Too high to reach

Chapter 210 A Secret Game
Consort Feng returned to Changhui Pavilion with a gloomy expression.

Is the Prince's Mansion an inn?
Anyone can just come and stay whenever they want?!

Does Mo Yi even know the word "rules"?

That bitch from the Zhou family... at least she said something beforehand, and at least she used the excuse of accompanying Li Xiangling.

But what about Mo Yuan?

He has parents and a home, yet he runs off to live with his newlywed sister.

How can there be such a truth in the world?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, but she remained silent, her face cold. She brought the teacup to her lips, then threw it away with a bang; the fine teacup shattered on the floor…

"You're going to scald me to death!" she shrieked, a rare occurrence for her.

The maid who had just served tea quickly knelt down, trembling, "It was my fault, please forgive me, Your Highness..."

"You think I'm so nice? You just act like this without any regard for others? Open your eyes and see who you are! Drag her out... and slap her ten times!" She was scolding the maid on the surface, but in her heart she was cursing the Mo family girl.

"Your Majesty, please spare this servant..." The little maid was terrified after suffering such an undeserved misfortune.

With a ferocious expression, Madam Song grabbed the little girl before Consort Feng could speak again, dragged her into the courtyard, and began to beat her mercilessly.

The little girl dared not shout, but only sobbed as she was beaten.

Consort Feng glanced at Chunfen, the meek maid beside her, and said, "What's wrong? Aren't you going to clean up the mess? You'll only know what you're supposed to do after you get a beating?"

Chunfen was her first-class maid, clever and capable, and held considerable influence in the household. Reprimanded by Consort Feng, her face flushed red, and she dared not utter a word. She quickly knelt down and began to gather the broken pieces.

After beating the person, Song's mother went back to her room feeling refreshed.

She had been nearly beaten to death several times in her husband's family home, which led to some psychological distortion. He was a strong, hard-working man who was extremely ruthless.

Normally, Consort Feng rarely lost her temper or punished the servants. If someone made a mistake, she would only say a few words and fine them a small amount of their monthly wages. Those who committed serious offenses would be sold off or sent to the estate.

She has always presented herself as gentle, kind, and generous, and would never hit anyone.

But Song's mother had a penchant for hitting people. If someone offended her, even if it was nothing serious, she would find a pretext and take matters into her own hands.

Because Consort Feng trusted her and treated her kindly, no one dared to say anything.

“No wonder Your Highness doesn’t give them any face…” Madam Song rolled her eyes and said, “They’ve barely settled in, and they’re already having their elder sisters from their maiden families come to stay. What kind of talk is that? If others find out, won’t they laugh at the Prince’s household for having no manners? How could the Prince have chosen such a person…”

Then, she began to persuade Consort Feng, "Your Highness, this matter is indeed annoying, but you should try to think more positively. You see, the Prince knows about it, but he doesn't say anything. It would be pointless for us to make a scene."

These words only made Consort Feng angrier.

Changhui Pavilion was her territory, so she had no more scruples. "Just now, did you see the way that bitch from the Mo family looked at me? Am I some kind of object that she can look at? If she saw me outside, she'd have to kneel and kowtow to me! What is she?!"

“You’re right!” Madam Song said with a scathing tone. “She’s from a humble family after all, look at that lowly manner of hers… It’s a pity that Granny Zhao isn’t here, otherwise you could have asked her directly: Is this how you taught the Princess to behave?”

"I'm so angry..." Consort Feng trembled as she recalled the whole story.

“Your Highness…it’s the New Year, you can’t say that word.” Madam Song quickly advised again, “You, don’t let her lead you astray. She’s disorganized and prone to making mistakes. The Prince, that’s not a good temperament! We’ll just wait…and try to guide her when the opportunity arises. What will you do when the Prince dislikes her?”

Upon hearing this, Consort Feng sighed deeply, "I don't know why, but I have a particularly bad feeling. The Zhou Li of the past was better than her in every way, yet I've never felt this uneasy..."

“That’s because our Shao’er is all grown up, and you’re overthinking things. Concern can cloud judgment…” Mother Song comforted softly, but there was something else she didn’t say: Back when Zhou Li was alive, Consort Feng hadn’t fully taken control of the Prince’s mansion yet, so she kept a low profile.

