Chapter 95 : Thanks for Asking, I’d Be Exhausted

When King Xuan came to fetch Xue Qingyin, she had already been playing for half an hour.

“Greetings to His Highness King Xuan.” The palace attendants in the Qingsi Palace knelt and saluted.

King Xuan bypassed them and walked straight to Xue Qingyin.

“Going back?” she asked, looking up.

“Yes.”

“I haven’t finished watching the shadow play,” she said regretfully but stood up nonetheless.

King Xuan glanced at the palace shadow play performers kneeling before him.

These performers had been brought into the palace by the late empress, who enjoyed their art. After her passing, no noble had invited them to perform.

“Do you enjoy shadow plays?” he asked.

“This is my first time seeing one. It’s quite fascinating,” she replied.

King Xuan nodded slightly and ordered his attendants to reward the performers on her behalf. Together, they stepped out of the hall.

The palace attendants watched the King and Xue Qingyin walking side by side, their mouths agape in shock. It wasn’t until the couple’s figures vanished that the attendants managed to close their jaws.

Once they left the palace and got into the carriage, Xue Qingyin began sorting through the gifts she had received.

Riding alongside her carriage, the King could hear faint rustling noises from inside.

After a while, she called out, “Your Highness, you truly have foresight.” She lifted the curtain, revealing her beautiful face. “Look, today’s haul is quite impressive.”

She opened a box to show him.

King Xuan glanced briefly, uninterested, then looked away.

Unperturbed, Xue Qingyin shut the box, reached out, and tugged at his sleeve.

King Xuan paused and turned his gaze back to her.

From behind, the guards saw their consort daringly beckoning the King with her finger.

Such audacity!

Yet King Xuan bent down and leaned close to her carriage.

“What is it?” he asked.

Out of the blue, Xue Qingyin leaned out and kissed him on the cheek.

“Nothing,” she said with a mischievous smile.

The King froze in place.

After a moment, he straightened up. When he looked at her again, his eyes carried a deeper expression.

Inside the carriage, Xue Qingyin lowered the curtain but peeked out secretly.

She noticed the King gripping the reins with increased force, his knuckles tightening and veins popping slightly on the back of his hand.

It works!

A single kiss turned his indifference into keen attention!

Xue Qingyin found it amusing.

They continued forward in silence, as if nothing had happened.

But the guards behind were wide-eyed, their shock evident.

In broad daylight, such intimacy…

And His Highness’s silence was tacit approval!

Half an hour later, Xue Qingyin sat alone in the main hall. When the steward entered, she asked, “Why am I here?”

The steward bowed respectfully. “The household staff have yet to formally greet the side consort, so I took the liberty of gathering them today.”

Xue Qingyin thought for a moment. If she wanted a comfortable life here, she couldn’t refuse.

“Then I’ll trouble you… What’s your name?”

“This lowly servant’s surname is Lü.”

“Then I’ll trouble Housekeeper Lu,” she said politely.

“Not at all,” he replied, bowing even lower.

After another salute, he turned to summon the palace staff.

“These are the servants from the Cunxin Palace.”

“These are from the kitchen.”

…

Housekeeper Lu introduced each group, explaining their roles to help her understand the household structure.

Xue Qingyin’s head began to ache.

Managing a residence this large was truly exhausting.

Fortunately, her position allowed her to pass the responsibility on.

Housekeeper Lu noticed her drowsiness and said gently, “Please bear with it a little longer, Side Consort. There are only a few more to go.”

He clapped his hands, signaling the next group—several older attendants.

“These are from the Eastern Palace,” he announced.

Curious, Xue Qingyin asked, “If they’re from the Eastern Palace, why are they here in the King’s residence?”

One of the older attendants bowed. “The Side Consort might not recognize this old servant. I was once His Highness the Crown King’s wet nurse. When the King was young, I cared for him for a time.”

This detail hadn’t been mentioned in the original story.

So, the King had been raised in the Empress’s household?

The attendant bowed again and said, “Meeting the Side Consort today, you truly are a lovely and charming lady. But you’re too slender and should take better care of your health.”

Xue Qingyin disliked being lectured or patronized. She waved her hand and said, “Haven’t you heard the saying that the weak cannot bear supplements?”

The attendant hesitated before replying, “Then it’s even more important to nourish yourself properly, so you can soon bear a son for His Highness.”

Housekeeper Lu frowned. “Enough, Nurse Zhen.”

