Real Empress from a noble family

"How did that happen? How did you encourage Qiu Hongzhi to teach Qiu Yinzhi to be bad?" asked Qiu Yelan curiously, eating pine nuts Chunran peeled for her.

To protect others from discovering that they contacted privately, Kang Lizhang usually came here at midnight.

This night was no different.

Qiu Yelan had waned her patience to wait for her so long. She went to bed as usual. As Kang Lizhang arrived, Qiu Yelan leaped out of bed to meet her. The window toward the west opened in half. Outside, there was a pear tree in its full bloom, looking like snow and graupel under the moonlight. Against this droplet, Qiu Yelan looked like a fairy.

Looking at this picturesque scene, Kang Lizhang was full of bitterness due to the scar on her face.

Qiu Yelan had given her the Yulu Ointment, but the injury was so deep on the face caused by Qiu Jinzhu that it would take a long time to recover.

And the key problem was that even if she recovered completely, she would not be as beautiful as Qiu Yelan in terms of appearance.

"I should also cut a scar on her face before grandmother died!" thought Kang Lizhang. This idea kept spinning in her head.

Qiu Yelan's words made her return to reality. She replied immediately, "You have told me to let them fight as fiercely as possible and maintain the balance of two sides. I think that Qiu Hongzhi may be in an unfavorable position before he marries the young lady of Ding Family. So, I think that we should help him a little."

Qiu Yelan sipped a mouthful of tea, saying with a smile, "If your idea works, Qiu Mengmin may disdain Qiu Yinzhi completely? If so, Princess Yang may be in an unfavorable position. My wish is they will fight with each other for years."

Kang Lizhang seemed nervous. She explained hastily, "Sister, I can explain it. I believe that, oh, not believe. I am 70% sure that the baby conceived by Mistress Bian is a boy!"

"Oh?" said Qiu Yelan shockingly. "How do you know that?"

"Her maid Ruyi told me that," said Kang Lizhang in a low voice. "Ruyi once was punished by First Aunt heavily because of Mistress Bian. I rushed to help her out of the trouble. She always wanted to repay me for this… and now, my mother and I have no dependence. Ruyi told me this news because she wanted to help Mistress Bian and ensure that Mistress Bian will give birth safely. I don't think Ruyi had lied to me."

Qiu Yelan squinted, indicating that she believed what she just said.

The situation in the Prince's Mansion had changed. When Madame Lu was still alive, Princess Yang had to restrain herself. As Madame Lu was dead, Princess Yang would be a beast out of a cage. She, as the justifiable Princess in the Prince's Mansion, would do whatever she wanted to do in the past without the constraints from the elders.

Not long ago, Qiu Hongzhi fell into a lake. Princess Yang wanted to frame Mistress Bian by taking advantage of it. Fortunately, Mistress Liu became the scapegoat, which saved Mistress Bian. Or Mistress Bian might have been deported out of the Prince's Mansion. At that time, Princess Yang had decided to get rid of her. Meanwhile, the news that Mistress Bian was pregnant was not spread.

Qiu Yinzhi, as the youngest son, was not the favorite one of his father Qiu Mengmin's in the first place. If a baby were given birth to by Mistress Bian whom Qiu Mengmin once promised that she would be promoted as concubine if she would give birth to a boy, Qiu Yinzhi would have no future at all.

Princess Yang must have decided to get rid of Mistress Bian regardless of infuriating Qiu Mengmin.

Qiu Yelan pondered for a while, saying, "So, the idea that encourages Qiu Hongzhi to teach Qiu Yinzhi to be bad is put forward by Mistress Bian?"

"No, it's Mistress Tian's idea," said Kang Lizhang, shyly.

"Wow, there are so many foxes in the Prince's Mansion," said Qiu Yelan. "How many months have Mistress Bian been pregnant?" asked Qiu Yelan.

"Two months… or more," answered Kang Lizhang with a fear.

"Even we abet Qiu Hongzhi to claim that Princess Yang is ill, how can she be ill for eight months in succession unrecovered?" said Qiu Yelan, squinting at Kang Lizhang. "And we know that she pretends to be ill, and we have told the outsiders that she is ill. So, The period before Mistress Bian gives birth will be tough for her."

