First Love: Mo Xue (24)

-In the heart and mind of Concubine Shen-

My name is Shen Ning.

I'm the only daughter of Minister Shen household and I'm also the youngest of three. My mother passed away after birthing me so my father would always try to give me whatever I want.

Including, the man of my life.

It was summer in my sixteenth year when I first saw him. It was the annual flower party held by the palace. All of the noble young man, woman and ger are invited to attend it. It was the first time for me to receive such invitation as most noble girl would be deemed as young woman at the age of sixteen. I was there with my father and my Second Brother. Elder Brother is away studying at the neighbouring country.

Since my father is one of the First Rank Minister, our tent are located at the front. This leaves us a clear view of the event. And giving me a clear view of him.

He was sitting alone at the side. Most of his brothers are sitting together, eating and drinking, enjoying the festivities. However, he keep sitting on his seat, aloof and uncare. Only once that he move, which was when the King, his Royal Father, ask his children to perform their talent. Most of them chose to display their talent in martial art, waving their swords and their spears on the middle platform. A few chose to play music, some are plucking their zither, while some are blowing their flute.

For him, he chose to write a calligraphy. Nothing much can be said on his performance. All he does is stood in front of a table, flicking his wrist on the white sheet above it. However, if one care to notice, a powerful control can be seen, each time he flick his brush on the paper. Nevertheless, the final artwork is splendid. He wrote up a single word, harmony.

That is the first moment my heart thump. Only God knows how much I struggle not to stand up and run to get that piece of writing to myself. His whole being might be aloof and cold, but his writing contains all his emotion, and all his personality. His writing is him.

I plead so hard with my father, begging for him to marry me to that guy. I know he is a prince, but the King have already chosen the next in line, the Crown Prince, his brother, so he does not required to marry any royalties. In fact, due to my father's reputation and rank, I can even demand to marry the Crown Prince myself.

No, I want him. Not his brother. When I heard how the daughter of Ning get to enter his courtyard as his concubine, I almost kill myself. Because of that, father finally relent and let me go. I know he wants the best for me. I even know, my Elder Brother is building relationships with the foreign country's royalties just to make path for me to be married here. So I understand why he doesn't want me to stoop so low and be a mere concubine. However, I have confidence, that before long, I will be the legal wife to him.

The Fourth Prince's Consort.

That was two years ago.

A month after my eighteenth birthday, I received the news. The Prince is finally getting married. And not to any of his concubines here in his harem. But to a foreign royalty Prince, a ger. Ever since I enter his courtyard, I have only seen him a handful of times. But every month, a new lady from a noble household would enter, under the name of his concubine.

How can I be his Consort? In fact how can any of the girls here be his Consort when he never even grace any of us with his presence. With nothing to do, those girls spend their days quibbling and sabotaging each other. It was a great thing for me to be born as a First Rank Noble Lady, so most of them didn't dare to slight me. However, I have developed a certain persona, a noble and understanding sister.

They would come and visit me, bringing me gifts and to chit chat. From there, I learn all of their secrets and their tricks, thus helping them to trick the other and manipulate them to my own uses. Because of this, they become dependant to me and I have my own set of lackeys.

I goad them to mistreat the ger, allowing them to think that this ger is just a mere person. After all, the Prince didn't even attend their wedding night and directly rush to the border after their wedding ceremony. I guide them on what to do, urging them to work together to dispel the ger. After all, his status is not the same as them, a concubine. He is the legal wife, the Prince's Consort.

Who would have known that the ger survived and the Prince had come back, giving him the utmost importance. Indeed, I was the one who switch the cohort with wolf's bane, going from preventing pregnancy to murder. I didn't know that the Prince would pay any attention toward the ger especially since he never paid attention to any of us. I mean, I know I have never met him, but, how can a mere man can be compared to a woman.

Due to this development, it was easier to manipulate the rest of them. And the one who have made the first move is a certain concubine name Ning. It was easy. All I have to say is that she have been inside the Prince's courtyard much longer than the rest, thus she is supposed to be treated well, not some foreign ger.

I have even instruct my maid to switch all of her stock of cohort and change it to a higher doses of wolf's bane. The plan work both way. First, to harm the ger and second to eliminate her. Less stank to compete on.

Who would have thought that the King himself has put down the punishment and spread the word, unanimously warns anyone from harming the ger. What so special about that ger? He is just a man that can birth babies. Any woman can do that. I can do that.

And now, even with the carefully planned scheme from my father, all efforts are futile. My brother get detained and the ger are not even with that man. They found him on the bed with the Prince.

They told me the Prince is out and they told me the man didn't leave the ger's chamber. Which is why my father's man can enter easily.

What the hell went goes wrong?

I can't take it when Elder Brother told me he's bringing me home. No! I need to see him. I have love him for so long, he can't do this to me.

I ignored my Elder Brother, pushing him away, making my way to his chamber. They told me he's there, with that slut of a ger.

He dares to lie next to my man?

That place is supposed to be mine!