After driving Zhen Rou away, Chuzheng had all the people from Jinxiu Pavilion summoned over.
She was at least a Prince’s Consort; the staff assigned to Jinxiu Pavilion was not exactly few.
"Anyone who just now didn’t follow my instructions can all leave." Since they didn’t work, keeping them was pointless.
Someone, frightened, dropped to their knees with a thud: "Prince’s Consort..."
Chuzheng couldn’t be bothered to listen to their nonsense. She wasn’t planning to keep them anyway, so she impatiently waved her hand, telling them to hurry up and go.
"Prince’s Consort, this servant knows her mistake, please don’t drive this servant away."
So what if Jinxiu Pavilion wasn’t favored; the work here was light and the monthly pay high. Who would want to leave?
Not favored, having their stipends docked, life being hard? The title of Prince’s Consort was right there; what she should have, she would not lack. Zhen Rou didn’t dare cut off Jinxiu Pavilion’s supplies yet, so their days were actually quite good.
And ever since the Prince’s Consort moved in, she hardly managed anything, which meant they could skim even more oil and water.
Now they were suddenly being driven out—who would be willing?
For a while, Jinxiu Pavilion was filled with wails.
Ying Xiang could hear it even from her own room, but unfortunately she couldn’t get out of bed for the time being, and could only listen anxiously.
She didn’t know how long had passed before a maid came in.
"Sister Ying Xiang, time for your medicine."
"What’s going on outside?" Ying Xiang immediately grabbed the maid and asked.
"The Prince’s Consort, she..."
Ying Xiang panicked at once: "What happened to Miss?" Had Zhen Rou come to make trouble for Miss again?
"No, no, no... the Prince’s Consort is fine. It’s the Prince’s Consort who drove all the others in Jinxiu Pavilion away."
"Huh?"
Just like Ying Xiang, everyone in the Prince’s Mansion was shocked.
Since entering the mansion, this Prince’s Consort had always appeared rather weak and cowardly. If not for the Minister of the Appointments standing behind her, given her temperament, it would probably be very hard for her to survive in this residence.
And suddenly, the Prince’s Consort had become strong and forceful.
How could that not astonish people?
-
Zhen Rou, having been humiliated at Chuzheng’s, immediately went to complain to Changsun Hang.
Changsun Hang was already furious over the assassin incident; with Zhen Rou crying and whining as she tattled, he instantly redirected his anger at Chuzheng.
Changsun Hang sent someone to summon Chuzheng.
But after waiting half the day, the only reply he got was: the Prince’s Consort is unwell and will not come.
Changsun Hang’s face sank: "Insolent!"
The people in the room fell silent like cicadas in winter.
Only Zhen Rou, choking back sobs, tugged on Changsun Hang’s sleeve: "Your Highness, please don’t be angry. Elder Sister just came back from facing the wall; perhaps she truly is unwell. This concubine also... it’s nothing, Your Highness, please don’t be angry."
It would have been better if she hadn’t mentioned it; at the mention of it, Changsun Hang’s anger surged even higher.
"What wall was she facing? She ran back without my permission—does she have no sense of rules at all!"
Zhen Rou looked as if she’d been frightened and didn’t dare speak again.
Changsun Hang sent someone once more to summon Chuzheng, and each time, the exact same words were sent back, not even a punctuation mark changed.
"She’s turning the heavens upside down!"
Changsun Hang, face dark, headed toward Jinxiu Pavilion.
Of course Zhen Rou had to follow; otherwise, how would she add fuel to the fire?
The main gates of Jinxiu Pavilion were tightly shut. Someone had gone ahead to announce their arrival, yet the gates still remained closed.
Zhen Rou didn’t know what that woman was playing at, but she knew that this time, His Highness was truly angry.
Changsun Hang kicked the gates of Jinxiu Pavilion open with one blow.
Two maids were standing in the courtyard. As the gate was kicked open, both of them went pale and dropped to their knees.
Changsun Hang’s face was gloomy: "Why weren’t the gates opened!"
