Han Wanqing could not believe it.
What had she just heard? Her younger sister wanted to become her daughter's concubine mother?
Han Wanqing was the eldest legitimate daughter of the Ningyuan Earl's Residence, born to his first wife. Her mother had died young, leaving her and her two younger brothers behind.
Her father had no intention of marrying again, so he elevated his concubine, Madam Wang, to the position of principal wife.
Madam Wang had one son and two daughters. The third sister was still young, and the one visiting Han Wanqing now was her second sister, Han Xiangru.
Before her marriage, Han Wanqing had never been particularly close to this second sister.
After she married into Prince Yu's Residence, however, Han Xiangru began visiting frequently.
At the time, Han Wanqing had assumed her second sister merely wanted to grow closer to her so that, as Princess Yu, she could help with her marriage prospects in the future.
She had never imagined that her sister harbored such a shameful ambition!
The Earl of Ningyuan's ancestors had once enjoyed glory, but the family's fortunes had declined considerably since her grandfather's generation.
By the time her father inherited the title, caring only for tending flowers and plants and having no ambition to better himself, the earldom had become an empty name that merely sounded impressive.
Prince Yu, however, was the emperor's younger brother by the same mother, an exalted imperial prince of Great Chu.
Though his temperament was somewhat flighty, his noble status and handsome face drew highborn young ladies flocking to him like ducks to water, all eager to marry him.
Who would have thought that the daughter of the declining Earl of Ningyuan would swoop in and claim him instead!
When the emperor decreed that Prince Yu would marry Han Wanqing, the Earl of Ningyuan's eldest daughter, countless young ladies secretly tore their handkerchiefs to shreds, jealous of her good fortune!
Han Xiangru had made a few sour remarks herself, but Han Wanqing had merely smiled them away.
In truth, the two families were hardly a suitable match. The marriage had come about only because Prince Yu had fallen in love with Han Wanqing at first sight and personally asked the emperor for it.
The Ningyuan Earl's Residence was not wealthy. The earl himself lacked ambition and held only a leisurely sinecure with a modest salary.
With the income from a few estates and shops added in, the household lived reasonably well, but it was a far cry from Prince Yu's Residence.
On her first visit to Prince Yu's Residence, Han Xiangru had been dazzled by everything she saw. She had even said, "If I had half your good fortune, Sister, my life would be complete."
Yet not everyone had Han Wanqing's luck.
Han Xiangru was seventeen that year. It was not that no one had sought her hand, but how could any of those matches compare to the prestige of marrying into Prince Yu's Residence?
Han Wanqing knew that her second sister had always been competitive and determined to outshine others. When she had seen Han Xiangru finding fault after fault with potential marriages, she had assumed her sister simply could not bear to fall too far behind her.
Thinking back on their interactions over the years left Han Wanqing's heart painfully clogged.
While she was still troubled and distracted, a maid lifted the curtain, and a young woman in a moon-white dress stepped gracefully inside.
"Sister, I made some pastries for you myself," she said brightly.
As she spoke, she handed the paper parcel she was carrying to the maid beside her.
The young woman had delicate features that bore some resemblance to Princess Yu's. She was Han Xiangru, the Han household's second young lady.
Han Wanqing gathered her scattered thoughts and said with her usual expression, "Have a seat, Second Sister."
Han Xiangru sat close beside her on an embroidered stool and smiled. "Mother has been tied up with household affairs lately and hasn't had a moment to spare, so she sent me to visit you. How is your recovery coming along, Sister?"
"I've recovered quite well," Han Wanqing replied coolly.
Mother? Since when did Madam Wang count as her mother!
Tied up with household affairs, indeed. More likely, she was too ashamed to face her!
Madam Wang had originally been a concubine from a respectable family and had been elevated to principal wife only after the previous Countess of Ningyuan died of illness.
At first, she had pretended to be virtuous and kind, fussing over Han Wanqing and her brothers and asking after their well-being.
Before long, however, Madam Wang revealed her true nature. Not only did she withhold their rightful monthly allowances, but she even scrimped on their food.
