The moment Xiao Nanzhi returned to the palace, she shut herself inside her chambers and began smashing everything in sight. Only after reducing the room to chaos did she throw herself onto her bed, bury her face in the blankets, and sob uncontrollably.
“Nanzhi! Nanzhi, what’s wrong? Open the door! It’s Mother!”
There was no response from inside.
Consort Jia ordered the palace maids to open the doors. She hurried into the inner chamber, where Xiao Nanzhi immediately threw herself into her mother’s arms.
“Mother!”
“My dear, what happened? Who dared bully you? Tell Mother everything.”
“It was Xiao Lanting!”
Between sobs, Xiao Nanzhi recounted everything that had happened at today’s gathering.
“He actually said I was illegitimate too! I never once looked down on him for being the Marquis of Yingchuan’s illegitimate son. How dare he look down on me! Am I really inferior to the illegitimate daughter of some merchant family?”
“What nerve Xiao Lanting has!”
Consort Jia’s anger flared as well.
Suppressing it with effort, she gently comforted her daughter.
“Be good, Nanzhi. If he refuses to marry you, it’s his loss. Since he dared humiliate you like this, I’ll speak to your father. I’ll make sure he teaches Xiao Lanting a lesson.”
Finally soothed by her mother’s words, Xiao Nanzhi stopped crying. Wiping away her tears, she sniffled.
“Mother… can I still marry Xiao Lanting?”
“Silly child. He’s already married.”
“He can divorce her! Yun Juan isn’t worthy of him. I met her today—she’s nothing more than a pretty vase. Slow-witted and dull.”
Consort Jia hesitated.
Truthfully, she wanted Xiao Nanzhi to marry Xiao Lanting as well.
Not only was Xiao Lanting the Crown Prince’s childhood friend and trusted right-hand man, he was also one of the Emperor’s most highly favored young officials.
At such a young age, he already commanded the Northern Command Office and controlled half of the Imperial Guards.
It was an honor countless men struggled their entire lives without ever attaining.
A son-in-law like him was rarer than a phoenix feather.
Only a princess as noble as Xiao Nanzhi seemed worthy of such a match.
More importantly…
If Xiao Nanzhi married Xiao Lanting, they would become firmly tied to both the Empress and the Crown Prince.
That would also secure the future of her own son, the Sixth Prince.
Consort Jia wasn’t overly ambitious.
She only hoped that after the Crown Prince ascended the throne, her Sixth Prince would be able to share in a portion of that prosperity.
The only problem…
Xiao Lanting simply didn’t want to marry Xiao Nanzhi.
“I’ll ask your father again,” Consort Jia said.
“But even if he agrees, it will have to wait until Xiao Lanting divorces Yun Juan. My daughter will never be anyone’s secondary wife.”
“If your father truly approves the marriage, we’ll simply demote Yun Juan from wife to concubine. After that, I’ll find some excuse to send her away.”
She gently stroked her daughter’s hair.
“Let Mother speak to your father first.”
Xiao Nanzhi nodded obediently.
But inwardly, she had no intention of waiting.
After Consort Jia left, Xiao Nanzhi summoned her personal maid.
“Doesn’t Yun Juan have an elder legitimate sister? If I remember correctly, she married the Marquis of Yingchuan’s legitimate heir—that wastrel Xiao Mingyu.”
“She did indeed.”
“Send her an invitation.”
Xiao Nanzhi’s lips curved coldly.
“I’d like to invite her for tea.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Xiaoyao Pavilion
Following Xiao Lanting into their room, Yun Juan could still taste the sourness of the hawthorn lingering in her mouth.
She poured herself a cup of water to rinse her mouth.
Behind her came the sound of the door closing.
Curiously, she turned around.
“Why are you closing the door? It’s so hot inside—we should let some air in…”
“Ah! What are you doing?!”
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Lanting wrapped an arm around her waist and effortlessly lifted her into the air.
The next instant, she found herself bent over the table, face down.
Yun Juan kicked her legs in panic.
Color flooded from the tips of her ears all the way down her neck.
He wasn’t actually planning to… here, was he—
Smack!
Yun Juan’s eyes flew wide open.
Realizing exactly where she’d been struck, her entire body turned scarlet, like a cooked shrimp.
In all her life…
No one had ever spanked her.
Xiao Lanting’s lazy voice sounded above her.
“Know what you did wrong?”
“…Let me go!”
Smack!
