiumo accepted them and said, “The princess consort is bathing. Put them here for now! His Highness only said today that the princess consort is not allowed to overwork, so these account books will probably not be reviewed by the princess consort until tomorrow.”

Bihe said, “That is fine. I have merely done what I should do.”

At this moment, Wang Yaoshuang came out after changing clothes. She learned from Jiumo why Bihe had come over so late, and admiration appeared in her eyes. As expected of someone who, in her previous life, had helped the Prince of Yingchuan manage the prince’s manor’s internal affairs in perfect order. Her ability to handle matters and her style of doing things were truly swift and decisive.

Zhenyue followed behind the princess consort. Wang Yaoshuang turned to her and said, “You may go back first.”

“Yes!”

Zhenyue felt as if she had been granted amnesty.

Bihe also said, “Hearing that His Highness ordered that the princess consort must not overwork, this servant does not dare violate His Highness’s command. I will first go back and check these account books myself again to see whether there are any omissions, then submit them for the princess consort to review tomorrow.”

Wang Yaoshuang did not stop her.

Looking at Bihe and Zhenyue leaving, Wang Yaoshuang thought it over and asked Jiumo, “Did Bihe really come to deliver account books?”

Jiumo gave an “Ah.” “What else could she have come to do?”

Wang Yaoshuang: “…”

“Forget it.” In any case, it was not anything important.

On the other side.

Bihe carried the account books and walked silently under the winding covered corridor. Zhenyue followed closely behind her step by step.

Bihe turned back. “This is not the way back to the Variety Theater. Why are you following me?”

Zhenyue was a little nervous. “I wanted to thank the female attendant.”

“Thank me for what?”

“That day when I was punished to kneel, it was the female attendant who spoke for me before His Highness, right? Thank you!”

Bihe said, “I did not plead for you.”

She had not pleaded for mercy. She had merely mentioned it before His Highness and asked how His Highness intended to deal with the pipa musician.

His Highness had asked in return, “Why should she be dealt with? Oh, she acted as a model all afternoon and also taught me the pipa. I imagine she was rather tired. Then add some wages for her, calculated per session. According to the course fees for an art model and vocal lesson, one session is five hundred coins…”

“…”

Under the moonlight, Zhenyue revealed a shy smile. “In any case, thank you, Female Attendant Bihe!”

Bihe did not respond.

After a while, she knowingly asked, “Why were you at the princess consort’s place?”

Speaking of this, Zhenyue let out a heavy breath. “The princess consort summoned me over. I originally thought…”

She paused, then changed her words. “I originally thought the princess consort wanted to hear a pipa piece, but the princess consort only wanted to chat with me for a few moments.”

Her tone was stiff, and the excuse was rather poor. Bihe saw through her lie at a glance.

However, Bihe did not dig to the bottom of it. Instead, rarely, she gave her a piece of advice. “His Highness’s bed is not so easy to climb into. Rather than thinking of every possible way to become His Highness’s concubine, it would be easier for you to distinguish yourself by becoming His Highness’s pipa teacher.”

After she finished speaking, Zhenyue remained silent for a long while. Bihe thought Zhenyue would at least deny it, but unexpectedly, Zhenyue said somewhat unwillingly, “But His Highness praised me for being beautiful and said my pipa playing was very pleasant.”

Bihe looked at her coldly. “In the palace, countless women with outstanding appearances, overflowing talent, and graceful bearing once received the late emperor’s praise. However…”

Those unfinished words, Bihe believed Zhenyue could understand.

Zhenyue did indeed understand Bihe’s warning. Leaving aside the schemes and struggles between the palace consorts and beauties, one could use the nearest example to them—Grand Consort Yun. Back then, Grand Consort Yun had suffered a miscarriage because she was schemed against by those women in the late emperor’s rear courtyard before he had ascended the throne, and then she developed madness.

Even someone of Grand Consort Yun’s background could not escape others’ hidden harm, let alone a lowly slave like Zhenyue.

So unless one held the resolve to die, one should never lightly attempt to fight for favor in the rear courtyard or rear palace.

Zhenyue smiled sadly. “But I never thought of fighting the princess consort for favor. I am only a maidservant born a criminal slave. I do not have such great ability or ambition to replace the princess consort, who has such a noble status. I only…”

She had a reason she had no choice but to climb upward. Only by obtaining His Highness’s favor and becoming His Highness’s concubine could she move one step closer to the thing she wanted to do.

Bihe left indifferently. “There is no need to tell me.”

Zhenyue returned to the Variety Theater in a daze. Seeing her return unharmed, the women musicians all breathed a sigh of relief and regained the mood to tease her. “I didn’t expect Female Attendant Bihe to be cold-faced but warm-hearted. Unfortunately, she is a little ugly. Otherwise, I would want to pair up with her.”

“Pah. Female Attendant Bihe may not necessarily look upon you favorably now.”

Hearing them make jokes about Bihe’s appearance made Zhenyue feel somewhat uncomfortable. “Why did you suddenly mention Female Attendant Bihe?”

The women musicians asked in surprise, “Was it not Female Attendant Bihe who ‘rescued’ you from the princess consort’s place?”

Zhenyue suddenly understood Bihe’s contradictory behavior at the princess consort’s place. Her heart warmed, and she prepared to go find Bihe.

The women musicians stopped her. “Curfew will start soon. Where are you going?”

Curfew did not only mean the gates between city wards were closed and locked. The prince’s manor also had its own corresponding curfew system. First, it was to prevent assassins from murdering the masters. Second, it was to prevent servants from moving around and causing illicit disorder in the rear courtyard.

Zhenyue did not have the courage to violate the curfew system, so she could only suppress the thought of going to find Bihe.

—

The master of the prince’s manor, His Highness Zhao Shangrong, did not know that so many things had happened at night. She only learned that the princess consort had seen Zhenyue last night when she went to find the princess consort for breakfast.

Zhao Shangrong asked, “Does the princess consort also want to learn the pipa?”

Wang Yaoshuang looked at her with a smile that was not quite a smile and gently shook her head in denial. “This concubine only caught a hurried glimpse that day and had not properly looked at this legendary beauty, so last night, I summoned her to serve this concubine in bathing. I must say, she truly is an incomparably beautiful person. No wonder Your Highness cherishes her so.”

“Pfft—” Zhao Shangrong’s eyes widened like copper bells. “You, you two?!”

She was somewhat angry. “I have not even bathed together with the princess consort, yet the princess consort actually—” found someone else first?

Suddenly, realizing what she was saying, she hurriedly stopped.

Wang Yaoshuang lowered her head and held back her laughter. After a moment, she asked with a considerate expression, “Then does Your Highness want to bathe together with this concubine?”

Author’s Note:

Princess Consort: This concubine can bathe together with Your Highness. Does Your Highness dare?

His Highness: …

—

Bihe and Zhenyue count as a side CP. It is related to foreshadowing from the previous life, but they will not have many scenes~