Han Wanqing had taken her brothers to confront their father about it, and the Earl of Ningyuan had promptly unleashed a torrent of abuse on Madam Wang.
Madam Wang had lost face in front of the entire household's servants. From then on, she and Han Wanqing had maintained only a veneer of civility.
Later, when the emperor decreed Han Wanqing's marriage, Madam Wang had actually lost her head and tried to substitute her own daughter in Han Wanqing's place, like switching a peach tree for a plum. The Earl of Ningyuan had confined her to her quarters and released her only after his eldest daughter's wedding.
Once the ladies of the capital learned of this, they all stopped associating with Madam Wang.
For some reason, Han Xiangru felt that her eldest sister was rather cold today.
She was displeased. It felt as though she were pressing a warm face against a cold backside.
What did Han Wanqing have to be so proud of?! Wasn't she just putting on airs because she had married Prince Yu?
Despite her resentment, Han Xiangru knew that she still needed to curry favor with her eldest sister.
Seeing the little infant in Han Wanqing's arms, she took the initiative to find something to talk about. "What a good baby. She doesn't cry or fuss at all."
Han Xiangru leaned closer to study the baby, then suddenly said, "Sister, I've never seen a baby this small before. May I hold her?"
In the past, Han Wanqing might not have thought much of it.
But after hearing her daughter's thoughts, she had her reservations and hesitated.
Hearing that this ill-intentioned woman wanted to hold her, Chu Siqing immediately perked up. Until then, she had outwardly been as quiet as a chicken, while in reality she had been enjoying gossip with the system:
[Mother! Just let her hold me! I'll pee all over her right away. Let's see if she still dares covet my father! Hmph!]
Hearing her daughter deliver such fierce threats in her babyish voice, Han Wanqing nearly laughed aloud.
She quickly lowered her head to hide it. "Sister, babies can't control themselves. I'm afraid she might wet your clothes, so we'd better not."
Han Xiangru did not truly want to hold the baby anyway. Hearing this, she immediately took the offered slope to get off her high horse. "All right. By the way, Sister, does my niece have a name yet?"
Han Wanqing smiled and nodded. "His Highness named her Chu Siqing."
Chu Siqing... Siqing...
Han Xiangru repeated the name several times to herself, her heart dripping blood with jealousy!
Why was Han Wanqing so fortunate?!
Heaven was far too unfair! She had merely been born two years earlier. Otherwise, this marriage would have fallen to me!
Thinking of the prestige of an imperial prince's household, as well as Prince Yu's handsome face and upright character, Han Xiangru could hardly bear not to take her sister's place!
They were both daughters of an earl's household, so why did Han Wanqing deserve an imperial prince while my suitors were all crooked melons and cracked dates?!
Never mind families of dukes or marquises-there wasn't even an heir to an earldom among them. It was infuriating!
Those useless men weren't worthy of me at all!
Han Xiangru tightened her grip on her handkerchief and forced out a smile. "You and His Highness are so deeply in love, Sister. I'm truly envious."
Han Wanqing's gaze flickered, and she probed, "You're of marriageable age now, Sister. Has anyone proposed a match for you?"
To Han Xiangru, it sounded as though Han Wanqing was showing off and mocking her for getting old!
A flash of anger crossed her eyes, and she pressed her lips together. "I don't want to marry yet! Life as an unmarried daughter is so comfortable. I certainly don't want to marry out and become someone else's daughter-in-law!"
Nestled in Princess Yu's arms, Chu Siqing inwardly rolled her eyes:
[Mother, don't believe her! She simply looks down on all the people who have come to propose matches! Her heart is set on marrying my father!]
"Such nonsense," Han Wanqing said. "A young woman's best years mustn't be squandered."
She paused before continuing, "Besides, didn't you say you envied His Highness and me? Only after you marry can you have someone to play with you in harmony, like the qin and se."
Han Xiangru secretly gritted her teeth and changed the subject. "Sister, let's not talk about this anymore. By the way, why haven't we seen His Highness after all this time?"
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