Silent Lover (The Silent Concubine) - Chap 85
“So this is where you’ve been hiding and having fun, making it hard for me to find you~.”
Hong Lian had visited Shao Hua Court many times, but never saw Shen Yu. He thought he was avoiding him and Song Qing, but later found out from someone else that Shen Yu had moved into the woodshed.
After discussing with the Princess, who was delighted to jump off her beauty couch, she had been holed up in Liquei Court for some time, not going out voluntarily, fearing that Prince Zhenbei would divorce her.
But after hiding for so long, she couldn’t help feeling frustrated. Upon hearing the news of Shen Yu’s downfall, she laughed three times and went to see him with her new sable fur gloves.
“Hahaha! I thought the Prince would pamper you forever. It seems you’re just like those cheap maids from before. Oh, Concubine Hidden, I told you not to be too proud, didn’t I? Well, now you’re getting your comeuppance!
The Princess walked around the woodshed. Surprisingly, the place was tidy, with everything neatly arranged. A straw mat bed was placed in a corner by the window, simple but clean.
Shen Yu pretended not to hear the Princess’s words, busying himself with stacking firewood in a corner of the woodshed. It was almost reaching the ceiling, so he couldn’t reach anymore. He fetched a ladder and finished the task with great effort.
Seeing him like this, the Princess got angry and kicked the ladder with force, almost knocking it down, but hurting her own toe instead.
“Ouch!
The Princess cursed loudly in pain, “Without the protection of the Prince’s, you dare to act arrogant with me?!”
Angered, the Princess picked up a nearby laundry pole intending to hit him, but remembered the Prince’s words. She wasn’t sure about Prince Zhenbei’s intentions. Had he really forsaken Shen Yu? She couldn’t afford to antagonize him anymore.
“I’m just a lowly servant. Look at this place, it suits you well! Shen Yu, in the end, I win.” The Princess wore a sinister smile on her face. “Do you know how those favored concubines and male favorites of the Prince died before?”
Shen Yu used to think they died in the Prince’s bed. Now, he probably knew better.
“Speaking of which, someone was hanged in this woodshed before.
The Princess pointed upward, “Yes, right in this spot. She was a singer, with a beautiful voice, who sweet-talked the Prince and spoke ill of me in front of him. When she was hanged, her eyes almost popped out, and her tongue stretched out so long. I ordered her tongue, which loved to gossip, to be cut off. Let’s see how she’ll complain to the King of Hell!”
“Hahaha… But don’t worry, I won’t kill you so soon. You’re the one I hate the most! Letting you die easily would be too kind, wouldn’t it? We’ll settle our scores later… Since you like doing servant’s work so much, Shaoyao, bring over the dirty laundry from Liquei Court’s servants, and also, don’t let the kitchen prepare his meals. He can only eat leftovers according to the servant’s rules!”
After a display of dominance, the Princess didn’t want to stay in this small woodshed for long. She covered her nose in disgust and left.
Hong Lian, on the other hand, leaned against the door, watching the scene with a smile.
“Why aren’t you following your mistress?” Song Qing asked with a sneer…
“She’s not my mistress, just an employer.”
Song Qing said coldly, “Birds of a feather flock together, isn’t the Princess your call?”
“…” Hong Lian smiled with his arms crossed, “Yes, so what? Both the Princess and I are of the same kind. As for Sir Song, your little Jade is indeed pure and innocent… But I admire her very much. I heard that Concubine Hidden and the Prince even spent a night together? To be able to sleep with the Prince, I’m indeed inferior…
“You clearly know it’s a rumor! It’s the Princess’s doing! Be careful not to end up in hell with your tongue pulled out!”
Song Qing was so enraged by Hong Lian that he didn’t know what to say.
“Chuckle… ”
Hong Lian laughed heartily, “I’m just a little guy from the Qinhuai Tower. After death, I’m supposed to go to hell anyway. But Sir Song, are you upset because Little Jade was stabbed by the Prince and even slept with the Prince, yet you didn’t get your share? Feeling restless, huh? If I were you, I’d have gone to the Red Chamber long ago. Why pretend to be a gentleman? Trying to win her over with kindness? Your Little Jade might prefer someone rough, not a wimp like you.”
Song Qing blushed furiously, “Shameless! Get lost!”
“Nope.” Hong Lian plopped down on the straw mat, “I like watching people work, so I’m not leaving. Shen Yu, you better watch out. The more upright a man appears, the more deceitful he might be. You should be wary of Sir Song!”
Shen Yu glanced at him, his mind solely focused on the task at hand…
Song Qing clenched his fist, took a deep breath…
“There’s no reasoning with you!” Song Qing realized that people like her shouldn’t be reasoned with. The more he argued with her, the more determined she became…
Under the Princess’s orders, Shaoyao indeed brought two coarse maidservants and threw a pile of rough cloth in front of Shen Yu, who followed suit without complaint…
“Why aren’t you washing them? Don’t you know they’re deliberately making things difficult for you?”
Of course, he knew. In the past, servants of the Shen household always gave his mother many chores, and she just quietly finished them. It was the duty of a servant…
Shen Yu was happy to do it; otherwise, he would feel too indebted for the great favor Prince Zhenbei had shown him. Doing a little more would help make up for it…
“I’ll help you!” Song Qing decided to sit down as well. Shen Yu was too stubborn to be convinced, but he couldn’t bear to watch him torture himself like this…
“Oh~ My little lover can’t bear it~” Hong Lian reclined on the straw mat, pulling out a sunflower seed from somewhere, cracking it loudly, then spitting the shell out far away…
Late into the night, Shen Yu finally hung the last piece of clothing from Liquei Manor on the bamboo pole…
Song Qing noticed his arms involuntarily trembling and spasming. When he applied the medicine, he saw that Shen Yu’s fingertips were completely blistered, with flesh protruding, a horrifying sight…
“Oh? Finished washing?”
Hong Lian woke up from a nap, just in time to see Song Qing applying ointment to Shen Yu’s hand and blowing on it to ease the pain.
“Oh dear, it’s so late already, and I haven’t even washed up yet. Little Jade, since you like doing work, could you fetch a basin of hot water for me? I want to soak my feet. Ugh… I’m
exhausted from today.”
Song Qing glared at Hong Lian. Before he could say anything, Shen Yu had already stood up. Song Qing knew his persuasion was futile now…
“What do you want?” Song Qing gritted his teeth.
“Huh? Of course, I want to take advantage of you.” Hong Lian squinted, “Unless Sir Song, you want to be my guest for the night…”
“Concubine Hidden” is a title given to a concubine who is kept secret or hidden from public view, often due to political reasons, personal preferences of the ruler, or other circumstances. It implies that this concubine’s existence or relationship with the ruler is not widely known or acknowledged publicly.
