The survival rule of a concubine's daughter * 112 The butterfly orchid on someone else's head

  As you know, with her own identity, she suddenly jumped several levels and mixed into the top royal society, which is also a great challenge to her social skills.

  Here is the translation:

  These royal family members seem easy-going on the surface, but are actually proud in their hearts. Although they appear friendly and courteous to Li Xiu's face, who knows what they will say behind her back? So, in such a situation, she cannot afford to make any mistakes. She can't do the kind of fawning and social climbing that others do, nor can she blend into the crowd with ease. But if she doesn't follow the Empress Dowager's lead and risk being ostracized by the Jing Wang Fu, her only option is to pretend to be familiar with them in front of the Empress Dowager.

  Although there are many restrictions when facing the mother-in-law, this can eliminate the possibility of the mother-in-law speaking ill of her behind her back. Whether Queen Jeongtong will speak ill of her in public is unknown, but by attending to the mother-in-law, she can not only gain a familiar face but also earn some points for her performance.

  The King's wife, Jing Tai, felt relieved when she saw Ruoxi. She formally introduced her to the other royal consorts and noblewomen. Ruoxi curtsied elegantly, her voice soft and melodious, her movements smooth and natural, without any awkwardness. The group of royal consorts and noblewomen nodded in approval, praising her sincerely with a few words each.

  It's a great honor for the Empress to have her daughter-in-law praised by others, although occasionally there are some discordant voices. The Crown Princess's tone is lightly sarcastic, with a hint of regret, "This child looks really comfortable, it's just a pity that she's born out of wedlock, if she were born in the belly of a legitimate wife, she and Xiao Er would be a match made in heaven."

  At this time, the Empress Dowager was dissatisfied in her heart. She herself came from a humble background, and even if Ruheng's background was high, it wouldn't be much higher than hers. This person looked down on Ruheng's background, which meant they didn't think highly of her either. The Empress Dowager, who had always been protective of Ruheng, couldn't help but say: "When marrying a daughter-in-law, what's most important is to look at her character, and her background is secondary." Then she turned her head to Ruheng and said, "This aunt of yours looks down on your background. In the future, don't show off in front of this aunt, lest you lose face, understand?"

  As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Wangfei's face stiffened, and she respectfully said: "The daughter-in-law obeys. From now on, wherever the aunt is, the daughter-in-law will definitely keep a distance."

  The princess suppressed the rising corners of her lips and said, "It's better not to stand in front of your aunt, you go to the empress dowager's place for a while, I heard that the empress dowager has something special to reward you."

  With a respectful bow, she took her leave, and with a deep curtsy to the seated ladies-in-waiting and noblewomen, she turned and departed.

  Not surprisingly, the voice of King Yi's consort came from behind, "What do you mean, brother and sister? Your wife was born lowly, can't I say a few words?"

  Only the queen's voice echoed, "I can take care of my own wife, and it's none of your business. You can say what you want about yourself, and I can do what I want for myself. We won't interfere with each other."

  It can't help but secretly laugh now, and finally understand who Li Xiao's shamelessness was inherited from.

  ……

  On the way to Cining Palace, she met Yang Old Madam and Yang Qining again. According to usual etiquette, it should be her turn to pay respects, but now that she was honored because of her husband's position, it was the other party who should pay respects to her instead. However, Yang Old Madam was still a senior, so she slightly bowed her head as a sign of respect. "Auntie, you're even more blessed this new year. Cousin, you're even more beautiful and charming."

  Mrs. Yang was still calmly accepting the courtesy of Ruoqing, when she suddenly thought of Ruoqing's current status, and hurriedly bowed slightly, with a smile at the corner of her mouth, "So it's my dear sister-in-law, it's only been a few days since we last met, and you're looking even more spirited."

  With a perfect smile, "Thanks to your old man's blessing, isn't it also the case with our family's old lady?"

  Yang Qining impatiently pushed his mother and stomped his foot, "Mother, we still need to go find Empress Jing to have a chat, let's hurry up."

  Mrs. Yang was displeased and scolded: "No manners at all! This is your second sister's maternal cousin, can't you even pay your respects?"

  Yang Qining reluctantly nodded his head and bowed slightly, "Sister-in-law."

