She was then made a scapegoat by Consort Wei and was troubled for a long time. Fortunately, she had a good temper and didn't dwell on it too much.
However, the entire palace was quite displeased with Consort Wei's actions, especially Emperor Qi.
This marriage was bestowed by him. Consort Wei was unhappy before, and she was still unhappy now. Was she unhappy with Princess Li, or was she unhappy with him, the Emperor!
Therefore, for several consecutive days, he sent imperial nurses to Han Zhang Hall. Ostensibly to serve her, but in reality, to teach her etiquette. Facing Emperor Qi, no matter how much dissatisfaction she had, it was useless. She could only swallow her anger!
Her slight good impression of Princess Li was dashed again. So, she thought of Liang Luo.
At this moment, she no longer cared about her so-called illness. She immediately sent a palace maid to deliver a message to the Liang family, demanding that Liang Luo enter the mansion within three days, or she would be punished.
Under such circumstances, even if Liang Luo was dying, she would have to die in Prince Li's mansion.
Thus, on the evening of the second day, the Liang family, with great fanfare, sent Liang Luo into Prince Li's mansion as a concubine.
When Princess Li heard this news, she didn't seem to care at all. She simply thought that Consort Wei was truly foolish. Did she think that by rushing to send a concubine, she could disgust her? She really didn't understand her at all.
Meanwhile, Liang Luo, who had entered the mansion, had largely recovered from her ailments. So, serving the Ninth Prince was not an issue. It was just that after witnessing that incident, she found the Ninth Prince quite repulsive now. Therefore, she dared not look up at him.
The Ninth Prince was dressed casually today. She was just a concubine. He already had three, so adding one more wasn't much. However, he remembered that this woman had always been devoted to him. Why was she so nervous today?
"Are you afraid of me?"
"No... no."
She said no, yet she couldn't even complete her sentence. Her nervousness was evident. The Ninth Prince had no interest in her to begin with, and this only increased his disgust. If it weren't for his mother, the Consort, personally selecting her to enter the mansion, she would probably have been thrown into the woodshed by now.
He looked down at this woman. Among the many concubines and maids, she wasn't the most beautiful, but her family background was decent. However, the thought that her brother had once "stolen" a daughter from the Wei family made him uncomfortable.
Therefore, without even drinking the nuptial cup, he coldly said, "Since you've entered the mansion, behave yourself and follow the rules." Then, he turned and left, not looking back at all.
Liang Luo let out a long sigh of relief. Only now did she feel the oppressive feeling disappear. But Jinxiu, who had accompanied her, became anxious.
"Miss, what should we do? Tonight is your wedding night with the Prince. If he leaves now, you'll be the laughingstock of the entire mansion tomorrow!"
Liang Luo, however, felt a sense of relief. "So be it. We'll see who is the laughingstock in the end."
"Miss? What do you mean by that?"
Liang Luo realized she had spoken out of turn. This was the Ninth Prince's territory, and there might be many spies monitoring her. She absolutely could not let the Ninth Prince discover what she knew, or she might not live to see tomorrow. So, she deflected with a joke.
"It's nothing. Help me get ready for bed. I've been tired all day. Let's rest early."
Jinxiu intended to say a few more words, but seeing her tired expression, she didn't. Her young lady had just recovered from a serious illness and needed more rest. Fine, she would worry about future matters later. Her most important task now was to recover her health. What good was favor if she was unwell?
The next morning, Liang Luo went to pay her respects to Princess Li according to the rules. As soon as she entered the room, bursts of laughter erupted. Liang Luo knew very well that those people were mocking her. But after going through so much, her former arrogant nature had truly subsided quite a bit. So, she turned a deaf ear to their laughter. She respectfully performed the ritual of greeting Princess Li and paid her respects.
"Sister, please sit. With your arrival, the inner court is finally complete." While saying this, she kept observing Liang Luo. Princess Li had witnessed Liang Luo's temperament during the past period. Was she hiding her true self now?
The newly appointed concubines and maids beside her didn't know Liang Luo well before, so they were not very familiar with her. Now that they were in the same mansion, serving the same prince, it was natural for them to compete and say sarcastic things.
So, a favored concubine spoke up. "I heard that last night, the Prince, out of consideration for your poor health, didn't stay the night. What a pity."
"Yes, Sister Ruan is truly fortunate. The Prince stayed in your courtyard last night, didn't he?" The concubine Ruan smiled charmingly, her eyes alluring as she looked at Liang Luo, with a hint of provocation.
"Please forgive me, Sister. I don't know why the Prince came last night, but I couldn't refuse." As she spoke, she adjusted her clothes, seemingly deliberately showing her fair skin, making one's heart flutter.
Liang Luo sat in the armchair, her eyes focused on her nose, and her nose on her heart, showing no reaction. This made Princess Li, who was seated at the head, even more puzzled. How could this hiding of her true self make her seem like a completely different person? If she was once a flamboyant and rebellious peacock, she was now a submissive rabbit. Gentle and obedient, it made one feel a sense of pity.
The others continued to mock Liang Luo, but seeing that she had no reaction, they eventually gave up. After all, punching cotton was uninspiring. After this incident, Liang Luo became increasingly invisible in Prince Li's mansion. If there were no urgent matters, she rarely even left her courtyard. If it weren't for her father's status and her brother's relationship with the Wei family, she would have long been forgotten. But this was also good. Liang Luo now only wished for a peaceful life. She would deal with future matters later.
Fate, however, was ironic. Not only was she being neglected, but Liang Pan was also repeatedly frustrated. He had been doing very well in the Ministry of Rites and was on the verge of a promotion. Unexpectedly, his name was not on the final list submitted. In an instant, he went from being well-liked by everyone to an outsider. How could he endure such a blow?
If it were in the past, he would have gone back to talk to Wei Lanxuan. But now that she was pregnant, he didn't want to affect her mood with such news. So, he could only swallow his bitterness. What he didn't know was that this was just the beginning. Since Duke Wei dared to kill Liang Quanbin, Liang Pan and Liang Luo were mere pawns in his hands, and it wouldn't matter if they were discarded. Therefore, he specifically instructed the people in the Ministry of Rites to treat Liang Pan no differently. The subordinates immediately understood, which led to the incident of his name being replaced.
While both brother and sister were experiencing hardships, Bai Siruo, whose marriage was already set, was living quite comfortably. One day, the weather cleared up, and Xiao Muqian invited her to play at Mingchi. Although they were said to be playing at Mingchi, they were actually sitting and talking in a private room at a restaurant opposite.