Side story: Zhao Ruyu 1

Fushu is very worried.

Ever since meeting the Earl of Suiping's Residence, her young lady has been sitting in the carriage for a long time.

She glanced anxiously at the sky, then at Zhao Ruyu, and couldn't help but say, "Miss, we've been out for too long. If we don't go back soon, the Princess will be angry."

Because of her "lofty aspirations," Zhao Ruyu never caused trouble after entering the Prince Jingping's Estate. She honestly abided by the rules of the Prince Jingping's Estate and her duties as a concubine. Not only did she not go out, she rarely even left the courtyard.

Unlike the other concubines, she didn't dress up extravagantly to ambush Xiao Sijie on the way. It was only when Xiao Sijie remembered to visit her that the two of them would meet.

That's quite honest and straightforward.

Today, he suddenly left the mansion to see the Crown Princess; after seeing the Crown Princess, he did not go home, but asked the coachman to drive to a quiet place, where he sat in the carriage in a daze.

She's acting so strangely.

I don't know what the Crown Princess and the young lady talked about in the side hall.

Zhao Ruyu took out a pocket watch from her bosom, checked the time, and then instructed the driver, "Let's go back."

The coachman agreed, and the carriage slowly started moving. Before long, the carriage arrived at the Prince Jingping's Estate.

After getting off the carriage and entering the mansion, Zhao Ruyu had to first report to Consort of Prince of Jingping and inform her that she had returned to the mansion before she could go back to her own courtyard.

However, she knew that the princess would not see her. After all, she was just a concubine, and Xiao Sijie's concubine at that. With her status, she could only see the maidservants of Consort of Prince of Jingping, who would then inform the princess, and only after the princess relayed her message that she understood could she return to her own courtyard.

The young maid went in to report, and after a while, the Daya beside the princess came out, her brows slightly furrowed, and asked Zhao Ruyu, "Why did Concubine Zhao take so long? It's been almost half a day since she came back."

Zhao Ruyu naturally wouldn't mention that she had gone to see the Crown Princess.

She said, "I went back to my parents' home."

Upon hearing this, the maid frowned even more deeply, clearly not believing Zhao Ruyu's explanation.

Who doesn't know that Zhao Ruyu's marriage was practically an elopement, carried into the mansion in a sedan chair by Xiao Sijie at night, without the Zhao Family?

Whether it was because of this matter or because of her status, the Zhao Family had long since cut off all contact with her. Otherwise, when the Crown Prince's wife was still alive years ago, she wouldn't have been tormented to the point of almost starving to death without any family members to care for her.

"Who went out of the manor with Concubine Zhao today? Tell her to come see me." The maid raised her head and instructed the little maid beside her.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruyu's expression changed, and her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly.

This is what a concubine is like; this is how a concubine is treated.

If she doesn't change her status, the maids around Consort of Prince of Jingping will treat her badly and boss her around for the rest of their lives, not treating her like a human being.

Even if she gets pregnant and gives birth to a son, so what? She'll still be a concubine, never to be respected; and even her son will be ridiculed as an illegitimate child, forever unable to hold his head high.

She knew very well the frustrations and resentments of Zhao Yuanliang and Zhao Yuankun Zhao Family the previous generation, and Zhao Ruxin and Zhao Rurui from this generation.

A short while later, the old woman and coachman who had gone out with the concubine were brought in. The two were questioned separately by the maid, and it was discovered that their stories were consistent, both saying that Zhao Ruyu had indeed returned to the Earl of Suiping's Residence. Only then did the Daya's expression soften.

"Alright, I will report your matter to the Princess. You may go back now." The maid said, turning and entering the courtyard.

Zhao Ruyu bowed to the main courtyard before returning to the inner courtyard where the heir apparent resided.

"Oh, isn't this Concubine Zhao? Where have you been gallivanting off to? Did you go to meet your old flame? Concubine Zhao, are you regretting marrying the young master?"

As soon as they entered the courtyard, a woman's voice rang out.

Zhao Ruyu looked coldly in the direction from which the sound came.

There stood a beautiful woman. Though not as beautiful as Zhao Ruyu, she possessed a captivating, wild beauty.

This was one of Xiao Sijie's concubines. Back then, Zhao Ruyu was pregnant but was tricked and miscarried. After investigating, the investigation eventually led to this Concubine Qiao.

This Concubine Qiao was extremely voluptuous and uninhibited in bed. Although Xiao Sijie loved Zhao Ruyu's beauty, he coveted Concubine Qiao's body even more.

Therefore, even though Zhao Ruyu eventually presented the evidence to Xiao Sijie, Xiao Sijie only made empty threats. He confined Concubine Qiao to her quarters for half a month, fined her two months' worth of monthly allowance, and that was it. He also warned Zhao Ruyu not to cause any more trouble for Concubine Qiao.

It wasn't until then that Zhao Ruyu truly lost all feelings for Xiao Sijie.

She didn't argue with Concubine Qiao, pretending not to hear, and went straight into her own courtyard.

Fushu was furious and slammed the door shut in front of Concubine Qiao.

Concubine Qiao scoffed and turned to go into her own courtyard.

Zhao Ruyu entered the house but did not rest. She picked up a pen and wrote a letter, then took out two pieces of silver and said to Fushu, "Take this money and go outside to get something to eat, then run an errand for me. Wait for the young master to return at the alley entrance and give him this letter."

Fushu opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately kept quiet, sighed inwardly, and took the letter, saying, "Don't worry, Miss, I will deliver this letter to the young master."

It wasn't mealtime yet, and as a maidservant of the concubine, Fushu wasn't allowed to go to the kitchen to ask for food outside of mealtimes.

She bribed the gatekeeper with a piece of silver and hurried out.

In the past, even if you bribed her, the gatekeeper wouldn't have dared to let her out.

Now that Zhao Ruxi has become the Crown Princess, the security at the Prince Jingping's Estate has been much Fushu. The gatekeeper knew that the Princess would turn a blind eye to Fushu's comings and goings, which is why he dared to accept the money and let her out.

She went out and hired a mule cart, then went to the alley entrance of the Earl of Suiping's Residence to wait.

It was time to leave the office, and not long after, Fushu saw a carriage with the character "Zhao" written on it slowly approaching. She recognized the driver.

She quickly ran over and called out to the car window, "Young Master!"

Zhao Jingli was unaware of Zhao Ruyu's meeting with Zhao Ruxi. Upon seeing Fushu, he assumed something had happened to Zhao Ruyu and quickly told the driver to stop the carriage, asking Fushu, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing happened," Fushu said. "The young lady wrote a letter and asked me to deliver it to the young master, requesting that he be sure to read it."

Worried that Zhao Jingli wouldn't even read the letter, she quickly added, "Around noon today, Her Highness the Crown Princess met with my young lady in the side hall of the Earl of Suiping's Residence."

Upon hearing that Zhao Ruyu had met Zhao Ruxi, Zhao Jingli's expression darkened.

However, he didn't say anything, only saying, "This isn't the place to talk. Come back with me to the gatehouse for a while. I've read the letter; if there's a reply, I'll trouble you to take it back."

Fushu agreed and followed Zhao Jingli back to the second branch of the Zhao Family.

Although He Yuqi was in charge of the newspaper, she would usually go home before Zhao Jingli took office.

Seeing Zhao Jingli open a letter as soon as he returned, she asked curiously while holding the child, "Whose letter is this?"

"It's Zhao Ruyu's." Zhao Jingli didn't hide it from her.

Upon hearing Zhao Ruyu, He Yuqi's face darkened.