FBC – Chapter 323 Concubines Pay Respect to the Main Wife

The two women arrived at Hall before dawn.

Gu Hua was having breakfast with her two little treasures. When she heard they had arrived, she instructed the servants to let them wait in the outer hall.

Yin Tao was impatient, twisting her handkerchief. “She’s putting on airs! How dare she not give His Majesty face? Are we ordinary concubines? We’re women granted by the Emperor!”

Yiyun sat calmly, sipping tea without responding.

Seeing how leisurely she looked, Yin Tao grew even more agitated. “I really don’t know how Her Majesty the Empress picked you! Aren’t you anxious at all? We can’t even move around the palace—how are we supposed to gather information?”

Suddenly, Yiyun’s expression changed. She slammed the teacup down.

In a low voice, she snapped, “You want to die? Don’t drag me with you!”

Yin Tao glanced around quickly—no one was nearby.

She sat down with annoyance, took a sip of tea, and frowned. “What crappy tea is this? They’re brushing us off.”

Yiyun sighed helplessly. “Just behave yourself. The Yong Prince’s manor has only one mistress—the Princess Consort. If you dare show disrespect, you might not live long.”

Yin Tao snorted. “We were bestowed by the Emperor. She wouldn’t dare kill me, would she? That Gu Hua wasn’t born noble—she climbed into bed to rise in rank. How much higher than us can she be?”

Yiyun was furious. If she weren’t afraid of being implicated, she really wouldn’t bother with this fool.

But the two of them were bestowed by the Emperor. It was obvious the Prince didn’t want them, and no one in the manor welcomed them. If they wanted to settle in and do something for their master, they first needed to survive.

If this idiot got caught and punished by the Princess Consort, she wouldn’t escape blame either.

She took a breath to patiently warn her, “This is the remote southern border. The Yong Prince has independent jurisdiction. Even if he kills us, so what? Do you think His Majesty would fall out with the Yong Prince over women of our status?”

Yin Tao froze for a moment, her eyes shifting, and stayed silent.

Seeing she had stopped running her mouth, Yiyun decided not to bother with her anymore.

Their entire conversation had already been overheard by the people Gu Hua stationed there.

Half an hour later, Gu Hua entered, surrounded by a group of maids.

The two women scrambled to their feet and bowed.

Yin Tao snuck a glance, and when she saw Gu Hua’s beauty and graceful figure, her eyes flickered.

Gu Hua wore a simple dark-blue jacket embroidered with silver clouds, paired with a matching brocade eight-panel skirt adorned with pearl floral patterns.

Her appearance was understated yet luxurious.

With a soft smile, Gu Hua took her seat at the main position. Though she smiled gently, her gaze was firm.

The maids stood at attention beside her, each straight-backed and imposing—unlike the timid servants of other noble households.

Under such pressure, the two women instinctively bent their backs and lowered their heads.

Yiyun stepped forward first, respectfully kneeling.

Yin Tao followed, unwilling to be outdone. Just as they were about to speak, Gu Hua opened her mouth.

She swept her gaze lightly over them. “So the two of you wished to see me? Were the manor staff not treating you well?”

The women’s faces changed.

She was outright refusing to acknowledge them as the Prince’s concubines.

“Princess Consort…”

Yin Tao burst into tears. “This servant is a concubine bestowed by His Majesty. If Your Ladyship says such things, do you want this servant to die?”

Yiyun looked sorrowful but shed no tears. She choked out, “Princess Consort, although we were bestowed to the Prince as concubines, if Your Ladyship does not accept us, we shall obey your arrangements. This servant is willing to serve you as a maid.”

Yin Tao disliked what she said and immediately sobbed, “Princess Consort, I also do not mind becoming a maid, but if His Majesty learns of this, he will blame Your Ladyship for defying an imperial decree. Outsiders would not think the Prince disliked us—they would say the Princess Consort is jealous and cannot tolerate other women. That would damage your good reputation!”

Dong Qing and the maids all rolled their eyes.

Yiyun ignored her, solemnly kowtowing. “This servant begs the Princess Consort to take me in as a servant.”

Yin Tao was furious, but seeing Gu Hua’s expression unchanged, she still wanted to struggle.

“Princess Consort, since I have come to Juzhou, I cannot return. If you do not acknowledge me as a concubine, I would be defying the imperial decree and would have no choice but to die!”