"If she can give birth smoothly, the struggle among Young Princes must be fiercer!" said Kang Lizhang meticulously.

"To give birth is the first work. To let the boy be alive is the most important," said Qiu Yelan. "From my perspective, Qiu Mengmin did not want to bestow the title on his sons born in wedlock or his first son. What he wants to do is to bestow it on a talented one."

"In reality… it is not that hard," said Kang Lizhang, pausing for a while. "First Uncle has not many sons, and Mistress Bian is his favorite lover. If he knows that Mistress Bian is pregnant, he must protect her from any danger. But… First Uncle is ill now and First Aunt is serving him all the time. Mistress Bian has no chance to see First Uncle! How can she tell First Uncle she is pregnant? Ask somebody else to tell him? It is not safe. First Uncle is ill lying on the bed. If the news is overheard by First Aunt, it will be a nightmare!" continued Kang Lizhang.

"I know that Qiu Mengmin is the most important breadwinner of Mistress Bian and Qiu Hongzhi. Only after Qiu Mengmin recovers, both will be relieved!"

Hearing her words, Qiu Yelan was angry. "Upon your word, it didn't sound like a hard task. How can we make big money from Mistress Bian if it is not difficult?"

"Ah?" said Kang Lizhang, shockingly.

"What?" Qiu Yelan asked. "If she needs my help, I will do it. But how much can she pay?"

Kang Lizhang continued without a pause, "She is a mistress. Do you think how much money does she have?" After saying this, she realized that Qiu Yelan might slap her as she did in the General's Mansion days ago. She walked back a little instinctively. Qiu Yelan looked at her with a fake smile, not intending to slap her at all. Realizing that she would not slap her, she felt relieved and awkward. She was angry but she had to hold herself together.

"I know she is not rich, but she must have something invaluable," smiled Qiu Yelan. "No more jokes. we all know that Qiu Mengmin loves her. He even promised to bestow the concubine on her… I don't believe that he would not have given her anything worth much?"

Seeing Kang Lizhang ponder and bite her lip, Qiu Yelan reminded her, "Do you believe that the baby, we even don't know it is a boy or girl, can be your firm dependence because you help his mother out today? The baby even may die for no reason before becoming Young Prince."

Kang Lizhang had no idea after hearing her words. "Let me tell you the truth. The man you asked me to get for delivering the message, I still have no clue. On the other hand, First Aunt even can't wait to kill us all…"

"So, it is not right to succumb to Mistress Bian now," said Qiu Yelan, disdainfully. "She was just a mistress. And even if she becomes a concubine, she is not a wife at all. But you are a Lady Lizhang. Even if your family is not a decent one, you don't need to flatter her. And I afraid that she may kick your ass even though you succumb to her."

"You want to marry Qiu Hongzhi, don't you?" asked Qiu Yelan with a smile.

"Are you kidding me?!" said Kang Lizhang, shockingly. Even if she wanted to marry this man, Qiu Mengmin, the father of this man, would not allow his son to marry a girl from a lower class — even if she was his niece — and Qiu Hongzhi was engaged five years ago. His fiancee was the girl in Hanlin Academy. Kang Lizhang had no chance to replace her at all.

"Then you won't stay in the Prince's Mansion for the rest of your life. In this case, why you have to live under Young Prince's thumb," said Qiu Yelan, teasingly. "The baby Mistress Bian will give birth may take hold of power in the future. But when it happens, your children may have grown up for marriage already."

Qiu Yelan's words woke her up. She murmured, "That's right. What I wanted from her is that she can help me with my marriage…"

"She will do her best to help you — Tian Family and Bian Family are not the same class. In terms of the struggle for the position of Young Prince, Mistress Bian's family has no power to help her!" said Qiu Yelan. "You have a feud with Princess Yang and you are shrewd. I believe, if you marry an influential man, you may have the force to fight against Princess Yang, which, on the other hand, will help Mistress Bian indirectly."

