The people surrounding her all turned around at once. Hua Chun looked up too, and felt oddly touched.
Madam Wan, as loud-voiced as ever, shoved through the crowd and came straight to her side, looking at her face with concern. “What happened to you?”
Hua Chun gave her a faint smile. “Just dust from the roof beam, nothing serious.”
“Weren’t you in the palace?” Madam Wan bent down, handing her a handkerchief. “Did His Majesty give you trouble?”
“Anyone can see that just by looking — why does Sister keep asking?” Concubine Ren said languidly. “Eldest Young Master has been so busy for so long, he really ought to get some proper rest.”
Glaring at her, Madam Wan said, “Are you just hoping to stir up trouble, or what? My son works himself to exhaustion every day for the Hua family and for the court, and instead of gratitude, you eat the Hua family’s rice and sit here being sour about it?”
“Sister, must you always twist my words?” Concubine Ren said with a soft laugh. “This concubine hasn’t said a single sour word — can’t I simply show concern for the Eldest Young Master? Just as the Third Young Miss said, if the Eldest Young Master keeps offending His Majesty day after day, he’ll inevitably drag the whole Hua family down with him. This concubine eats the Hua family’s rice, so of course I ought to be concerned.”
Madam Wan’s face darkened, and she was about to retort further, but Hua Chun spoke first: “Thank you all for your concern.”
Everyone paused, turning to look at her.
Dust still on the tip of her nose, she looked utterly bedraggled — yet what she said was: “His Majesty did not punish me. Yesterday there were assassins in the palace, and I merely protected His Majesty while we hid together, which is why I look like this.”
“Assassins?!” Madam Wan was startled, looking her over. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“No,” Hua Chun said with a smile. “I just didn’t sleep very well. But yesterday, I earned merit regarding the disaster relief matter, and His Majesty has already granted us the favor of allowing the Hua family to continue renovating the rear courtyard.”
At these words, Concubine Ren’s face, along with the Third Young Miss’s and Concubine Wu’s, all changed at once.
Madam Wan too was stunned for a moment, looking at her in disbelief. “His Majesty… allowed us to renovate again?”
“The Hua family’s rear courtyard was never truly a court matter to begin with — it was only held up because of Noble Consort Hua that His Majesty issued that order,” Hua Chun said. “Yesterday, His Majesty was moved by my filial devotion, and in light of my merit, specially granted this favor. Mother, you need only tell Father — proceed with the courtyard renovations as originally planned.”
“How wonderful!” Madam Wan was overjoyed, her smile spreading across her whole face, and she glanced smugly at Concubine Ren.
“As I always say, my son has real substance — no matter how people try to make things difficult for him, he can always prove himself through his own ability!”
Her tone was thick with pride, and it made the other concubines around them quite uncomfortable. Just days before they had been mocking Madam Wan for chasing an empty dream, and now, only a couple of days later, they’d all been proven wrong.
Most of the concubines merely felt a moment’s discomfort, but for Concubine Ren, this news actually made her angry: “And what of Yong’an Hall?”
Hua Chun said, “Yong’an Hall naturally still cannot be renovated. The treasury is strained, and disaster relief takes priority.”
“Why should that be?!” Concubine Ren frowned, took a deep breath, trying to sound gentle, but couldn’t help the venom that crept into her eyes as she looked at Hua Chun. “Wasn’t it agreed from the start? If Yong’an Hall isn’t renovated, then the Hua family’s rear courtyard shouldn’t be either. Now that you’re renovating the rear courtyard, how can you still block Liuying’s Yong’an Hall? We’re all one family — doesn’t the Eldest Young Master worry this will damage family harmony?”
“Where did that idea even come from?” Hua Chun looked up at her. “It was the senior officials at court who first proposed halting the renovation of Yong’an Hall. As Prime Minister, I merely helped submit the petition. How was I to know that Noble Consort Hua would take it as a personal grudge against me, insisting on halting the Hua family courtyard renovation just to feel better about it?”
“For the sake of the greater good, even though this decision was thoroughly unfair to me, I agreed to it anyway. Now the one granting the favor is His Majesty himself — I had nothing to do with any of it from start to finish. Why does Concubine Ren insist on blaming me?”
Hua Jinghua, who had barely spoken a word in this household since birth, suddenly delivering such a long speech startled even Madam Wan.
But blood being thicker than water, Madam Wan quickly recovered and jumped to defend her son: “Exactly! Your daughter started this whole mess, and now you’re trying to blame someone else. My son earned this favor through merit — if you’re unhappy about it, then go earn some merit for Liuying too.”
“You—!” Concubine Ren was so furious her face went pale, but knowing better than to escalate a direct confrontation, she forced down her anger and bent her knee in a bow. “This concubine takes her leave!”
“Don’t bother seeing yourself out,” Madam Wan said, waving her hand with satisfaction.
For so long, though she was the legitimate wife, she’d had no shortage of grief from this Concubine Ren. In the past, with her son’s forbearing temperament, unwilling to argue, she’d swallowed plenty of resentment on his behalf. But now, finally, her son had come into his own and knew how to talk back! Madam Wan felt deeply gratified, practically wanting to go set off fireworks in celebration.
The other concubines standing nearby exchanged glances and also took their leave, looking put out. The Third Young Miss lowered her head, glancing guiltily at Hua Chun, before hurrying off after Concubine Wu.
Letting out a breath, Hua Chun looked at Pin Tan. “I want to take a bath.”
Pin Tan blinked, then nodded with a smile. “This servant will go prepare it at once.”
Coming home only to have to fight a whole battle before getting any rest — this Hua Jinghua really did have it rough. Hua Chun shook her head, looking at Madam Wan, who was holding her hand with such tender affection, and couldn’t help saying, “Whatever filial duty is owed to Mother, your son will always do his best to fulfill. There’s no need for you to keep sparring with them every time.”
This Madam Wan really did have quite the fighting spirit — able to launch into an argument at the drop of a hat — though it wasn’t exactly ideal either.
“Your mother knows,” hearing this, Madam Wan felt a twinge of guilt. “But your mother just can’t seem to control this mouth of hers. I suppose I’ve caused you no small trouble because of it?”
“Trouble isn’t really the issue, but as the legitimate wife, you ought to carry yourself with the dignity befitting that position. Lowering yourself to their level, arguing back and forth with the concubines — what’s the point of that?”
This was the first time her son had ever spoken to her so calmly and openly! Madam Wan felt a rush of emotion, gripping her handkerchief tightly and wringing it as she nodded repeatedly. “Your mother understands.”
She could only hope she truly did understand. Hua Chun sighed, and seeing that the servants had already carried in the bathtub and hot water, she stood up. “Mother, go rest early. Your son is exhausted — after washing up, I’ll need to rest a while.”
“Alright.” Madam Wan stood, looking at her with loving eyes once more before withdrawing.
Once the bathwater was ready, Pin Tan turned and bolted the door, then went around shutting every window tightly as well.
“Master, allow this servant to help you undress.”
Nodding, Hua Chun followed her behind the screen.
In the past, watching dramas, she’d always wished the Prime Minister character would get a wet scene, show some skin, satisfy her inner pervert a little. But now that she was actually about to closely observe this body up close, her feelings were far more complicated.