  If it weren't for the fact that she was older than Yang Qining by almost two years, and yet she had the nerve to call Ru Mei "little sister" despite their difference in age and marital status, it would be a kind of insult. Moreover, Ru Mei was already married and had taken her husband's surname, but Yang Qining still dared to be so presumptuous, truly revealing her ulterior motives.

  "As if suppressing her discontent, she said lightly: 'Sister is too polite, I can't bear it.'"

  Mrs. Yang knew that her daughter was annoyed, and hurriedly accompanied a smile: "My little girl is young and has been spoiled by me, I hope the relatives will not take it to heart."

  Yu Qing smiled faintly and said, "Mother-in-law, what are you saying? My third sister is also young and doesn't understand things. If there's anything wrong, please don't take it to heart."

  Mrs. Yang's face stiffened, and she felt as if she had been slapped in the face by someone bringing up her own affair with Nangong Yu. Was this a sarcastic remark about how she doted on her daughter but was cruel to her daughter-in-law?

  Yang Qining was young and didn't understand the implication of Ru Xing's words, thinking that Ru Xing was asking for a favor. He replied proudly: "You don't have to worry about this. My mother is such a broad-minded person, but your sister always makes my mother angry. My mother tolerates her because she's young and ignorant."

  Smiling faintly, "Yes, the old lady is indeed a magnanimous person. My sister humbly accepts the old lady's meticulous teachings, but also hopes not to disappoint her parents."

  Mrs. Yang saw that things were getting out of hand and didn't dare to linger any longer, so she secretly pulled Yang Qining hard and smiled: "Let's not disturb the young lady's important business, we'll leave first."

  With a gentle smile, she stepped aside and watched as the mother and daughter walked away.

  Yang Qining hummed proudly as he left, reaching out to adjust the butterfly orchid on top of his head.

  As she followed her gesture, the smile on her lips suddenly solidified. This palace flower, although its style was not bad, was actually a bit outdated, and it didn't quite match the noble and non-imperial tribute of the Yang family's dignitaries. Compared to the crimson gold lily-shaped earrings and golden hairpins on her cloud-like hair, it looked rather shabby.

  The most important thing is that this palace flower was clearly lost by someone more than two years ago, so why would it reappear on Yang Qining's head?

  ……

  ……

  The Empress Dowager was chatting and laughing with the Empress, a group of elderly princesses of the same generation, and noble ladies when she saw Ruqun and smiled, "How did you come? Didn't you say you were serving by your mother-in-law's side?"

  Ru Jing bit her lip, looking displeased, but it was the wife of Lord Guo who followed behind and hastily said: "Your Majesty is unaware, originally everyone got along well, but Yu Wangfei looked down on this cousin's wife for being low-born and illegitimate. Jing Tai Wangfei got angry and ordered that from now on, she would not be allowed to appear in front of Yu Wangfei, lest she sully her noble eyes."

  Madam Xuguo was also born into a military family, her words were sharp and clear, her voice loud and resonant. As soon as she finished speaking, some people's faces changed color, their eyes gazing at Ruxue with a hint of pity. The Empress Dowager suddenly became angry, saying: "Is the Princess of Jing not someone personally chosen by me and the Emperor? If the Princess of Yu looks down on the status of the Princess of Jing like this, isn't that questioning my judgment, the Emperor's judgment?"

  Everyone saw the empress's sudden great anger, which was beyond expectation. Some people thought that the empress had always been particularly fond of Ruoxi, and immediately said: "The girl who can make King Jing look at her, how could she be inferior? Since ancient times, marrying a wife is about marrying a virtuous one. The king's consort is elegant in appearance and wise in mind, knowledgeable about books and etiquette, and has been known for her wisdom since she was in the inner chambers. Even someone with King Jing's discerning eye had to try every means to marry her, so what does family background matter?"

  Some people just can't help but speak out for justice, "Who was born with a smooth and noble life? This Empress Yu is really stubborn."

  Some people also spoke well of Ruqin, such as Princess Qi Wangfei Zhu Shi, "Since ancient times, it has always been the case that women rely on their husbands for honor. Although Jing Wangfei's family background is humble, Jing Wang himself is of noble status, and Jing Wangfei relies on her husband for honor, what's wrong with that?"