Gu Hua spoke calmly. “Very well.”

Yin Tao froze, then brightened with relief. “Thank you, Princess Consort, for your magnanimity! I have long heard of your virtuous reputation—meeting you today proves it true.”

Gu Hua smiled sweetly. “Since you want to die, I can only fulfill your wish.”

Yin Tao stiffened.

Yiyun trembled, still kneeling with her head low.

Gu Hua gently instructed, “Dong Qing, bring poison wine, a white silk cloth, and a dagger. Let her choose whichever she prefers.”

Dong Qing smirked. “Yes, Princess Consort.”

She hurried off to fetch them.

Yin Tao turned pale with fear. “Your Ladyship, we were bestowed by the Emperor! If we die here, you would be defying His Majesty!”

Gu Hua’s voice remained soft. “His Majesty will only hear that you took your own life because you failed to win the Prince’s favor. He might even reward you. You came from afar—I will give you a generous burial. If you have family, I will compensate them handsomely.”

Yin Tao was so terrified she could no longer speak.

Yiyun’s shoulders trembled, but she kept kowtowing, not daring to lift her head.

Suddenly, a tall figure appeared.

Mu Junyan frowned. “What is happening?”

Because he had eaten the grapes she peeled that night, he had accepted her—he simply had been very busy.

Seeing him, Yin Tao lunged toward him like grabbing a lifeline, clutching his robe. “Your Highness, save me! The Princess Consort is forcing me to kill myself!”

Yiyun almost collapsed entirely, her body tilting.

Mu Junyan extended his foot to support her. She lifted her tear-filled eyes pitifully.

Mu Junyan said evenly, “Princess Consort, you want them to commit suicide? They were bestowed by His Majesty.”

Gu Hua’s face changed. She stood abruptly. “Your Highness, do you want to accept them? Have you forgotten that you once said you would only marry me? Are you taking in new women already?”

“Absurd. Every nobleman has multiple wives and concubines. Why should I alone be restricted to only you?”

Just then, Dong Qing entered carrying poison wine, a dagger, and a white silk cloth—and heard this sentence.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

The other maids looked at her nervously.

Dong Qing quickly placed the items down, bowed to Mu Junyan, and said, “Your Highness, it was not the Princess Consort who wanted them dead. They were crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang themselves.”

Mu Junyan gave her a cold glance. “Is it your turn to speak?”

Dong Qing was shocked. Was this really Mu Junyan? Had something possessed him?

Gu Hua trembled with fury. “Fine, fine! You want them? Then take them!”

Seeing her pale face, Mu Junyan’s expression flickered with unease.

Gu Hua spun around violently, wiping nonexistent tears, crying, “Go! I don’t want to see these two fox spirits!”

Mu Junyan clenched his fist and ordered coldly, “Take them back. Serve them well.”

The maids outside entered to escort the two women away.

Mu Junyan quickly followed.

Dong Qing hurried to comfort Gu Hua—only to see her calmly fold the handkerchief and turn around with a face completely dry.

So she had been acting.

But the Prince hadn’t seen her in two months. The way he spoke earlier… didn’t that anger her?

Gu Hua only said softly, “The Old Madam should be arriving soon.”

She went to the children’s room. The Old Madam was already there, with each child clinging to one of her legs, listening to war stories.

Seeing Gu Hua’s expression, the Old Madam asked, “Handled those two women?”

Gu Hua smiled and sat beside her. “Not that easily.”

The Old Madam chuckled. “I trust you.”

Gu Hua gave her a sweet smile.

Soon, a maid came to report that the Prince had given generous rewards to the two concubines.

Shortly after, Shen Li arrived with a bowl of prenatal medicine.

Gu Hua obediently drank it.

No matter what happened, she needed to safely deliver her child and maintain her health.

Only then could she handle whatever changes came.

When Gu Hua awoke from her nap, she heard laughter outside.

Through the wooden window, she saw Mu Junyan playing in the snow with the two children.

The tall, imposing man now sat in the snow to match the children’s height, his hands red from the cold as he built a snowman with them, laughing like a big child.

Gu Hua smiled—and tears slowly fell.

Dong Qing and the maids dared not speak.

Gu Hua whispered, “Come, let’s go to the kitchen and make snacks for the children.”