As she spoke, Concubine Luo turned to look at her brother. Just as she was about to tell Luo Fugui they should come back later, she saw her brother staring at a maid. Concubine Luo ground her teeth and stepped forward, giving her brother’s arm a hard pinch.
Luo Fugui yelped in pain and came to his senses, frowning as he rubbed his arm. “What did you pinch me for?”
“Let’s go! We’ll come pay respects to the master later…” Concubine Luo said, glaring fiercely at her worthless brother and flicking her handkerchief as she walked ahead.
Luo Fugui’s gaze drifted toward Chun Tao again. Seeing Chun Tao’s eyes move from the extremely beautiful Concubine Luo back to him, he immediately showed Chun Tao an extremely lewd smile, frightening Chun Tao into quickly lowering her head.
Chun Tao was quite startled, not understanding how such a beautiful Concubine Luo could have such a vulgar brother.
That sense of vulgarity seemed to emanate from his very bones, making one feel disgusted.
Qiu Huan saw Luo Fugui following Concubine Luo and her group as they walked away, then finally emerged from behind Chun Tao, patting her chest lightly. Standing alongside Chun Tao, she whispered, “Sister Chun Tao, you don’t know how frightening Concubine Luo’s brother is. Two years ago, this brother of Concubine Luo took a fancy to a maid serving beside Concubine Luo. Later, Concubine Luo said she released the girl, but I secretly inquired—after the girl was released, she was tortured to death by Concubine Luo’s brother. Concubine Luo covered this matter up completely. Very few people know about it!”
Chun Tao’s eyebrows jumped as she turned to look at Qiu Huan. “So… you hid behind me?”
Qiu Huan had originally thought Chun Tao seemed simple and honest, wanting to share a secret with her to draw closer, but she hadn’t expected Chun Tao not to appreciate her good intentions and instead to directly expose her thoughts.
Qiu Huan’s face reddened as she quickly said, “We’re different, aren’t we, Sister Chun Tao? Sister Chun Tao is Princess Zhenguo’s maid—the power of life and death doesn’t rest with the Dong mansion, but we’re different!”
Chun Tao looked deeply at Qiu Huan, then lowered her eyes and stood in her position without saying a word, resolving to keep her distance from this Qiu Huan during their time at the Dong mansion, even though the girl was the niece of Nanny Wang from beside Old Madam Dong.
·
Luo Fugui had only walked a short distance with his nephew and sister when he jogged forward to tug at his sister’s sleeve and ask, “Sister, that maid in the tender green dress who’s dressed differently from your Dong mansion’s maids—whose maid is she?”
Hearing this, Dong Changmao felt a jolt in his heart and quickly said, “Concubine Mother, that’s Princess Zhenguo’s maid! Other maids… if Uncle gets hot-headed and lustful, so be it, but if he also acts inappropriately toward Princess Zhenguo’s maid without knowing his place, when the time comes… if Father punishes you, don’t blame your son for not speaking up for you!”
After saying this, Dong Changmao flicked his sleeves and left.
Dong Changmao had never agreed with Concubine Luo bringing that worthless uncle into the Dengzhou army. Later, when his birth mother spoke to Father about it, he feared his mother and uncle might embarrass themselves before Father, making it impossible for him to hold his head up in the Dong mansion in the future, so he followed along.
Seeing Dong Changmao walk away, Luo Fugui lowered his voice to complain to Concubine Luo, “Look at that! Look at that! What kind of thing did you give birth to? Does he even acknowledge you as his birth mother? It’s one thing for him to treat me, his uncle, with such disdain, but doesn’t he even know whose belly he crawled out of?”
Concubine Luo couldn’t stand anyone speaking ill of Dong Changmao. Angrily, she slapped Luo Fugui’s arm. “Don’t you dare speak of Changmao like that! If you say one more word about Changmao… I won’t care about your matter anymore!”
“Oh! Dear sister! Dear sister! Wasn’t I just defending you!” Luo Fugui quickly put on a fawning smile for Concubine Luo. “Sister… let me speak properly! That maid beside Princess Zhenguo seems interested in your brother!”
Concubine Luo looked her brother up and down. She hadn’t paid attention to what the maid looked like, but could someone from Princess Zhenguo’s entourage be interested in her brother?
“What kind of fool’s dream are you having! How could she be interested in you?!” Concubine Luo flicked her handkerchief and said coldly.
“Why couldn’t she be interested in me! I’m at least Master Dong’s brother-in-law, while she’s just a maid who can be beaten or killed at will beside Princess Zhenguo!” Thinking of Chun Tao’s delicate and pretty face, Luo Fugui felt an unbearable itch in his heart. He lowered his voice to tell Concubine Luo, “Why don’t you whisper in Master Dong’s ear and have him arrange for that maid to be my concubine? This way… You and Princess Zhenguo would have some connection! She’s a princess!”
“Are you insane!” Concubine Luo glared at her brother and laughed coldly as she continued walking forward. “When is it ever our master’s place to decide about Princess Zhenguo’s maid? You’re thinking too highly of yourself! Making her your concubine… You should look at what kind of person you are!”
Luo Fugui quickly caught up with Concubine Luo, jogging as he spoke, “That’s not right! If she can’t be a concubine… then making her a proper wife would work too! Master Dong is Princess Zhenguo’s real uncle—if her real uncle helps arrange a marriage for a maid beside her, she couldn’t very well offend her uncle’s face over a mere maid, could she, sister!”
Seeing Concubine Luo unmoved and continuing to walk forward, Luo Fugui continued, “Think about it—your position in this Dong mansion isn’t high, and why is that… isn’t it because you have no family to support you? If I became the husband of Princess Zhenguo’s maid and followed Princess Zhenguo to Shuoyang in the future, wouldn’t that be more promising than joining the army? Then I could whisper in her ear and have that maid speak well of you before Princess Zhenguo. When Princess Zhenguo’s mother writes to Dengzhou, wouldn’t she mention you? Once you’re mentioned… your status would naturally rise!”
Concubine Luo’s steps paused. She had always known that Princess Zhenguo’s mother, Dong Wanjun, held an extremely high position in Old Madam Dong’s heart, and Old Madam Dong loved Princess Zhenguo dearly as well out of love for her daughter.
Old Madam Dong had always been the one in charge of the Dong family’s inner quarters. If Dong Wanjun were willing to speak well of her, her days in the Dong family would certainly be more comfortable.
Seeing that Concubine Luo seemed to waver, Luo Fugui quickly added fuel to the fire, “Didn’t you say before that you’re always supporting your brother and have nearly been drained dry? Think about it… If your brother marries Princess Zhenguo’s maid, whatever Princess Zhenguo rewards her would become your brother’s, and your brother would give it all to you… It would repay you for all your previous help and let you live well in the Dong mansion!”
Concubine Luo frowned tightly, flicked her handkerchief, turned around, and looked seriously at her brother, who had dressed himself quite neatly today.