  The Empress Fu said in a soft voice, "It's not possible, the two elder brothers of Jing Wangfei are dragons and phoenixes among men, with the prestige of being bestowed as General of the Nation by the Emperor himself. With such illustrious brothers, how can the status of their sister-in-law be low? The vision of Yu Wang's aunt is indeed too high..."

  There are also those who fear that the world is not chaotic, such as Cheng Wangfei. "Think about it, our great ancestor was not born into a noble family either. If she says so, it seems like even our great ancestor would be looked down upon. Humph! The empresses of our Daqing dynasty have always been from common people... Your Majesty, I'm not talking about you, but I think Yu Wangfei is indeed narrow-minded."

  Then she looked terrified and said to the empress: "Your Majesty, don't worry. I didn't mean to belittle you."

  The queen smiled warmly and said: "I understand what you mean, Auntie doesn't need to blame herself."

  Ning Jing Da Zhang Gong Zhu was also indignant, "My maternal grandfather was only a humble sixth-rank Jiangzhou Prefect, and although Rui'er's father-in-law was not very capable, he had two formidable older brothers. By her reasoning, my mother's family background is also considered lowly?"

  The Empress and Grand Princess Ningjing, although their words were strong and forced, also made some sense. The people present saw the Empress's face turn iron-green and followed suit, one after another, blaming Consort Yu.

  As the situation unfolded, it was unclear whether to feel happy or worried. The people in this royal family were indeed those who would stoop low and climb high, fawn over and curry favor with others. If the Empress Dowager had not gotten angry, who else would have dared to offend the Crown Princess of Yu for the sake of a junior concubine?

  Everyone was chattering, and Ruo Qing knew that this gathering was not the right place to stir up trouble. So she pleaded: "Ruo Qing thanks the Empress Dowager and all the elders for their kindness. It is a fact that Ruo Qing's status is lowly, and Aunt Wang of Yu has not spoken wrongly either. On such a good day, it's not worth creating discord because of Ruo Qing alone. In Ruo Qing's opinion, this matter should be dropped here, can't it?"

  "You're just a kind-hearted person."

  Princess Qing'an hummed and said, "If one is not kind-hearted, then nothing else matters."

  Because Princess Qing'an relied on being the empress dowager's adopted daughter, she sat down beside the empress dowager. Fortunately, her voice was not loud and did not attract many people's attention. However, the empress dowager sitting beside her glanced at her, took a deep breath to calm herself, and beckoned to Ruqun with a wave of her hand, "What are you still standing there for? Come, come over here."

  As soon as she hesitated, she saw the empress dowager with a stern face, her heart racing, but still walked up to the empress dowager with elegant small steps. A eunuch immediately lifted a stool and placed it in front of Ruyi, who sat down elegantly, only occupying half of the seat. The empress dowager's face was filled with concern as she said: "It's only been a few days since we last met, how did you become so thin again? Is Rong still bullying you?" She also noticed the obvious dark circles under her eyes and the fatigue on her face, but there was an unmistakable hint of spring in her eyebrows, which made the empress dowager feel sorry for her: "Rong is such a rough person, I'm afraid he doesn't know how to cherish his wife. It's a pity that you've only just grown up." Then she ordered a eunuch beside her: "Go and instruct the Imperial Household Department to send down the freshest blood swan meat as a reward, to help the King's consort recover her strength."

  Ruqin blushed and said: "Your Majesty, I have no virtue and no merit, how can I accept such a reward?"

  The empress smiled and patted her hand, saying with a loving expression: "Who says you have no virtue or merit? You've helped the King of Jing end his bachelor days, that's a remarkable achievement in itself."

  Many people thought Li Xiu was arrogant and domineering. Twice, the Empress Dowager had chosen a girl from a certain family to be betrothed to him, but he had been rude and disobedient. There was also a time when the Princess of Yu wanted to arrange a marriage for Li Xiu with the granddaughter of the Grand Duchess of Lu, but as soon as she mentioned it, Li Xiu ridiculed her and refused outright, saying that the girl was worthless. The news spread, and everyone said that Li Xiu had a bad temper and looked down on others.

