Qingge defiantly met his probing gaze. “I am the Wangfei of Ning Wang Manor. The bestowal list was delivered to me under the promise that I could choose any item of my liking. Yet, when I made my choice, a mere subordinate was allowed to snatch it from me. Tell me, what is the purpose of my title if this is how I am treated?” She pressed her lips together, her tone measured and deliberate. “Is it, Your Highness, that what you desire is a docile wife who can be trampled by anyone?”
Ning Wang’s dark eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at his Wangfei. She was a thoroughly beautiful woman—charming and enchanting. Yet, at this moment, the gentle elegance that usually defined her had given way to a resolute sharpness. With her head slightly tilted, her gaze radiated clarity and defiance, brimming with an unyielding will.
He suddenly recalled the events of yesterday: Laying weakly on the mattress, she was like a fragile blossom ravaged by the storm, its damp petals shedding to the earth.
Even the hardest of hearts would feel compassion.
Ning Wang’s usually indifferent expression warmed a bit. He leaned back slightly and said, “You make a fair point—it was this prince’s fault for not keeping my word. In that case, you can tell what you desire, and this prince will give it to you.”
To Qingge, his tone was as cajoling as one would to a pet, so she bluntly refused, “I don’t want anything else. Just give me that Duzhong royal male flower.”
Ning Wang raised an eyebrow slightly, “Are you throwing a tantrum?”
Yes, Qingge was set on throwing a tantrum, “That was something I requested, and yet Steward Sun said it was gone, given to someone else. Such disrespect is unheard of! I, the legitimate daughter of the Xiahou clan, married into the imperial family to become Ning Wangfei, and yet I was denied a mere herb. I have laid claim to it, and I shall have it!”
Ning Wang pondered for a moment, “Mr. Ye Min is in charge of the Qianying Pavilion and my trusted right-hand man. You shouldn’t be so rude to him.”
Qingge knew he had been informed of her encounter with Ye Ming earlier. “It was he who was rude to me first,” she deliberately scoffed.
Ning Wang chuckled, then suddenly asked, “What do you want that Duzhong flower for?”
“It’s a very rare herb, isn’t it? And very useful, too. I might find a use for it someday.” Qingge replied.
“But this could lead to misunderstandings.” Ning Wang gave her a strange look.
“Misunderstandings?”
“Misunderstanding that the Wangfei wants to use it for her husband.”
“???”
Qingge was completely at a loss when Ning Wang suddenly leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk. He lifted his gaze at her, sighing with a hint of helplessness. “Does my Wangfei think that this prince needs to be replenished?”
Qingge was stunned for a moment, then realization suddenly dawned on her. Duzhong was a species that grew as separate male and female trees. The male flowers produced by the male trees only had stamen but no pistil and were one of the main ingredients in a potent prescription used to treat male deficiencies. Said to be able to invigorate a man’s essence and improve his performance in bed, it was quite a popular prescription. Of course, the royal variant had a similar effect, and the Duzhong male flower was primarily recognized for this property, while its detoxifying effects were much less well-known.
When the realization hit her, Qingge’s face slowly turned red.
Seeing the blush spreading across her fair cheeks, Ning Wang chuckled, “You make such a great fuss over the herb, forcing this prince to wonder… if I am that deficient in bed, hmm?”
A powerful masculine presence suddenly enveloped Qingge, stirring memories of the intimate moments she had shared with this man. A tingling, almost numbing sensation ran down her spine, prompting her to instinctively take a few steps back.
She bit her lip and forcefully turned her face away, “If Your Highness was unwilling to give it to me, you could have just said so, why tease me?”
Ning Wang’s lips curved slightly, his voice so gentle it almost sounded coaxing, “This prince would make it up to you with something else.”
Qingge looked up proudly, “Who knows if your words can be trusted? Besides, I don’t want for anything else!”
“This prince has acknowledged my wrong, no? Since this prince is at fault, let me double your compensation so that Wangfei won’t lose her face.”
“I want the Duzhong royal male flower! I don’t care how others may misunderstand, I just want that!” Qingge tilted her chin up disdainfully, “A dignified Ning Wang fails to keep his words to his Wangfei, and is now making another promise of compensation? Who would believe that!”