Unlike the last two years... she has become the mistress of the royal palace and the de facto princess.

She also gave birth to the prince's eldest son.

Now, suddenly a legitimate wife appears out of nowhere. No one could stand that!

“Your Majesty, you’re too excited right now. Sometimes, when people get excited, they lose their sense of proportion. You’ve made quite a few preparations. You’ve even won over the Princess’s head maid. This hidden piece… can turn the tide at crucial moments!” Consort Feng nodded. “It’s still a bit too late. We need to get that maid more deeply involved before it’ll be truly effective. Besides, I won’t make this move unless absolutely necessary. The Princess is very useful.”

"Your Majesty, you are the most thoughtful! Moreover, I have already begun making all the preparations I can think of. I certainly won't be scrambling to find what I need..."

Song's mother had a sinister grin on her face.

Back then, she miscarried her first child after marriage; it was a boy. But she was too naive at the time and didn't understand anything. And then the same thing happened with her second pregnancy…

As the saying goes, experience teaches a lesson. The third pregnancy was saved, but it turned out to be a daughter.

Only then did I realize that before she even entered the house, her widowed sister-in-law, who had just given birth to a son, had already made all the preparations!

As the saying goes, "A lesson learned from experience."

She'd learned these dirty tricks herself. But in her husband's family, they were useless. Unable to bear a son, her mother-in-law and husband would only beat and punish her. She had nowhere to turn; she wanted to buy poison to kill the widow's son, but she didn't have a single copper coin in her pocket!

Later, she entered the Prince's mansion, where she gained power, connections, and money.

If Consort Feng is willing to listen to me, what can't she do?

She thought of her husband and his family who had died tragically. Then she thought of her daughter, who had married a steward in the Prince's mansion and was dressed in silk and satin.

She laughed. If she really helped Consort Feng become a princess... her grandson would definitely be able to get an official position!
"Yes, you're right. What have you prepared?" Consort Feng was persuaded once again.

With a malicious look on her face, Song's mother leaned close to her ear and began to whisper...

Mo Yuan looks delicate, but she is a funny and witty person.

It made Consort Tian laugh so hard she almost fell over.

Even the two concubines who usually didn't talk much and Miss Zhou Jiu covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and smiled.

Li Xiangling had complicated feelings about Mo Yi; she wasn't the stereotypical stepmother...

Sometimes, just when Juan'er felt a little favorably disposed toward her stepmother's actions and words, she could analyze the malice in them... leaving her completely confused.

Although young, I know that filial piety is paramount, and it's not easy to ask someone about such a matter.

It was time to eat. Mo Yuan, holding Mo Yi's hand, looked around curiously. "...This is your home, just like in the book. How could someone living here have any worries? Hey, you love tending to flowers and plants, you must be overjoyed to see such a big garden, right?"

The prince's villa, the lotus lake we visited before, and the Liu family's garden we went to a few days ago—each garden is beautiful. Yours is beautiful too; it clearly cost a lot of money. But…”

Mo Yuan looked around, "Besides being big and clean, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly amazing about it..." She spoke casually, not knowing how angry Consort Feng would be if she heard this!

"With your abilities, as long as you put your heart into it, you'll definitely create a famous garden in the capital!"

“I really hadn’t thought of what you’re talking about… Ninth Sister…” Mo Yi heard this and had some inspiration. She turned around and called Zhou Jiu.

"Your Majesty, did you call me?" Zhou Jiu and Xiangxiang walked to the back hand in hand.

"I see the Zhou family's garden; it looks like a southern garden. Although it's not large, it's extremely exquisite. Are they hired to maintain it?"

“My family’s ancestral home is Suzhou, and my grandfather loved Suzhou gardens the most. When they were being renovated, we specially invited craftsmen from our hometown. The ones who are in charge of maintaining them now are also from there.”

“No wonder…” Mo Yi looked around: There would be quite a few flowers in spring.

Looking at it from the past, this would seem like a fairyland.

But once people broaden their horizons, they see things differently.

However, shouldn't we wait until we're in charge of the household before making any changes?

I didn't sleep well again last night. My hair feels heavy, so I guess I'll only be able to write one chapter today.