  Such a gentle and quiet girl had to endure the violent temper of Li Xiao, and everyone else no longer felt jealous, but instead burst out laughing, with sympathetic and pitiful gazes.

  As if in a great predicament, looking at their eyes, it seemed as if I had really been pushed into the fire pit, and Li Xiao, seemed to be truly wicked.

  ……

  The family banquet was held in the Taihe Hall, with over a hundred tables filled to capacity inside and out. Men and women sat separately, with Ruo Xian sitting at the same table as Empress Dowager, along with Crown Princess Cheng, her daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, as well as Li Ying, Princess Jing, and her daughter-in-law and granddaughter. They occupied an entire table, enjoying their meal with elegance and poise. Ruo Xian occasionally served dishes to Empress Dowager, her movements smooth and effortless, as if the intricate gold embroidery on her dress was not cumbersome but rather complemented her. The ruby hairpin on her head sparkled softly in the light. Crown Princess Cheng couldn't help but praise her, "This young lady may not be a stunning beauty, but she has poise and elegance in everything she does, whether speaking or acting." Especially with such grand movements, the pearl decorations on her head didn't swing excessively, which was a testament to her rigorous training. If she hadn't undergone strict education, it would be hard for her to achieve this level of refinement. Crown Princess Cheng glanced at Ruo Xian and asked with a smile, "I see that you have poise and elegance in your movements, and your speech is refined. Have you ever read books?"

  "Earlier I had the benefit of listening to a few days' worth of lectures with my elder brothers, accompanying Mr. Hu."

  Although speaking in a gentle tone, it's only when many people think about it that they understand the meaning. Who can make the dead come alive and the living die? In the imperial court, he often cites classics and uses reason to argue, never losing an argument, with exceptional talent and abilities. Princess Cheng thought that if her brother was this formidable, then as his sister, she must be not far behind either. So she praised: "After all, it's a family of scholars, no wonder they have such temperament."

  She smiled politely, said a couple of humble words, and muttered to herself. Having read books doesn't necessarily mean one has elegance; elegance is something that can be cultivated later in life. In fact, she didn't have much elegance either, she was just better at pretending than others.

  The king's wife carefully observed the delicate movements of Ruqun eating, and said: "This is not right. Reading books is one thing, but even a great master cannot teach the etiquette of a young lady's boudoir. I see that my niece's conversation is extraordinary, this kind of upbringing of a daughter is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Have you ever invited a palace teaching aunt to instruct her?"

  This will attract attention from all sides, and the wives of King Jing and King Cheng's daughters-in-law can't help but look at Ruqin.

  "When I was young, I benefited from the influence of my sisters and learned some domestic skills from the teacher hired by my grandmother."

  The queen smiled and said, "You're too modest. This kind of learning can't be achieved overnight. Every aspect of speech, behavior, etiquette, virtue, work, and appearance has strict requirements. Today, whether you're walking or standing, everything is done with ease and fluidity. You must have put in a lot of hard work."

  Cheng Wang Jun Zhu's interest was piqued, and she smiled as she asked: "Can you tell me which ayi taught you? I had my mother invite palace ayis to teach me when I was younger, but they were so strict that I almost couldn't bear it. Looking at your speech and demeanor today, they're all top-notch, surely there must be a superior person guiding you?"

  She glanced at Cheng Junzhu and replied slowly, "It's been a long time, I don't remember anymore. We just called her Hua Niang with my sisters. She was from Shandong Qizhou."

  Hua Niang was Li Xiao's wet nurse, and later became a teacher. After nursing Li Xiao, she specialized in teaching and guiding young ladies from noble families, receiving many good reviews. However, this all happened ten years ago. Although Hua Niang had a reputation among the aristocratic women of the capital at that time, the princess of the Wang family was personally taught by the palace's teacher, so how would she know about Hua Niang? Even the consorts of the Cheng and Jing kings were not very clear who this Hua Niang was. Yet they said: "Oh, I see, no wonder."

  The queen consort, however, seemed lost in thought, gazing at Ru Xing with a blush and a humble smile.

