Chapter 111: The Side Concubine

The royal hot springs were located thirty miles outside the capital, nestled in the mountains. Bai Mucheng was in charge of arranging the security, and a large entourage was escorting Tian Mi. The two children also accompanied her, along with the ever-loyal Mama Xiao, four servants from the summer, and Spring One, Two, and Three, along with a hundred guards and a large procession of carriages.

As they passed, the carriages of others moved aside to make way.

Xu Feiyan was full of excitement. “Tian Mi, we’re so impressive!” she said.

Chen Miaomiao was just as amazed, never imagining they would have such an imposing moment.

Tian Mi smiled and replied, “As long as you don’t bully others, no one in the capital dares to bully you.”

This era’s privileges worked like this; there was no need for her to worry. Chen Yu had already made arrangements, and Bai Mucheng had arrived ahead of time to set up the defenses at the hot springs.

The residence of the Princess of Ding Wang was next to the Crown Prince’s palace and was very close to the emperor’s palace. It was the most luxurious area within the royal palace, as well as the most heavily guarded.

At this time, neither the emperor nor the Crown Prince had arrived yet. The second prince wasn’t eligible to come, as he was still mourning the death of his wife. The third prince and his wife had already arrived. The third prince’s mother had been promoted by the empress, and he was very respectful toward the Crown Prince and the Princess of Ding Wang. When he saw Tian Mi’s procession, he immediately stopped and, with his wife, came to pay their respects.

Tian Mi exchanged a few pleasantries with them and invited them to visit when they had time.

They agreed, saying they would come by once she was settled in.

Although the third prince was slightly older than Bai Mucheng, he hadn’t received his title yet, so from a status perspective, Bai Mucheng and Tian Mi were considered higher than him.

Tian Mi and Bai Mucheng settled into their main courtyard, while Tian Dabiao, Huang Yuanying, and Xu Yunfei were placed in the front courtyard, and Xu Feiyan and Chen Miaomiao in the side courtyard. Everyone made themselves comfortable.

Not long after, the emperor and Crown Prince arrived with their families, and Tian Mi had to take the two children to greet them.

She brought Mama Xiao along with Chun siblings and Three to the Crown Princess’s quarters. The Crown Princess was busy settling in, and Tian Mi briefly greeted her, arranging to meet her later to pay respects to the empress. The Crown Princess smiled and agreed, saying she would come to find her once she was done.

Though the Crown Princess smiled, Tian Mi noticed a subtle exhaustion in her eyes.

After returning to the palace, Tian Mi was still a little puzzled.

Mama Xiao, with her wealth of experience, was quick to notice. Tian Mi asked her, “Mama, why does the Crown Princess seem strange today?”

Tian Mi had met the Crown Princess several times before, and the last time she had even sent her some sunflower seeds and nuts, and the Crown Princess had been in high spirits.

Mama Xiao also noticed something unusual about the Crown Princess.

She replied, “It’s inevitable for the mistresses of noble families to be exhausted. Not everyone can be as carefree as you.”

She continued, “The emperor and Crown Prince both have difficult responsibilities, and so do the empress and Crown Princess, who are burdened with many things.”

The current Crown Prince was relatively well-off, with Bai Mucheng always helping to stabilize the military. His main responsibility was to keep the court running smoothly, which was a delicate job. Compared to his other brothers, he was doing better by not creating additional chaos.

However, half an hour later, a maid from the Crown Princess came to request Tian Mi’s company. When Tian Mi arrived, she found that, besides the Crown Princess and the young prince, there was also a side concubine of the Crown Prince present.

Side concubines did not have the qualifications to meet the empress, so Tian Mi was somewhat puzzled.

The Crown Princess explained casually, “Li, the side concubine, is pregnant, so I’m bringing her along to pay respects to the empress.”

Tian Mi immediately understood. No wonder the Crown Princess had seemed a little off earlier.

The group arrived at the empress’s palace, where Nanny Ran announced their arrival. The previous day, the Crown Princess had informed the empress that the side concubine was pregnant and would come to pay respects today.

Li, the side concubine, appeared to be around seventeen years old. She was dressed modestly, her demeanor humble and cautious, as if always trying to stay in her proper place and be obedient.