"Yes, you are so right. How can I forget it?" said Kang Lizhang with a self-deprecating tone. She was now more fearful of Qiu Yelan.

Qiu Yelan continued to say seriously, "You always think that you are clever enough to handle everything. Without my heads-up, Mistress Bian and Mistress Tian must mock you privately."

After saying this, she took a glance at the copper water clock and yawned. "Okay, then. No more important thing? If no, I'll be back and sleep. You don't forget to find out if Mistress Bian is rich and offer her a high price… And I will give you your commission then."

Kang Lizhang nodded with a bitter smile, standing up for leaving.

When she walked back near the window, she heard Su He murmuring inside, "Tomorrow is the date of the imperial exam. You told me you would get up earlier, waiting for the good news of young master. But you are still up until now… How can you get up earlier tomorrow morning?"

"Don't belittle my determination to stay up late. Over the past years…" murmured Qiu Yelan, yawning often.

Su He sneered at her, "I have been serving you since your childhood. I clearly remember how many times you stayed up late in the past. Don't mention your past stories. Do you still remember that year, you wanted to watch the fireworks show at Lunar New Year's Eve. You had been acting like a spoiled child with Princess, begging for your stay-up for almost one hour. She finally agreed to you to watch it. But you slept on my arm that night."

"That was an old story… You are so bad. Why do you always remind me of my sad memory…"

Kang Lizhang had been out of the yard. The sound in the yard was fading. She walked back meticulously to her living place while she was grumbling, "Ruan Qingyan will become a Jinshi. He will be the dependence of Qiu Yelan's in the future. Even without the help of Empress, First Uncle must also think twice before he makes trouble for her. She is lucky. But I, on the other hand, am reduced to look for my living boat day and night…"

Ruan Qingyan reminded her of her brother Kang Jinzhang. In reality, Kang Jinzhang was also brilliant. He was a Xiucai before he went to Mount Dizi. He must have a bright future. Madame Lu and Qiu Mengmin loved him far more than Qiu Yinzhi. They acquiesced Kang Jinzhang in lusting for Qiu Yelan partly because they assumed Kang Jinzhang would have a bright future… Unfortunately, he never came back after he went to Mount Dizi.

Despite Kang Lizhang heard that Qiu Yelan admitted she killed Kang Jinzhang, she dared not to tell her mother, Qiu Yuqing, the sad news — If she knew about it, it would prompt Qiu Yelan to kill her and her mother earlier.

She walked fast at midnight. The wind in March was soft, but she felt gloomy, "If my brother were still alive, our family could have left the Prince's Mansion. We could still enjoy a fluent life upon our past savings. If he passed all examinations, my mother might be bestowed a title of nobility, and then I would be a young lady. What a beautiful dream."

However, Kang Jinzhang had been dead. If Qiu Yuqing and I left the Prince's Mansion going back to the Kang Family, they must be reluctant to resign themselves to fate. But if they did not go back to live in Kang Family, a widowed woman and her girl lived alone, directly or indirectly, would seduce trouble, let alone Princess Yang.

Thinking of her life and difficulties before her, Kang Lizhang hated Qiu Yelan more. She reminded herself, "Now is not the time to have a feud with her … I will wait, wait for one day she makes a mistake. And then I will crush her… Before that happens, I should wait, constrain myself. One day, I will get a chance to revenge myself on her!"

On the other side, Qiu Yelan was lying on her soft bed. She thought while Su He had covered and tucked her, "Mistress Bian is pregnant, and it is a boy. I should not let this chance slip away from me — I don't need to talk with her directly. As Kang Lizhang has a connection with her, it is good for me to see that she becomes the middle person between us. Anyway, to kill her and her mother will cost me nothing if I want to do it!"

From the very beginning, Qiu Yelan did not trust Kang Lizhang at all.

Her thought is simple, "Kang Lizhang is not a person who will render good for evil. She knew who killed her brother Kang Jinzhang — If she has the bottom line, she will revenge herself. If she does not have a bottom line… Well, a person who does not have a bottom line will do anything possible. A person like that is not worth trust."