Chapter 8: Volume 1 Chapter 8 A Ready-made Borrowed Knife Murder

Rong Dai, with a sullen expression, returned to her own courtyard; since her status as a side consort had not yet been formally granted, and she did not want to lower herself by living in the western courtyard where Prince Qi's concubines reside, Prince Qi assigned her to live in the Hibiscus Courtyard.

The Hibiscus Courtyard is an independent yard in the rear of the princely manor; its second entrance opens onto a spacious, grand courtyard, which, though not quite as impressive as the main courtyard where Rong Luoge now lives, is hardly inferior.

"Miss, what should we do next? In my humble opinion, since the princess consort is so ungrateful, perhaps you should join forces with the Duchess Who Guards the State," said Aunt Guan.

Rong Dai suppressed a sigh; the Duchess Who Guards the State had only just had the place where her mother and brother lived demolished, otherwise she would never have entered Prince Qi's residence. After all, her status as a side consort had not been granted, and she was not ushered in with fanfare—she felt utterly aggrieved.

But thinking of Rong Luoge, Rong Dai forced down her resentment toward the Duchess Who Guards the State; after pondering, she realized that only her father and the Duchess of the State could legitimately suppress Rong Luoge.

"Prepare a sedan chair and go to Guo Gong Fu." Rong Dai is a very tolerant person; otherwise she could not have reached this point. Even if she despises the Duchess of the State to death, as long as it helps her deal with Rong Luoge, she can still ally with her.

Cang Yun, coming out of Guo Gong Fu, saw Rong Dai entering, quietly moved to the side, and when they had entered the manor, she bolted back.

Rong Luoge was not surprised by Cang Yun's words; since Rong Dai could not obtain anything from her, she would naturally turn, pinch her nose, and ally again with Chu Ke.

Seeing her own miss act indifferent, Cang Yun grew anxious: "Miss, if Rong Dai joins forces with the Duchess, you'll be at a loss."

"That may not be the case." Rong Luoge already had a plan; she looked at Cang Yun and said, "If the dowry is sent over there, you should take them straight to the small residence my mother left."

"But miss, the old house has no guard; sending things there isn't safe—what if thieves steal them?"

"That's why I'm going out to find some guards." Rong Luoge, already having a plan, instructed Cang Yun, changed her clothes, and left.

The largest escort agency in the capital is the Zhenxing Escort Agency; many merchants hire them for protection. Rong Luoge knows that many disabled people work in that trade, so she thought of selecting a few skilled men from Zhenxing to serve as guards at the old residence.

The chief escort of Zhenxing, surnamed Luo and named Luo Xian, upon hearing that the Princess Consort was arriving, came out personally to receive her. After the formalities, he listened to her request, thought for a moment, and smiled, "The escort agency certainly has the people you need. I recommend two: one is He Huai, the other is Jing Chu. Both were famous escorts under my command, but they were injured while escorting westward, so they're not fit for long journeys, yet they are more than capable as household guards."

"Rong Luoge? Why are you here?"

Rong Luoge heard an unfamiliar voice, turned, and saw a girl in a goose‑yellow shirt and skirt glaring at her with unfriendly eyes.

The original host's memories floated up in her mind, and Rong Luoge looked at the other with a somewhat amused expression.

She is Prince Qi's legitimate cousin, Consort Ming's niece, and the eldest legitimate daughter of the Grand General's manor, Ming Yuhua.

She has a good cousin who admires her, but the Grand General is actually Prince Qi's uncle; adding another layer of kinship would be a waste of resources, so the marriage cannot happen.

Ming Yuhua does not resent her family or cousin who prioritize profit, but she resents the original host who married Prince Qi—how laughable.

"What does it have to do with Miss Ming and me?" Rong Luoge, too lazy to engage, snapped and turned to Luo Xian, "Chief Escort Luo, let it be settled like this; please have them go to this address. Pay the monthly salary as you mentioned, and sign the contract for ten years."