“Tell me. What did you do wrong?”
Biting down on her sleeve, Yun Juan felt nothing but utter humiliation.
This is unbearable!
“I didn’t do anything wrong! Let me go! What gives you the right to hit me?”
“You’ve got quite the nerve. You actually went alone to a banquet invited by an unsigned letter.”
His voice grew colder.
“Do you know how many people in Shengjing want me dead?”
“If they kill you, they’ll not only humiliate me—they’ll ruin my reputation as well.”
“So tell me.”
“Will you dare do this again?”
Yun Juan felt utterly wronged.
“How was I supposed to know marrying you was this dangerous?”
If I’d known… I might as well have rotted away in my parents’ house.
“Tsk.”
Smack!
“And you’re still talking back?”
Yun Juan stopped struggling.
She suddenly realized…
The most embarrassing moments across both of her lifetimes had all happened with Xiao Lanting.
She couldn’t beat him.
She couldn’t out-argue him.
Grinding her teeth, she finally surrendered.
“Fine! I was wrong! I won’t go again! No matter who invites me, I won’t go!”
The hand holding her finally released.
She immediately jumped up and hurried toward the inner room.
Her eyes had already reddened.
She desperately held back her tears, refusing to cry in front of Xiao Lanting, though her shoulders trembled violently.
Xiao Lanting followed her inside.
With her back to him, Yun Juan pretended to busy herself with meaningless tasks.
He watched quietly for a while before finally saying,
“I was afraid something would happen to you.”
“…”
Xiao Lanting clicked his tongue impatiently.
When Changfeng had rushed to the Northern Command Office to report that Yun Juan had accepted an unsigned invitation, he’d practically gotten a headache on the spot.
This was exactly why he’d wanted an obedient, sensible wife.
Yun Juan certainly looked obedient.
Yet only a few days after marrying him, she’d already landed herself in serious trouble.
True, he didn’t love her.
Nor did he particularly care for her emotionally.
But in every other respect, she suited him perfectly.
If anything happened to Yun Juan, he’d have a hard time finding another wife who fit him so well.
Yun Juan finally turned around.
Her eyes were still faintly red.
“I went because of you.”
“…”
“I didn’t know who invited me. But the gift was so valuable that whoever sent it had to be someone important.”
“I know you’re very capable.”
“But if you make too many enemies… if you’re surrounded by enemies everywhere… one day you’ll eventually be outnumbered.”
She looked directly at him.
“Do you know why the wives of officials gather together so often?”
“When men have conflicts they can’t resolve face-to-face, women can often smooth things over.”
“At the very least, it keeps tensions from remaining at sword’s point forever.”
It was a kind of soft diplomacy.
Xiao Lanting frowned, about to speak.
But Yun Juan interrupted him first.
“You’re going to say you don’t need that?”
“Because even though you weren’t married all these years, you’ve still managed to gather information perfectly well?”
Xiao Lanting neither confirmed nor denied it.
Yun Juan continued,
“Do you know how much manpower and time it takes to investigate another official’s private affairs?”
“A clever wife can learn everything about another household from a single game of mahjong.”
“The smallest details about someone’s husband often slip out without anyone noticing.”
Xiao Lanting replied calmly,
“You don’t need to waste your time doing those things.”
“I never said I was definitely going to!”
Yun Juan pouted.
“I only meant I was trying to help. But you misunderstood me!”
“And then you hit me…”
“…You hit…”
She couldn’t even finish the sentence out of embarrassment.
Xiao Lanting let out a small laugh.
“Very well.”
“I handled it poorly just now.”
“I’m sorry.”
This time…
Yun Juan was the one who froze.
She hadn’t expected him to apologize so straightforwardly.
“…I… I suppose I’ll accept your apology.”
She walked over and sat on the heated kang bed, speaking softly.
“I really didn’t know so many dangerous people were watching you.”
“That night pearl looked like something from the imperial palace, so I guessed it might have come from the Crown Prince.”
“Since you’re one of the Crown Prince’s people, I figured he wouldn’t hurt me.”
Xiao Lanting answered casually,
“Now you know.”
“From now on, don’t accept invitations without a clear signature.”
“And even if there is one, ask first whether it’s appropriate for you to attend.”
Yun Juan blinked.
“So… whose invitations can’t I accept?”
“There are too many to list.”
After a brief pause, he added matter-of-factly,
“I’ll have Changfeng make you a list.”
“…”
Yun Juan was speechless.