"The Prince’s Consort... the Prince’s Consort forbade it..."
"Who exactly is the master of this mansion!" She even dared order the servants not to open the gate for him—she had some nerve! "Where is she?"
One of the maids pointed toward the main hall.
Changsun Hang, wrapped in a storm of fury, strode into the hall.
Chuzheng was lying on a rocking chair, flipping through a book.
Changsun Hang entered with a great commotion, yet the woman on the rocking chair acted as though she heard nothing, swaying lazily, even leisurely turning another page.
"Prince’s Consort." Changsun Hang’s face was dark as the bottom of a pot, speaking through gritted teeth: "Do you not see me?"
He was standing right in front of her, and she actually dared ignore him.
Chuzheng closed the book, glanced to the side at him, her eyes calm and unruffled: "What business does the Third Prince have?"
Changsun Hang barked, "Do you have no sense of rules left? Why did you not salute when you saw me?"
Chuzheng’s tone was unhurried: "If the Third Prince can’t stand the sight of me, you can always write a divorce letter. As for my brother, the Third Prince need not worry; I’ll speak to him."
Changsun Hang: "!!!"
What did she just say?
A divorce letter?
Who had begged to marry into this place in the first place? If Yann Qin hadn’t exerted pressure back then, would he have married a woman he didn’t even like?
And now she was actually telling him to write a divorce letter?
Zhen Rou, who had followed him in, was also startled by Chuzheng’s words.
Was she serious, or was she playing hard to get?
Nobody knew better than Zhen Rou how much this woman liked the Third Prince.
In her heart, she didn’t believe Chuzheng would suddenly give up.
Because she couldn’t win His Highness’s favor, she changed her attitude completely? Trying to use this to get his attention?
If that was the case...
Zhen Rou sneered inwardly—then she was miscalculating badly.
Changsun Hang: "Are you insane?"
"Third Prince, isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?" Chuzheng set the book aside, her tone light and level: "Since we’re not suited to be together, of course it’s better to separate early."
Changsun Hang wouldn’t write a divorce letter.
Chuzheng had already calculated this, which was why she dared provoke him like this now.
Chuzheng continued to rile him up: "If the Third Prince isn’t here to talk about the divorce letter, then please, see yourself out."
Changsun Hang: "..."
"Your Highness..."
Zhen Rou’s soft voice pulled Changsun Hang’s thoughts back, reminding him of why he’d come.
"Let me ask you—was it you who ordered people to throw Rourou out of your courtyard?"
Chuzheng swept a blank look over Zhen Rou, her tone indifferent: "I am the Prince’s Consort. She is a woman without any standing. What if I threw her out? What brilliant insight does the Third Prince have?"
The title of Prince’s Consort was actually quite handy.
Back when the original owner married in, she had used underhanded means; the way she ended up couldn’t be blamed entirely on others.
But now it was her in this position, and there was no way she was going to let herself be wronged.
"Rourou is my woman. Who gave you the gall to treat her like that?"
"Prince’s Consort."
"What?"
"The title of Prince’s Consort." Chuzheng helpfully explained: "Since I sit in this position, I have this authority."
Zhen Rou had barged into her courtyard; throwing her out was entirely within her legitimate rights.
Even if this were taken to the palace, she, the Prince’s Consort, would be the one in the right.
Changsun Hang: "..."
No, something was off!
When did this woman become so glib?
Before, whenever she saw him, it was either with eyes full of admiration or with extreme caution. Since when did she dare speak to him like this?
She’d been fine before—how had she suddenly changed overnight?
In his heart, Changsun Hang had the same suspicion as Zhen Rou.
Was she doing this to catch his attention?
For today, getting Chuzheng to apologize or punishing her was completely out of the question.
Chuzheng had already dragged Yann Qin into it.
Hand on his heart, Changsun Hang asked himself: at this moment, did he dare offend Yann Qin?
He did not.
The reason he’d dared treat this Prince’s Consort like this all along was precisely because he knew she would never go to Yann Qin about it.