In this era, women were very aware of their position.

The empress welcomed them in, and after the Crown Princess and Tian Mi paid their respects, the empress invited them to sit. Only then did Li, the side concubine, perform her formal greeting.

The empress remained in high spirits and allowed the side concubine to sit at a lower seat, chatting casually.

“Another grandchild is on the way!” The empress asked about Li, the side concubine’s condition.

Nanny Ran, the empress’s right-hand woman, also joined in, saying, “The Crown Prince has a legitimate son now, and now the side concubine is pregnant too. The royal family is blessed with so many heirs. How joyful!”

As the empress’s trusted assistant, Nanny Ran often spoke with the empress and others, and her words carried weight.

The empress responded, “Having many children is a good thing. This is also a reflection of the Crown Princess’s virtue. The side concubine should listen carefully to the Crown Princess’s guidance!”

The empress had always liked the Crown Princess, having chosen her herself.

Nanny Ran smiled and added, “The Prince of Ding doesn’t even have a side concubine, does he?”

Tian Mi glanced at the empress, who was momentarily taken aback. Nanny Ran’s words often reflected the empress’s opinions.

Tian Mi had considered this matter before. In this era, this situation was inevitable. If Bai Mucheng took another concubine, she couldn’t be left behind. She wasn’t one to share, but she was fine with a separate, peaceful life. Unlike the Crown Princess, who endured everything alone, Tian Mi knew she couldn’t handle such internal strife.

Sighing inwardly, she thought, “Being loyal is hard! It’s difficult for women to be devoted. I haven’t even found my own prince yet!”

With a faint smile, Tian Mi replied, “Mother, I once said I would help pick a side concubine for the prince. But the prince is rather picky. He said if she doesn’t surpass me in beauty, it’s unnecessary. He wouldn’t accept anything less. If there’s a suitable candidate, I’ll keep an eye out for him. After all, everyone has a love for beauty.”

Bai Mucheng and the Crown Prince happened to arrive just as Tian Mi was speaking. Hearing her words, Bai Mucheng smirked and immediately understood the essence of her remark. “Everyone loves beauty, and so do you,” he thought.

At that moment, a servant came in to announce their arrival.

After the two entered, the empress smiled and said, “We were just talking about you two! Ah, Muchen, your wife says she’ll help you find a side concubine. What do you think about that?”

Bai Mucheng and the Crown Prince exchanged glances, and he saw Tian Mi’s sweet smile. He answered casually, “Mother, I have a son, a daughter, and a wife. I have no intention of taking a side concubine. When Mi’er says she’s helping me find one, she’s just joking. Everyone loves beauty, but the bond between Mi’er and me doesn’t need anyone else to interfere.”

Nanny Ran laughed, her face beaming, but inwardly, she sighed. She would have to talk to her foolish daughter.

The empress laughed and said, “That’s true.”

Everyone had their own thoughts, and the atmosphere grew a little tense, but only Tian Mi felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

She quickly changed the subject. “Mother, I heard they’ve made your favorite snacks today.”

That evening, there would be a grand feast. The winter hunt began the following day, and neither the Crown Prince’s nor the Prince of Ding’s families would participate, as they were accompanying the emperor for the hunt.

After returning to their palace, Bai Mucheng asked, “Do you really want me to take a side concubine, my love?”

Tian Mi feigned exaggerated grievance and said, “Husband, of course I don’t want that! But everyone else has one, and you don’t, and I’m worried you’ll feel neglected!”

Bai Mucheng knew she was pretending and couldn’t help but laugh silently. He took her in his arms and said, “If you’re worried about me, just serve me well.”

Tian Mi rolled her eyes, thinking to herself, What else can I do to serve you, you rogue?

Meanwhile, Nanny Ran found Jin Wenwen and tried to advise her to give up. The Prince of Ding didn’t want a side concubine, and even if she went to his palace, there was no future there. Nanny Ran had watched him grow up and understood his temperament well.

But Jin Wenwen, still clinging to her one-sided feelings, couldn’t let go. She had known him since childhood and felt their bond was stronger than any others. But the truth was, she had never caught his eye.