Zhang Tai Liu, Zhang Tai Liu, are they still as graceful as before?
The two beautiful daughters of the Zhang family had been trained in music and dance since childhood, all to marry into a noble family to protect their clan. So even though it was just a position as a lowly concubine, Zhang Liu eagerly accepted.
After years of bitter endurance, she finally gave birth to a son. Just as she was about to be elevated to the status of an official consort, Prince Ping suddenly passed away. The Grand Secretary not only refused to provide for the prince’s household but also ordered them all to move to the desolate area north of Bei Shan, claiming it was to guard Prince Ping’s soul, but in reality, it was exile.
Zhang Liu didn’t want to go, so when they were leaving, she used the excuse of taking the child to the toilet to escape. By chance, she met Zhang Tai, who was out shopping for clothes.
“It’s a capital offense for a prince’s concubine to escape privately,” Ming Yi looked at her. “At least you could still live beyond Bei Shan. Why did Madam make such a decision?”
Zhang Liu looked at Ming Yi anxiously for a long time, until Zhang Tai signaled her to relax. Only then did she sit down at the table and say in a low voice, “That manor was already a place that devoured people. Ever since Prince Ping began to neglect his wives and concubines, they went mad, often causing harm to others’ lives. In the main city, there’s still the law to restrain them, but beyond Bei Shan, my child and I might not even know how we’d die.”
Rather than taking her child to certain death, she’d rather gamble on her luck.
Zhang Tai shook her head repeatedly upon hearing this. “If the family finds out, they’ll surely tie you up and take you back to avoid implicating the clan.”
“I know…” Zhang Liu choked, “but the child is innocent. Can you help me just this once?”
Zhang Tai smiled bitterly. “Look at my situation. How can I help you?”
“I don’t need a grand place. Just a roof over our heads and warm porridge to fill our stomachs would be enough,” Zhang Liu said urgently. “I can help you sweep the house, and I can also embroider things to contribute to the expenses.”
Zhang Tai looked at Ming Yi. Ming Yi shrugged indifferently. “Although I don’t have much money on hand, it’s no problem to feed two more mouths. But since you have a child with you, they will surely search the city for a while. Don’t go out for now.”
Zhang Liu didn’t expect her to agree so easily. The worry and panic of the past few days suddenly lifted, and her knees went weak. She knelt directly.
Ming Yi was startled and quickly reached out to help her up. “There’s no need for such a grand gesture.”
“No, it’s because I’m hungry.”
“…”
Zhang Liu sat back on the stool, embarrassed. “These past few days, we’ve been mourning in the manor and haven’t eaten much.”
The three-year-old child sat at the edge of the table, looking expectantly at Ming Yi, a bubble of saliva forming on his lips.
Ming Yi’s heart softened. “As it happens, I have some dried fruits with me. You can have these to tide you over, and later I’ll go out and have someone send some food over.”
“Thank you, miss.” Zhang Liu was immensely grateful, tears streaming down her face. “If only I hadn’t entered the prince’s manor back then.”
Zhang Tai shook her head. “Eight years ago, Prince Ping was at the height of his glory. Young and handsome, deeply favored by the Grand Secretary. Every girl in the city wanted to enter his household. Even if you didn’t want to go, your family would certainly have sent you.”
Ming Yi raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this. “If Prince Ping was so glorious eight years ago, why did he fade into obscurity later?”
“What else could it be? It was all because of that vixen in the inner court!” Zhang Liu suddenly became agitated, her nails digging into the table, breaking off a small piece. “I still can’t understand what kind of love potion she gave the prince, making him abandon his wife and child, causing him to lose control!”
Ming Yi was startled. She patted her chest a couple of times, and finding it ineffective, she went to pat Zhang Liu’s chest instead. “Madam, please speak slowly. What vixen?”
“She’s talking about the former Imperial Consort, Lady Meng,” Zhang Tai sighed. “Lady Meng and Prince Ping were childhood sweethearts. Later, she was summoned to the inner court and became Prince Ping’s sister-in-law. Prince Ping had a falling out with the Grand Secretary over this, but the Grand Secretary eventually allowed them to associate. They addressed each other as uncle and niece, but often drank tea and discussed flowers in the inner court, without any regard for propriety.”
Zhang Liu nodded. “That’s right, it’s her. Ever since she became the Imperial Consort, the prince never had a peaceful night. He became irritable and quick to anger, even mistreating the first princess consort he married later. The princess consort was such a good person, but he drove her to hang herself in the main courtyard of the prince’s manor. She was three months pregnant when she died.”
Ming Yi and Zhang Tai both drew in a sharp breath.
“Did I frighten you?” Zhang Liu tempered her expression, lowering her eyes. “People outside don’t know about this. The princess consort came from a humble background, and her family didn’t dare to come and demand an explanation. So it was just buried with a handful of dirt.”
“Only we in the manor, every time we pass the main courtyard, still feel a chilling wind.”
Ming Yi found it inconceivable. “If his heart was with Lady Meng, why did he let his princess consort become pregnant?”
Zhang Liu curled her lips in self-mockery. “He could spend nights of passion with others and still say his heart only belonged to Lady Meng. Men always want to leave themselves with more options. Look at me, I received no affection, yet I still bore a child.”
Zhang Tai froze as if she had swallowed a fly, unconsciously raising her hand to touch her belly.
Ming Yi patted her shoulder to comfort her. “It’s all in the past.”
“Let’s not talk about that anymore,” Zhang Liu quickly said. “I’m just being loose-tongued, wanting you to know that place is not fit for humans. If someday I’m discovered and taken away, I’ll likely have no way out. Then I’ll have to entrust Min’er to you.”
Zhang Tai nodded, as if suddenly realizing something. She said to Ming Yi, “Tomorrow, I need to go to the pharmacy.”
“Are you sure about this?” she asked seriously. “Don’t regret it later.”
“I’ve thought it through. Keeping it would give me company, but it would also invite endless entanglement from Xu Lan. Following me, the child wouldn’t have a good life either,” Zhang Tai squeezed her palm. “Xu Lan doesn’t deserve me to continue his lineage.”
He was born with difficulty having children, so she wished for his line to end with him.
This idea was shocking even in the Qing Yun realm. After saying it, Zhang Tai felt a bit uneasy, but neither of the two in front of her showed any unusual reaction. Ming Yi’s face even bore a trace of approval.
“I’ll arrange it for you,” she said.
Ji Bozai wouldn’t be returning to the manor recently, so Ming Yi had nothing to do except cry and wail as she left the house every morning, buy things on the street, and then cry and wail as she returned.
So the people on those two streets all thought that the little dancer in the Ji manor had been neglected and was desperately seeking a cure. She futilely rushed between various pharmacies every day, trying to find some fertility prescription to win back Master Ji’s heart.
However, Master Ji was hard-hearted and hadn’t returned from Hua Man Lou. So the little dancer began to buy wooden chairs and beds, preparing a way out for herself.
She was beautiful, looking pleasing to the eye even with a face full of worry, so many people were gossiping about her.
“If I were Ji Bozai, I would enjoy the fortune of having such a beauty. How could one bear to abandon such a gorgeous woman?”
“That’s why you’ll never be Ji Bozai. He doesn’t lack beauty around him. The flavor of that top courtesan in Hua Man Lou must be even more delightful.”
“That’s true, but wouldn’t that Miss Ming harbor resentment?”
Si Tuling sat in a private room of a teahouse on Er Jiu Street. Hearing these two sentences from outside, he raised his eyes and looked down from the window sill.