The twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month, the ambitious Old Mrs. Wang originally intended to control Wang Qingyao by marrying Han Suqin into the Ding'an Prince's manor, thereby suppressing Wang Qingyao and taking a satisfying revenge. Who knew that her scheme would backfire, leaving Wang Qingyao with leverage, and she would forever live in fear that any upset to Wang Qingyao's pregnancy would be her fault.
"Let's go."
With the matter resolved, Wang Qingyao was in high spirits, believing Old Mrs. Wang would not dare to cause trouble again. Xiao Yun personally helped her out of the side hall.
Wang Da and Wang Zijing followed behind to see them off. Not long after, Han Suqin caught up.
"Princess Consort, I wish to speak with you alone."
Xiao Yun looked at her warily. She immediately said, "I mean no harm, I truly just want to say a few words."
Wang Qingyao nodded, signaling Xiao Yun not to be nervous. With so many people watching, Han Suqin could do nothing. Besides, she had already scanned Han Suqin with her clairvoyant eyes and found no dangerous or suspicious items on her.
She moved a little further away from Han Suqin, still within everyone's sight. While others might feel awkward staring, Xiao Yun did not. He stared intently, his ears perked.
"What do you wish to tell me, Miss Han?" No longer pretending, Wang Qingyao did not call her cousin. She looked at Han Suqin with a half-smile, waiting for her to speak.
Han Suqin possessed a beautiful, sincere, and somewhat dignified face. She lacked the flirtatious aura of a "green tea" woman, and standing there, she could easily be mistaken for a lady from a prominent family.
"Your Majesty, whether you believe me or not, I never intended to be a concubine to Prince Ding'an... this was entirely Old Mrs. Wang's idea. I... I had no choice."
Wang Qingyao did not reply, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"...The Han family has long since declined. I am a庶女 (shu nu - daughter of a concubine) in my family. My嫡母 (di mu - principal wife) dislikes me. Because of my good looks, she sent me to Duanjing... it doesn't matter if I become a principal wife, a concubine, or a secondary wife, as long as I can marry into a noble family to support my maternal relatives..."
She put on a pained expression.
Wang Qingyao knew that some families were like this, where daughters were not valued. Take the Gu family of the Yongning Marquis's manor, for example. As long as they could bring benefits to the family, the daughters' lifelong happiness meant nothing.
She felt a little sympathy for Han Suqin and said lightly, "I understand. I don't blame you."
Han Suqin bowed deeply and took her leave.
Xiao Yun was close enough to hear most of what Han Suqin said. He looked thoughtfully at her retreating figure.
Wang Qingyao chuckled, "What? Moved by pity?"
Xiao Yun rubbed his chin. "Just curious."
"Curious about what?"
"Her嫡母 dislikes her, so she sent her to Duanjing? What kind of logic is that? If she disliked her, shouldn't she just find someone to marry her off to?"
Wang Qingyao frowned slightly. The last time she and Xiao Yun went to Yunnan and Guizhou, the Wang family saw them off. Xiao Yun had met Han Suqin then. At that time, there was no concern about male guests being present. Why was he concerned today?
"There is a simple and crude method."
"What?"
Wang Qingyao used the excuse of not needing Wang Da and Wang Zijing to escort her. She took a turn and went to Concubine Ying's courtyard. Xiao Yun could not enter the courtyard conveniently, so he waited outside with Yuan Bao.
Although Concubine Ying no longer managed the Wang family, she still managed Wang Da's courtyard.
The last time Madam Bai bit off half her ear, Wang Da did not abandon her because of it, which showed her capabilities.
Wang Qingyao personally came to see Concubine Ying. Concubine Ying was flattered. She wore a pomegranate-red moonlit skirt, with her hair down on both sides, perfectly covering her injured ear without detracting from her beauty.
"Why has the Princess Consort come?" Concubine Ying was both surprised and delighted. She quickly ordered tea and snacks to be served, her hands and feet unsure where to go in her excitement.
"No need to fuss," Wang Qingyao said directly. "I've come to inquire about someone. Regarding Han Suqin, how much do you know?"
Concubine Ying was taken aback.
Concubine Ying had long heard that Old Mrs. Wang wanted Han Suqin to become a concubine in the Ding'an Prince's manor.
However, as a mere concubine, she had no authority over the Old Mrs. and the Old Mrs. would not consult her on such matters.
Yet, she had a habit: even if the matter did not concern her and she had no say, she still wanted to keep the information firmly in her grasp.
To put it exaggeratedly, once someone entered the Wang family, she would investigate their background thoroughly.
"This Han Suqin is from Jiangling Prefecture. She is the granddaughter of Old Mrs. Wang's maternal uncle, your maternal grandfather's brother. Uncle Han has four sons and three daughters. Han Suqin is the daughter of the fourth son. Han Lao Si (Old Fourth Han) was a philanderer, and with Old..."
At this point, Concubine Ying unconsciously stopped speaking. After a while, she continued, "Han Lao Si has a large number of sons and daughters. Including those born to the other three sons, the Han family has a total of seventeen daughters. Han Lao Si alone accounts for half of them. Han Suqin ranks ninth, and her birth mother is the庶妹 (shu mei - concubine sister) of Han Lao Si's wife.
"...She is the most beautiful among these seventeen daughters and the sweetest-tongued. The elders in the family all dote on her, even her嫡母 treats her like her own child, while her own biological children are neglected."
"She is beautiful and has high aspirations. She looks down on the small place of Jiangling Prefecture and tried every means to ask her嫡母 to send her to our family, hoping to use Old Mrs. Wang's influence to secure a good marriage."