Too high to reach

Chapter 39 Looking Back on the Path We've Traveled
Granny Zhao arrived at the main courtyard.

This is the prince's residence. The former and future princesses of Zhou also lived here.

It is the largest and most luxurious in the entire palace, and the furnishings and decorations inside are also the most exquisite.

As soon as they arrived at the courtyard gate, a young maidservant came up and bowed: "Granny Zhao!"

She looks unfamiliar. Has someone else taken over? "What's your name? How long have you been in this courtyard?" Granny Zhao asked.

The girl was fourteen or fifteen years old. She had an ordinary appearance, but her eyes were bright and she looked neat and well-behaved.

"This servant is Qiuhe. I've been in the courtyard for three months now. The ladies who used to live here have all been released by Her Majesty when they reached marriageable age!"

"Is that so... I need to check before Your Highness enters!"

"Please, Granny Zhao. If there is anything inappropriate, please instruct us to correct it."

"This little girl is indeed quite good," Zhao Mama nodded, and then began to examine her carefully.

There are no flowers in the yard this season. The ground is spotless.

Upon entering the room, I touched the table and ornaments; they were spotless.

The heated walls were at just the right temperature; the prince didn't like it too hot. The fish tank increased the humidity in the room…

The prince's favorite tea and books were all laid out.

Upon entering the bedroom, the bed was neatly made, and the blankets smelled of sunshine.

"Hmm." Granny Zhao expressed her satisfaction. "Let's go check the washroom." She took her maid Ling'er and went into the washroom.

There was only a faint fragrance, and the snow-white hand towels were neatly arranged. The toilet, the bathtub... Granny Zhao was quite satisfied after looking at everything, and then she remembered the medicine.

Next to the washroom is a small door that leads to the small kitchen in the west wing. It is fully equipped and is where the prince boils hot water for washing and can also steam soup.

I can't smell any medicine, so it seems it hasn't been cooked yet...

After searching around... the medicine packet was not found.

Back in the meditation room, just as I was about to ask the little maid, I heard a woman speaking outside…

The sound was quite loud, so loud that she could hear it very clearly...

"This is the medicine for the prince's bath. I'll have it boiled in a little while. These small salt packets are for heating and applying to the legs. Don't touch the small packets; boil the large packets first. Once they're boiled, scoop them out and put them in the tub. When the prince takes a bath, just add warm water."

I don't know what the little girl asked in a low voice.

The woman's voice grew impatient and raised its voice, saying, "It's all written on the menu, what's the rush! The prince has to go to the palace first, and it's uncertain when he'll be back! Even if he does come back, there are still many things to do in the front study and with our empress! We don't even know when he'll soak, or if he'll soak today! The empress knows all the arrangements! Don't worry about it!"

That last sentence was spoken with particular emphasis.

Of course, Granny Zhao knew that she was talking to herself.

It was clear that Feng Liniang didn't want her to get involved.

Ling'er was so angry her face turned red, and she wanted to go out and yell at them...

Granny Zhao tugged at her, and she shook her head.

"Granny! That's too much!" Ling'er was also personally taught by Granny Zhao, and she was capable and skilled.

Granny Zhao smiled, not taking it to heart: "We're all doing our jobs for the Prince! As long as it doesn't interfere with important matters, how could I care about a few idle words?"

……

Although Consort Feng has reached a height she never dared to imagine before...

But I'm not strong enough to feel inferior when I look back on the path I've traveled!
Granny Zhao was a servant of the late Empress and later served the Prince. He could say that his current position was inseparable from her.

A dull ache ran through her palm... She had been slapped on the hand by Granny Zhao many times.

Even so, I feel no hatred or resentment, only gratitude.

Her real name was Feng Liniang, and she was the Crown Princess's cousin. However, the Crown Princess belonged to the main branch of the family.

We are a distant branch of the family, almost beyond the fifth degree of kinship, and we are trying to curry favor with the main branch to make a living.

Her family wasn't well-off, and they favored boys over girls. She was eleven years old, but she still couldn't recognize many characters.

They may share the same surname, Feng, but the differences are vast!
Crown Princess Feng Lihua is the eldest daughter of the main branch.