Xue Qingyin thought to herself: Wet nurses of old truly had no filter.

She lazily yawned and said, “Housekeeper Lu, is there anything else? If not, I’ll take my rest.”

She completely ignored Nanny Zhen.

Housekeeper Lu quickly responded, “Yes, there is…”

He clapped his hands again, and two guards carried in a large chest.

Xue Qingyin immediately sat up straight.

What? Another gift?

Housekeeper Lu ordered the chest to be opened, revealing… books?

“These are the account books for all the properties of the King’s residence, except for those in the fief,” Housekeeper Lu explained.

The accounts for the fief were handled by the King’s administrative officials and would never be presented to Xue Qingyin.

Even so, this chest full of account books was shocking enough.

Xue Qingyin pointed to herself. “For me?”

Housekeeper Lu nodded, then respectfully handed her another item. “These are the keys to all the storerooms in the residence.”

The ring of keys jingled softly with a slight shake.

Xue Qingyin fell silent.

This didn’t seem right.

Didn’t we agree I’d come here as a concubine?

Why am I now responsible for this kind of thing?

“And here is the official seal,” Housekeeper Lu continued, pulling out yet another item.

“Wait!” Xue Qingyin quickly stopped him.

“This will kill me,” she said bluntly.

Housekeeper Lu froze, looking bewildered.

Shouldn’t she be overjoyed at being entrusted with the residence’s internal affairs as a concubine?

Even in ordinary households, the official wife might not always have such authority.

But Xue Qingyin was keenly aware of her own limitations. The Xue family’s businesses were different—firstly, she had Lady Xue to help; secondly, even if she ran the Xue family business into the ground, she wouldn’t feel the slightest guilt. As long as it didn’t fall into He Songning’s hands, anything was fine.

But the King Xuan’s residence’s assets were used to sustain the entire household.

If she squandered it all, on a minor scale, her luxurious lifestyle would vanish. On a larger scale, how would they support the troops?

Maintaining an army was extremely expensive!

“Therefore, the concubine should focus on nurturing her health,” Nanny Zhen interjected with a timely admonishment.

Xue Qingyin: ?

Something’s off.

You’re an old nanny acting high and mighty, yet seeing Housekeeper Lu entrust me with the household affairs, you don’t say a word?

So, you only care if I can give King Xuan a child, huh?

In King Wei’s residence.

The old nanny was also sternly advising Liu Yuerong to take care of her health.

“Kings, you ate barely a dish at today’s meal. How can you build your strength and conceive a child soon?”

Hearing the latter part, Liu Yuerong flushed with embarrassment.

But the nanny’s harsh tone made her frown in irritation.

The old nanny, undeterred, continued, “Yesterday, King Wei did not stay in the King’s chambers. Do you know why?”

Liu Yuerong, suppressing her embarrassment, replied, “I don’t know.”

The old nanny said, “The Kings should reflect on herself. If the concubine gets pregnant first, it will be a laughingstock.”

Liu Yuerong’s face reddened with anger.

She couldn’t believe an old nanny dared to lecture her and retorted, “Then just give the concubine contraceptives. Only after I’ve given birth to the legitimate heir should she be allowed to conceive.”

The old nanny looked at her as if she were a fool. “Does the Kings think the concubine is a lowly maid? Her father is the Military Governor of Jiannan Circuit. How could she be given contraceptives at will?”

Liu Yuerong grew more irritated and snapped, “You’re just a servant. How dare you lecture me?”

The old nanny remained unmoved. “This servant was sent by the Noble Consort to assist in the household. The Noble Consort feared the Kings might lack worldly understanding. If the Kings is unhappy, she can bring it up during her visit to the Noble Consort tomorrow.”

She was eager to please her mother-in-law, so how could she dare voice dissatisfaction to Noble Consort Wan?

Frustrated, Liu Yuerong frowned and asked her maidservant for good news to lighten her mood.

She turned and asked, “Has King Xuan’s residence been reprimanded today?”

The old nanny answered coldly, “On the contrary, both King Xuan and his concubine received rewards from the palace today.”

Liu Yuerong stood up in shock. “How is that possible?”

“Indeed, how could it be?” The old nanny added sarcastically, “Even a concubine has earned the favor of both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. The Kings must strive harder.”

How could she strive?

Liu Yuerong, both angry and confused, wondered if she should also laze in bed until midday before going to the palace to pay her respects, just like Xue Qingyin.