Jingwu Courtyard.
Yun Zhu finished styling Consort Fang's hair and pinned a plain silver hairpin, sighing softly, a hint of worry clouding her brow.
Consort Fang caught a glimpse of her expression in the mirror and asked curiously, "What's wrong with you? You've been looking glum since this morning."
Yun Zhu looked at Consort Fang, hesitant to speak, clearly in a difficult position.
Consort Fang turned to face her, "Have you encountered some trouble?"
Yun Zhu knelt down, "Your Ladyship, there is something I don't know whether I should say. If I say it, I fear it will affect the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship between Your Ladyship and the Princess Consort. If I don't say it, I feel I am letting Your Ladyship down."
This matter, it turned out, was related to Wang Qingyao.
Consort Fang helped Yun Zhu up and said affectionately, "We have been master and servant for many years. I have always treated you like a second daughter. Just say whatever is on your mind."
Yun Zhu wiped her eyes, appearing deeply moved. She then bit her lip, as if making a firm decision, before bending down and whispering into the old consort's ear, "Your Ladyship, I found out by chance. When the Princess Consort and the Old Consort went to Babao Silver House the other day, guess who they ran into? Madam Tian!"
Consort Fang rarely went out, and the servants in Jingwu Courtyard were mostly well-behaved. Yun Zhu had to go to great lengths and spent two or three days to find out what had happened that day.
However, she only knew the surface of the matter; she could not possibly know the specifics of their conversation.
But that did not stop her from using her imagination to gossip to Consort Fang.
"Madam Tian?" Consort Fang blinked, bewildered, "Who is that?"
Consort Fang had no idea who Madam Tian was.
Yun Zhu explained, "She is the mother of young master Tian Yu."
Consort Fang: "And who is Tian Yu?"
"He is... he is the Princess Consort's former... fiancé."
Consort Fang gasped and covered her mouth.
She knew Wang Qingyao had been engaged before. She disliked Wang Qingyao partly because of her humble family background and partly because she had been engaged.
In Consort Fang's opinion, regardless of the reason, a woman who had her engagement broken off was inferior.
"And then?" she asked eagerly.
She could not interfere with the marriage bestowed by the Emperor and Empress Dowager, but if Wang Qingyao was still involved with her former fiancé after marriage, she would have to assert her authority as a mother-in-law.
Their Xiao family could not tolerate such a shameless woman!
"It would have been fine if they had just met, but I heard that the Princess Consort, resentful of the Tian family breaking off the engagement, used the power of Ding'an Prince's Mansion to force Madam Tian to kneel and apologize to her. Madam Tian cried and kowtowed, looking utterly pathetic. Many people saw it!"
Consort Fang breathed a sigh of relief and said indifferently, "The Princess Consort's conduct is a bit like A Yun's."
Seeing that Consort Fang was unconcerned and even siding with Wang Qingyao, Yun Zhu became anxious, "Your Ladyship, you are being foolish! The Tian and Wang families broke off their engagement. Regardless of who was right or wrong, Madam Tian is an elder. For the Princess Consort to openly reprimand Madam Tian outside, what face does the Prince's Mansion have? She might feel good, but how will others gossip about our Ding'an Prince's Mansion?"
Consort Fang seemed to realize the "seriousness" of the matter at this point and became flustered, "What should we do? Wasn't the Old Consort there at the time? Why didn't she stop the Princess Consort?"
Yun Zhu sighed, "Your Ladyship, forgive my disrespect, but the Old Consort's background is not as good as the Princess Consort's! It's good enough that she didn't join in the scolding. In our Ding'an Prince's Mansion, only Your Ladyship is from a proper ducal family, a noble lady from a distinguished lineage."
Hearing Yun Zhu's words, Consort Fang became even more worried and looked at her helplessly, "Then... what should we do? Should I find A Yun to discuss it?"
"Your Ladyship, please don't worry," Yun Zhu said, "This matter will pass after people talk about it for a while. The key is the future. When the Princess Consort gives birth to the little heir, with her background and upbringing, can Your Ladyship rest assured that she will raise the little heir?"
Consort Fang immediately felt that Yun Zhu's words made perfect sense. Xiao Yun had been raised in her courtyard since childhood, and she had raised him so well.
But she forgot that although Xiao Yun was raised in her courtyard, he spent more than half of each month in the lap of the Old Consort.
She gratefully squeezed Yun Zhu's hand, "Yun Zhu, you see things so clearly. Without you, what would I do?"
"Your Ladyship," Yun Zhu also held Consort Fang's hand, her face sincere, "This is all I should do. As long as you are well, the Prince is well, and our Ding'an Prince's Mansion is well, I will be happy."
"Good child," Consort Fang was deeply moved.
At this moment, Wang Qingyao did not know that before she had even conceived, someone was already plotting against her child.
She was in the Old Consort's courtyard, preparing gifts for her maternal family's visit on the second day of the eighth lunar month, the Autumn Festival.
The Old Consort showed her the gift list. She glanced at it, which included festival cakes, festival wine, pork, lamb, fruits, and nuts.
So, these were the things to be given on the Autumn Festival. She secretly committed it to memory.
Just then, a gatekeeper delivered an invitation. Nanny Jing took it and handed it to the Old Consort. Wang Qingyao leaned over to look, and lo and behold, it was from the Duke of Zhongyong's mansion.
It turned out that Fang Zheng's father, Fang Xiuqi, had inherited the title, and a banquet was being held to celebrate tomorrow!
"Why didn't Xiao Yun mention this?" Wang Qingyao mumbled.
The Old Consort glanced at it and smiled, "It only happened this morning. He didn't have time to tell you, did he?"
Wang Qingyao smiled sheepishly, thinking: The Fang family is so efficient. They received the imperial decree this morning, and by now they have sent out invitations to all the families.
Little did she know that the Duke of Zhongyong had long intended to pass on his title. He had mentioned it to the Emperor several times, and the Emperor had agreed. He had been prepared for a long time, just waiting for the imperial decree.