I've only seen her twice, at major family events and grand banquets. She's beautiful and proud, the center of attention, and I can't even get close to her.

When she was named Crown Princess, the Feng family enjoyed unparalleled glory! But her own family didn't benefit much from it!

Later, the royal family suffered a tragedy, which saddened and enraged the emperor. The crown princess also got into trouble, and the Feng family was raided, uncovering quite a few things.

Feng Lihua died along with her unborn child.

This wouldn't have been a big deal, but my own family... actually suffered bad luck too!
Ha, when things are good, you don't get much. But when things go wrong, it follows you perfectly!

Parents and siblings—some died, some were exiled, and some were enslaved…

By the time the prince returned, he had only managed to rescue a few people. She... was the one who unexpectedly benefited from the misfortune!

The prince took them back to his residence and entrusted them to Granny Zhao. At that time, I was covered in lice and had boils all over my head, filled with fear and timidity. I looked like a beggar!
God knows how much effort she put in, working tirelessly for years to learn everything that Granny Zhao taught her.

Then, she turned sixteen. She grew up to be quite beautiful and very capable.

Granny Zhao meant that one of the children who grew up with them was named Zhou Dong, and he was an orphan…

The advantage of this marriage is that there are no parents-in-law to criticize. Zhou Dong is intelligent and hardworking, with a bright future ahead. In the future, one will become an official, and the other a noblewoman... Both husband and wife will work for the prince, which is very reliable.

Having witnessed the prince's charm and life in the prince's mansion, how could she be willing to marry an orphan who didn't even have a place to live?

She wants to stay by the prince's side!

But: how do we keep it?
I tried one method after another, and even impulsively went and got that kind of drug...

But she didn't dare use it!
Through Zhao Mama's teachings, she learned that those despicable methods would not only be ineffective, but would also lead to her demise.

Since the prince saved the Feng family, he still had some compassion for them.

usable!

So she knelt down before the prince, indicating that she had no family to rely on...

A woman without a maternal family will be looked down upon by her husband's family after marriage.

If the prince takes a liking to her, she will become his concubine and continue to serve him.

If the prince doesn't approve of her, she will tie her hair up and remain unmarried. She will spend her life serving the prince as a maid or steward.

As it turns out, her choice was correct!

It's unclear whether the prince was showing favoritism to the Feng family or simply thought she was reliable.

It could also be that taking a concubine wouldn't mean much to the prince.

She became the prince's concubine. Later, because she gave birth to a son, the prince granted her the status of a secondary consort.

If the prince saving her was a blessing from heaven, then her becoming a concubine was entirely due to her own abilities and choices.

However... Zhao Mama never expressed any opinion on her becoming the prince's concubine from beginning to end.

After several attempts to probe, she remained the same: neither agreeing nor disagreeing, having no opinion, and simply respecting her choice.

Princess Zhou was a woman of unparalleled beauty, but she was good for nothing except romance and poetry.

So, in the Prince's residence, it was Granny Zhao and a few other women who managed the household. Later, something urgent happened, and Granny Zhao was sent away by the Prince. Taking advantage of this, she seized control of the household...

Zhao Mama didn't return for half a year, and she openly or secretly indicated that she was unwilling to relinquish control of the household.

Granny Zhao... she's quite something. She went straight home! Never mind!
However... she would still come when the prince was at home!
Moreover, she guessed that Granny Zhao was also in charge of the prince's affairs, in ways she was unaware of!

This... is getting a bit annoying!
Consort Feng frowned. In truth, she didn't want to be so estranged from Granny Zhao despite their feigned affection.

That was the person I respected and trusted most! He was both my mentor and like an elder!
We've come this far... If we also have Granny Zhao's strong support, given her influence with the Prince...

What difficulty is there for me to obtain the position of princess?
Zhao Hui, isn't it good that your apprentice has become a princess?!

Thinking of how polite yet distant Granny Zhao had been to her, all her gratitude vanished, leaving only resentment.

If you're not on my side, then we'll see!
……

Author's Note: My darlings, just one chapter today, okay? It'll be a paid chapter tomorrow.

Thank you all for your support.

My darlings, how about just one chapter today?
It will be a paid subscription tomorrow. Thank you all for your support!

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(End of this chapter)