  ……

  Li Xiu was so drunk that he could hardly find his way north. After getting on the carriage, he leaned against Ruo Qing's body. Ruo Qing struggled to support him with her small frame, propping him up against the couch. On one hand, she fanned away the foul-smelling liquor from his nose with a small fan; on the other hand, she wetted a towel with hot water from the thermos and wiped off the wine stains on his body. Meanwhile, she scolded in a low voice: "You drunkard, you stink to death."

  Li Xiu opened his eyes with a drunken gaze and mumbled: "Stinky girl, how did you become two?"

  She burst out laughing, poked his forehead and scolded with a smile: "Hmph, I'm not just two, I have three!" Thinking of the thunderous scene he had created last night, old and new grievances flooded her mind, and she pinched and scratched him to vent her anger.

  After returning to Longxianju, Li Hui waited on Li Xiao until he had changed his clothes and gone to sleep. Then she herself put on her cloak and called for Yuqin, "Do you still remember the palace flower I told you to throw away that year when we were in the capital?"

  Yuqin nodded after thinking for a long time, "Of course I remember."

  As if asking where it had gone again.

  Yuqin was momentarily stunned, "It's just that in our Lingyuan Garden, a hole was dug in the flower bed, and something was buried in a box." Seeing Ruxue's unhappy expression, she carefully asked: "Miss, what's wrong again?"

  As if recalling a past grievance, "That palace flower, I've seen it again today." And it was still on Yang Qining's head. Especially the way Yang Qining deliberately let her discover it, presumably knowing the allusion of this palace flower.

  Yuqin didn't know much about the origins of this palace flower, only that it was something Li Xiang had given to Ruxin as a token of apology back then. But seeing Ruxin's serious expression, she also knew things weren't good, and repeatedly assured her that she really did bury it, and even covered it with some dry leaves on the mound of earth for fear of being seen by others.

  As she waved her hand, she had another worry. There were two palace flowers, one was Li Xiu's and the other was the imperial concubine's. Could it be that the palace flower on Yang Qining's head was given to her by the imperial concubine?

  ……

  The matter of the palace flower has always been stuck in Rourou's throat, and when she asked Li Xiao, Li Xiao also looked bewildered, "Didn't you throw it away? Why ask?"

  "Does the queen mother still have that palace flower in her possession?"

  "I'm really not sure about this."

  "Can Your Highness help me ask about it?"

  Li Xiao was puzzled, "What's going on? Why bring this up again?"

  As if recalling the past, he said with a hint of shyness, "I'm so sorry, I was thinking that this palace flower could be our token of love, but unfortunately, I lost it. Now that I think about it, it's really regrettable. That's why I thought that if we can find the palace flower again and preserve it well, we can pass it down to our future children, wouldn't that be even better?"

  Li Xiumei's eyebrows relaxed, and she changed to a soft expression. She said in a gentle voice: "Mmm, you're right. Unfortunately, that palace flower of yours can't be found, so I'll go ask the Empress Dowager for it."

  Suppressing the joy in her heart, she nodded gently and firmly, "Then let's go now, I need to find a decent box and pack it carefully."

  Infected with Ruoxin's joyful emotions, Li Xiao nodded and indeed went to find Tai Fei.

  But soon came back, face gloomy to the extreme, as if a jump in the heart, pressed down the heavy on the head, asked: "What's wrong? Face so ugly."

  Li Xiao sat down silently, his eyebrows furrowed deeply as he gazed at Ru Qing's also doubtful face and said in a low voice: "That palace flower has actually disappeared."

  Although surprised, it was also expected. The feeling of unease that had been weighing on his heart finally spoke up in a soft voice: "What's going on? Why did he suddenly disappear? Could it be that someone has done something wrong?"

  Li Xiao shook his head, "This palace flower may be worth some money, but compared to the other treasures in the Empress Dowager's dowry box, it's not even worth looking at. The people below wouldn't dare to steal something so worthless."

  "The palace flower's allusion, apart from the imperial concubine and the prince, is there anyone else who knows?"

  "It's just Song Niangniang." Li Xiao's expression was filled with doubt, "But Song Niangniang has always been loyal to the Empress Dowager, she wouldn't take this worthless thing."

  If we rule out Song Jiang's family, then the others in Taifei's house are suspicious.

