Counterattack of the Cannon Fodder Chambermaid

Untitled Part 52

"Really good looking. No wonder his highness is keeping you hidden by his side without letting anyone see you. Tsk. Senior Concubine Qiao take a look. Isn't she extremely fresh?"

Senior Concubine Qiao smiled and didn't speak.

"How old are you this year?" The Jing Consort stroked Xiao Hua's hand and asked gently.

"This servant just turned fifteen."

"Oh wow, that's really young."

She truly was young, only fifteen after all. Really young. Compared to her fifteen years, the twenty-four year old consort was older by a whole decade.

The Jing Consort clearly knew she shouldn't be doing this, but her hands that held Xiao Hua's couldn't resist squeezing tighter and tighter.

Xiao Hua's hands were deeply in pain, but she didn't dare withdraw it. Her eyes inadvertently glanced towards the Jing Prince.

She saw the side of his face remain unperturbed as he toyed with the wine glass in his hand, not even looking in their direction.

"Such a delicate and exquisite little person, his highness is truly wronging you in his thoughtlessness by not conferring you a status."

This line left Xiao Hua in a predicament. If she agreed, she would be calling the prince thoughtless. If she didn't agree, she would be disrespecting the Jing Consort. Xiao Hua's current understanding of the Jing Prince's rear court was currently zero, and in this situation where she couldn't offend either side she chose to remain silent.

It had to be said the Jing Consort's ability to talk by herself was steadily improving. She continued speaking while smiling: "His highness is busy with official business and naturally doesn't have the time to worry about these little things. As his consort, I cannot be so thoughtless. How about this? This consort will take charge and confer you the status of concubine, and accept your service of his highness. Later on, move into the eastern three pavilions to live. Things would be livelier if all of us lived together."

She paused a little, and revealed a troubled expression: "I heard that you were a palace maid, and have only been in this estate for half a year. Our estate has its rules so don't be upset that this concubine status is too low. There aren't that many of us sisters in this estate. For example, those two Madams Yu were bestowed by his father the emperor, and so were able to obtain the status of Madams despite being palace maids previously."

The Jing Consorts words contained many things. She was saying that Xiao Hua needed to be conferred a status while mocking her background for being too, only able to receive a common concubine's status. At the same time, she also mocked Yu Jiao and Yu Rong, lumping them together with Xiao Hua as servant born, and only able to become Madams due to Emperor Xi's bestowal.

The ranking and number of the Grand Xi Dynasty prince's harem was as such: There could be one consort, two senior concubines, and a number of madams. A madam was the lowest rank of titled concubine. However, even if the ranking was low, at least it was still titled. Common concubines didn't have a ranking or record, and there could be any number of them.

At this point, the people in the hall had pretty much understood the Jing Consort's intentions.

The friendliness was fake, the kindness was fake, the roping in was fake, all the various excuses were fake. Only her goal in giving Xiao Hua a status was real.

There may be some who say that giving Xiao Hua a status was for her own good.

Whether it was truly a good thing, only the heavens would know.

Those present all knew that once a woman was conferred a status in the rear court, she couldn't live wherever she pleased anymore. She would be relegated to either the eastern or western three pavilions. This rule was initially set by the Jing Prince for the purpose of letting them know their place and not enter where they shouldn't.

Yet today, the Jing Consort had used this rule to slap the Jing Prince's face.

Of course, it didn't really count as face slapping. After all, her attitude was flawless and her words were reasonable. The only thing that could be criticized was her intent behind the words.

Those with good eyesight could tell that while Xiao Hua was in the Hall of Splendor, the proverb of "the moon shines first on the closest tower by the water" applied to her. The Jing Prince hadn't gone to the rear court in many years, so there was no way the consort would let someone remain within his reach take advantage. If she herself couldn't get him, she would drag everyone else to the same starting line. It couldn't be said the Jing Consort was wrong in doing this, but it would inevitably make others feel she was extending her reach a little far.

"Your highness, you wouldn't blame this consort for minding too many things right? It's for this little sis's own good."

Seeing the Jing Prince look over, the Jing Consort put on a slightly aggrieved appearance, giving off an air of "you can't fault me when I'm acting so magnanimously".

Xiao Hua looked at the Jing Prince, begging him with her eyes not to agree.

The Jing Prince however misunderstood the begging in Xiao Hua's eyes, and his own gaze deepened.

Since she had served him for so long, she indeed deserved a status. As for the words she said long ago about wanting to remain a low palace maid, he had completely forgotten about it.

But the Jing Prince felt that a common concubine's status was a little low. He looked at the two "madams" that he had relegated as random people. Could it be that having served him for so long, she wasn't even on the same level as those two whom he had never touched before?

"Eunuch Fu."

"This old servant is here."

"Her." The Jing Prince raised his wine glass towards where Xiao Hua was standing, and said concisely: "Madam."

"Yes." Eunuch Fu's clear voice rang out: "This old servant will arrange matters quickly."

Although Eunuch Fu felt blood dripping in his heart, he still decided to properly stab at the consort in return.

Who asked you to be a busybody, who asked you to use your words to lower others? What rule? Weren't the rules set by his highness to begin with?

The Jing Consort brought up Xiao Hua's insufficient status and lowly birth. Apart from mocking the two madams, she was also telling the Jing Prince that "this low palace maid's birth is low, at most she can only be fit to be a common concubine".

Little did she know that speaking too much rubbish ended up screwing herself over. While Xiao Hua's birth was low, it couldn't compare to the prince feeling that he didn't want to wrong her any longer. Although a madam's status was a low title, it didn't need to be requested from the court unlike a senior concubine's status. However, a madam would still be recorded as part of the harem, though she wouldn't be on the jade slip harem record recognized by the ancestors.

Seeing that this couldn't be prevented, the Jing Consort smiled a little rigidly and said: "Then, then we really have to congratulate this little sis."

Senior Concubine Qiao's eyes flashed, and her smiling face was like a flower: "Congratulations."

Yu Jiao and Yu Rong's expressions were a little ugly, but they still congratulated with their mouths.

Apart from kneeling and thanking the Jing Prince for his grace, Xiao Hua was unable to do anything else.

Eunuch Fu gave the low-ranked eunuch beside him a kick and said: "You shortsighted thing, why aren't you arranging a seat for Madam Hua at the banquet?"

This "Madam Hua" was called out extremely clearly, making Xiao Hua blank out, and also making the Jing Consort's expression even more rigid.

The low-ranked eunuch's movements were very fast, and things were soon arranged.

Therefore, Xiao Hua also sat down within the hall, her seat right below Senior Concubine Qiao.