A Concubine's Heart

She had originally been a childhood sweetheart who grew up with Xue Boming, and she had always thought she would marry him and become the mistress of the Rongchang Baron Manor. Unexpectedly, that position was snatched away by Lady Xu halfway through, leaving her to linger as Xue Boming’s noble concubine. But even a noble concubine was still just a concubine—how could she ever compare to the position of the Baron’s wife?

As Concubine Luo recalled the past, her heart remained unreconciled. However, when facing Lady Xu, she naturally did not dare to let any of this show.

Lady Xu exuded a dignified and generous aura, something Concubine Luo completely lacked. Furthermore, over the years, any small move she made had been suppressed to death by Lady Xu, making her understand that if she behaved herself, there would still be a place for her in the Rongchang Baron Manor. Otherwise, she would certainly not meet a good end.

Therefore, despite the stifling resentment in her heart, Concubine Luo could only take her leave from Lady Xu. She called for the wet nurse to carry her son, Xue Yuanhao, and led Xue Qingxue away.

According to the rules, the children of concubines and those of secondary birth had to pay their respects to the Matriarch every morning and evening. But Lady Xu preferred peace and quiet, so in the early years, she had told them they didn't need to come every day—only on the first and fifteenth of each month.

After seeing Concubine Luo’s group off, Concubine Feng also tactfully took her leave, leading Xue Qingyun away.

As they were about to depart, Xue Qingyun took Xue Qingning’s hand and whispered, "Shall we go to the pond in the garden tonight to release flower lanterns?"

Indeed, it was a Mid-Autumn Festival custom to release flower lanterns. In previous years, Xue Qingning had even gone to the banks of the Luo River with Xue Yuanshao and Xue Yuanqing to release them. She just didn't know if the rain would stop tonight.

She nodded. "Mhm. If it doesn't rain tonight, we'll go. Remember to make the lanterns when you get back, Sister."

Only then did Xue Qingyun leave happily with Concubine Feng.

Seeing the mother and daughter walk away, Nanny Sun said to Lady Xu, "What Concubine Luo just said was truly infuriating."

Her expression was one of defending someone against an injustice.

Lady Xu, however, let out a laugh. "What is there to be angry about? You must realize that someone like her has nothing else to boast about except this. But what use is it? I don't care at all."

As she spoke, Lady Xu reached out to touch the bracelet on her left wrist. It was a green jade bracelet, but its color was actually quite ordinary; some parts were not transparent at all. It had been broken once and repaired by a goldsmith with gold inlay before being worn again, never leaving her wrist day or night.

Xue Qingning didn't know what was special about this bracelet, but she knew that among the jewelry Lady Xu had collected over the years, there were many jade bracelets, every one of them more beautiful than this one. Yet, Lady Xu always wore this one and had never changed it for another.

Nanny Sun, however, knew.

Seeing Lady Xu touch the bracelet with a sorrowful expression, she sighed inwardly.

Concubine Luo thought she could provoke the Madam by bragging about the Master's favor, but she surely never expected that from the very beginning, the Madam hadn't cared about whether she had the Master's favor or not. Now that the Madam had two sons and a daughter, no one could shake her status in the Rongchang Baron Manor, and she cared even less for the Master's affection.