  Even if the palace flower in Yang Qining's hand was sent out by Taifei, would Taifei's bedroom allow an outsider like her to enter privately? It must have been colluded with insiders to have this kind of skill.

  However, apart from Song Jiang's confidant, there was also a eunuch named Liao Gonggong by the side of Empress Dowager. The other six senior maidservants were also suspected of being involved in the case. The scope of this matter is too broad, and since no one knows when Palace Flower went missing, it's hard to start investigating.

  There are many things to do in the new year, so I'll put aside the doubts and unease in my heart for now and focus on other tasks.

  Because it was the first day of the new year, they also had to entertain the kings and nobles with whom the Jing Wang Fu had the closest relationship, such as Ning Jing Da Zhang Gong Zhu, Jing Wang, Qi Wang, Teng Wang, Cheng Wang, Ling Guo Gong, Cheng Guo Gong, Ning Guo Gong, and others. Many of them brought their families along. Some were even younger generations, like Qing Guang, who separately gave out more than a dozen biyu hairpins, four pairs of chijin bracelets, and yuxi pendants made of sheep's fat jade, as well as five pairs of coral bead earrings, ten or so pairs of nanzhu earrings, six golden step ornaments, and other close or distant relatives. It was heart-wrenching, like they were about to shed blood.

  As both the host and the newcomer, Yu Rong had to attend to everyone in the hall, where all the seniors were present. He could only stand, serving tea and water, and often received some scolding and teaching. Although some of them just talked nonsense, he still had to listen respectfully, enduring great hardship.

  Especially Princess Qing'an seemed to have a grudge against her, one moment wanting to eat fruit and nuts, the next wanting to eat roasted duck from the old restaurant, and then again wanting to eat braised pig's trotters from Tianxiang Building. There were so many demands because she was a princess and also a married lady, in front of Ruhua, she was a honored guest. Ruhua attended to her with great care and patience, trying her best to satisfy her, but when she encountered something that really couldn't be satisfied, this little girl would say, "How can you manage the household like this? You didn't even prepare the basic things for New Year's Eve, it's obvious you're from a small family."

  Normally, she wouldn't say a word, but just glance at Princess Ningjing. Then Princess Ningjing would severely scold this daughter-in-law and tell her to go out and play, not allowing her to appear in the main hall again.

  Apart from Princess Qing'an, the second ultimate treasure is probably Yang Qining, the thousand gold of the Marquis of Qingchang.

  Today, Yang Qining wore a majestic brocade dress with bright pearl decorations and stunning makeup. According to her status, she should be called "sister-in-law", but she only called out "older sister". She was extremely cold towards Ruoqing, but in front of the imperial consort, she was unusually respectful and attentive, serving her with great care. When Ruoqing passed her tea, she immediately took it over and personally served the imperial consort, who said she wanted to eat fruit, and Yang Qining quickly peeled some for her, serving her with extreme diligence.

  Like feelings also saw Yang Qining for the third time, and indeed did not exceed expectations. Today, she was wearing this butterfly palace flower again. As Ruqing carefully observed the queen's expression, it seemed that the queen had also noticed, with a fleeting coldness in her eyes, and quickly glanced at Ruqing, who pretended to be puzzled. The queen was suspicious in her heart, but did not say much on her face.

  As for what she called herself, Ruoqing just smiled slightly and said, "After all, I'm from a decent family, it's just that my younger sister calls me 'sister'... do you think it's suitable, Auntie Yang?" Ruoqing threw the question at Mrs. Yang.

  Mrs. Yang is the old lady of Qingchang Hou Mansion, a first-class imperial decree wife, and her two sons are also promising, so in the circle of noble women in the capital, she can be said to be powerful and prestigious, wherever she goes, everyone tries to curry favor with her.

  Mrs. Yang was suddenly asked by Ruo Xin, and she also knew what her daughter had in mind. She almost couldn't hold back her old face, glared at her daughter, and scolded: "You're so unscrupulous! Earlier, you called Wang Fei 'sister' and that was acceptable, but now, you should respectfully call her 'older sister'. How can you still call her 'sister'?"

  Yang Qining bit his lip, with an expression of discontent on his face.