With that, she flung her sleeves and left abruptly.
Ning Wang watched her slender, straight back disappear, paused for a moment, then suddenly chuckled.
Her temperament was exactly that—vain, spoiled, wilful.
But that was to be expected. After all, she was born the legitimate daughter of the Xiahou clan head, raised without ever being denied anything.
…
The scenery outside the Tianhong Pavilion was splendid, with various types of flowers vying in brilliance. Now in spring, fresh foliage unfurled in an array of shades—from rich, vibrant greens to soft, delicate hues.
Luo Momo and Cui Gugu quietly waited for the Wangfei, neither speaking a word. When a bird flitted by, Cui Gugu subtly glanced at Luo Momo and saw the older woman gazing absentmindedly at the pavilion’s windows, lost in thought. Perhaps the momo was devising strategies for her mistress, thinking of ways to please Ning Wang, but she knew that from the moment the Wangfei entered the Tianhong Pavilion, they were destined to lose. It had been three years since she started working at Ning Wang Manor, during which she had been devoting her heart and soul, serving both the prince and Noble Consort Tan. Because of her discipline and competence, Ning Wang appreciated her, and Noble Consort Tan trusted her deeply.
Of course, her role was not an easy one, as she had to navigate the delicate balance between mother and son, careful not to offend either side. But she had always managed well and was confident in her understanding of Ning Wang, knowing how to make herself liked by him.
But as she turned twenty, she began to realize that her greatest strength was also her biggest weakness. In Ning Wang’s eyes, she was never a woman but a subordinate—one that was useful and competent, so he kept her around just for that purpose.
And her time was running out. She needed to transform his perception of her before next year, to make Ning Wang see her as a woman. That was her only way to remain in this Ning Wang manor and elevate her status into a concubine. To that effect, she had to leverage her years of service to both Noble Consort Tan and Ning Wang to the fullest.
With the manor recently welcoming a Wangfei, this was a pivotal moment for her. If she navigated this opportunity well, she could rise to become an honored concubine; if she made a mistake, she might find herself without a place in Ning Wang Manor.
With this in mind, Cui Gugu glanced at Luo Momo, who, by chance, was also looking at her.
Cui Gugu chuckled softly, nodded politely, and then looked away. She knew that Luo Momo, as Xiahou Jianxue’s caretaker, was highly respected in the Xiahou clan, but what did it matter? From the moment Xiahou Jianxue entered the Tianhong Pavilion, she and her momo had already lost.
Cui Gugu smiled inwardly. She could already predict that henceforth, Ning Wang would grow annoyed with his wilful new bride, as he truly disliked short-sighted, ignorant people.
Moments later, footsteps echoed from the steps, prompting both Cui Gugu and Luo Momo to look over.
Under their watchful eyes, Qingge descended the steps, her annoyance evident, although she maintained her graceful demeanor.
Luo Momo immediately frowned, sensing trouble.
Cui Gugu lowered her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
Qingge, without even a glance at the two, went straight to her palanquin and commanded, “Go back.”
Since she had failed to obtain the Duzhong royal male flowers, she could only let it go. Even so, Qingge was satisfied with her performance today.
What was she? Merely an orphaned sla∨e. In the Great Sheng dynasty, escaping sla∨ery was nearly impossible. She had devoted more than half her life striving to rid herself of this sla∨e status, to secure a household registration that would make her an ordinary free individual. That was her lofty goal.
To her, Ye Min, who had trained her from childhood, was an insurmountable peak, while the noble Ning Wang was a deity she wasn’t even permitted to look at directly.
Yet now, she had the chance to move about so grandly in this manor, make Ye Min bow to her, and make Ning Wang yield to her, which was truly…
Qingge understood this was her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Since it was a one-time chance, it must not be wasted.
In a few days, it would be the Zhonghe Festival, and she planned to go out, take a boat ride on the lake, and enjoy the scenery. Of course, her real goal was to probe the situation from Ye Min.
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I’m guessing Ye MiB wants to get that flower for her