Luo Xian was about to agree when he heard Ming Yuhua say, "Hold on!"

Ming Yuhua was on the verge of fury; previously, whenever Rong Luoge saw her she was obsequious, but this time Rong Luoge ignored her, so she was naturally displeased: "Rong Luoge, I want those two!"

Rong Luoge's complexion darkened, and she stared at Ming Yuhua with a half‑smile.

Ming Yuhua's delicate face met Rong Luoge's expression, her heart jolted, then she became a mix of annoyance, shame, and anger, saying, "What are you looking at? I tell you, you'd better be sensible, otherwise I'll inform the cousin and let him deal with you."

"Only children would make such childish complaints; Miss Ming is already of marriageable age…" Rong Luoge sneered, "Besides, everything has its order; is that how General Ming and Madame Ming teach their children to snatch others' belongings?"

When did Rong Luoge become so sharp‑tongued?

Ming Yuhua stared at her in astonishment, hearing her accusations toward her parents; anger surged, and she stepped forward, raising her hand to reprimand her.

Rong Luoge's face darkened further; she reached out to seize the other's wrist, her eyes flashing with hostility, and sneered, "Miss Ming, what grand airs you have— even the royal princess dares to strike on a whim. It seems I must go to the palace and plead for justice before the Empress!"

The Empress and Consort Ming have always been at odds; Ming Yuhua could hardly believe her ears—what did Rong Luoge say?

She actually dared to use the Empress to pressure her; does she not know that her cousin detests the Empress and the Crown Prince most?

"Rong Luoge, are you mad?"

"I don't know whether I'm mad or not, but I see that Miss Ming is the one who's mad." Rong Luoge stared at her, then stepped forward, whispering into her ear, "Ming Yuhua, even if you love Prince Qi, what does it matter? Your family refuses to let you marry him, Prince Qi refuses to take you, you can't stand up yet you come to trouble me, just to be bullied? Do you think I'll remain the same as before, letting you bully me? Dream on!"

Ming Yuhua thought Rong Luoge was truly insane; the former Rong Luoge was soft‑tempered and timid, never daring to retort when bullied—what changed today?

"You…"

Rong Luoge completely ignored her, turned to Luo Xian and said, "Chief Escort Luo, it's settled like this; I'll go ahead now."

"Princess Consort, take care, and I'll send people over shortly." Luo Xian, as if oblivious to the scene before him, laughed and said, not caring about Ming Yuhua's earlier words. The Grand General's manor is powerful, but his Zhenxing Escort Agency is no soft fruit; no one can bully him.

Fuming, Ming Yuhua chased after her, grabbed Rong Luoge, and said, "Rong Luoge, you flaunt yourself in front of outsiders; I don't believe you're truly unafraid of your cousin's anger. If he learns you treated me this way, he'll definitely settle the score with you."

Rong Luoge's apparent fondness for her cousin must have been a pretense of fearlessness.

Rong Luoge brushed aside Ming Yuhua's grasp, saying, "Ming Yuhua, calling you stupid is an understatement—you're truly foolish. Why are you staring at me? The cousin you adore doesn't love me; his prized treasure is Rong Dai. You don't know that, do you? Even though the side consort's status hasn't been granted, your cousin couldn't wait to bring his beloved into the door."

"What? Rong Dai? Who are you trying to fool?" Ming Yuhua, of course, knew Rong Dai; their relationship was fairly good, precisely because Rong Dai also disliked Rong Luoge.

Rong Luoge didn't mind causing trouble for Rong Dai; this self‑righteous Miss was exactly a ready‑made knife.

"Otherwise, why do you think I became Prince Qi's princess consort? It's because your good cousin couldn't marry Rong Dai; marrying me was to let Rong Dai occupy the princess consort's position and serve as a cover for them." Rong Luoge watched Ming Yuhua's face turn jet‑black, then leisurely added, "Do you know why Rong Dai is willing to be friendly with you? Do you think she really likes to fawn over your stinky feet?"