Instead of speaking in a soothing tone to maintain the quiet beauty, one of the concubines was already thorny with reproach.  “Oh my I can't believe that the Duke stooped so long such as to pick a common momo to join our ranks.  Does this not cheapen the entire royal family?  Duchess you should quietly have her killed.  Why have you not made your move?  I do not like to see her sitting here like she could ever think that a person with a cloudy heritage is allowed to blemish those with extensive lineages.  In our Wei Family, I have three generations that have served the imperial family.  All of these women here come from distinguished families.  It was hard to catch the red carriage to come here.  Why should there be one who makes all of our families good intentions to ruin?  Such a cheap maid should be killed for her insolence or at least beaten so our servants can see why they should be faithful to us

Yan Sha knew that these types of men had an insatiable lust.  To match that with the purport of a brothel mistress would destroy the affection of father and son.  There was no respect to bloom or grow on.  Concubine Sun was too stupid for her own good so Yan Sha would take the initiative for her. She sought out the deaf son and found him sitting in a pile of his own excrement as he was chasing a butterfly.  Yan Sha was horrified to see him there feeling that this too was a child of the family that no one cared for.  As there was no one around she bade him to her and took him outside of the manor.   As she was an outsider already none of the guards bothered when they saw the special token that she was holding.  The jade pendant was not even questioned as she moved unobtrusively through the area to get to where she wanted to be.  She took the refuse covered so

Yan Sha smirked as she bowed deeply before turning to leave.  She could think of a hundred smart things to say in reply, but bit back her replies as she would probably have some need of this person in the future.  The child had not stirred during the quick exchange and with his preconceived condition, there was no worry about him reporting to anyone else what he had heard or seen.  Yan Sha returned to the ducal manor via a farmer’s chart who dropped her off as she handed him some copper pieces.  She wore a veil which she discarded quietly in a bread maker’s stall.   She yawned hugely as she walked through the opening doors as she felt uncomfortable that the duke was aware that she had gone out, but the duchess probably was not.  She wondered if she was about to be punished.  But as she was going on, the duke was going out.  

  In her heart so many men had come to take pieces of her and leave.  She gently pushed him off.  “Your highness, I am in front of a stove here and I do not wish to burn myself.”   “Too hot to handle your husband, huh?”  He kissed her neck roughly before moving away from her.     As Yan Sha turned around she realized that he had hopped back over the wall already with the agility of a cat going out to explore after being warmed by it’s master’s fire.  She leaned her head out of the window as if she could see the ghost of him jumping through the air.  As she realized how ridiculous the notion she immediately slipped back into what she had been doing before fanning the tincture.   Noble lady, already?  She had skipped several

“I care for you as you have shown that you want to shoulder my burdens.  Huan has been alone for many years as all the women in the inner court are too frightened of the duchess’s disapproval to make a move.  What kind of woman will not balk at someone with such a powerful family behind her?  You were a tiny second class attendant?  Why are you so fearless like a soldier on the battlefield?  Where did such a person come into my house?”  He brushed her shoulders before tracing the trail of flowers that had gathered there.  “I will not die or abandon you like others that you have let into your hands.”   “There are others in my heart, my lord.  How can you be confident in keeping me if I may leave you for another?  There is a harem full of concubines, why taste only one when there can be many tastes that play on the palette?”