Although Xiao Qingxue was reluctant to leave her home, the uproar over her attempt to divorce the Crown Prince had already spread throughout the capital.
Since ancient times, it was rare enough for a Crown Prince’s principal consort to be demoted to a concubine immediately after his investiture. But never before had a princess consort, dissatisfied with such a demotion, gone so far as to demand a divorce.
The noble sons of the imperial clan and the civil and military officials of the court were all discussing the matter. Within the inner chambers of aristocratic households, the ladies and young noblewomen were equally shocked and incredulous. Over tea and meals, they whispered that this was the most scandalous event since the founding of the Yong dynasty.
For a woman to propose divorce was unprecedented. To dare propose divorce to the reigning Crown Prince was an unprecedented act among unprecedented acts. The consequences of this affair would not be confined to idle gossip—it directly shaped the political winds and balance of power at court.
The first to act was Princess Royal De’an. Her decision to betroth her daughter to the heir of Duke Ding caused a stir in the court. The Emperor had only just bestowed marriage upon the Crown Prince, and now Princess Royal De’an was arranging her daughter’s marriage—how could the ministers not read deeper meanings into it?
Because Princess Royal De’an was closely tied to the Su family, her stance represented theirs as well. Thus the Empress summoned her.
One was the Emperor’s principal wife, mistress of the inner palace; the other, the late Emperor’s beloved daughter. Normally, their spheres did not overlap, and neither would lightly offend the other.
But at this critical juncture, Princess Royal De’an’s decision left the Empress unable to sit still.
Looking calmly at the princess seated before her, the Empress asked, “Wasn’t Shanshan’s marriage set for next year? Why decide so hastily all of a sudden?”
Princess Royal De’an held her teacup, a vivid green jade bracelet gleaming on her wrist, its quality clearly priceless. Her tone and gestures carried their usual blend of refinement and hauteur, naturally exuding the noble air of a royal princess.
“Shanshan and Zhou’s son have been fond of each other since last year, and they wished to settle the marriage then. I thought Shanshan was still too young and wanted to keep her by my side for two more years, so I kept delaying it.” She sipped her tea and smiled casually. “Now that the Crown Prince is celebrating double happiness, I simply took advantage of the festive mood and decided to bring their marriage forward, hoping to have it arranged before year’s end.”
The Empress’s expression remained calm, though it was clear she did not believe this excuse. “We are no longer young, and both of us understand the situation at court. To speak so distantly is unnecessary.”
At this, Princess Royal De’an arched her brow. “Then I won’t hide it from Your Majesty. Zhou Yian and Shanshan’s marriage should have been settled long ago, as you surely know. The reason it was delayed was because of the Princess Consort Jin.”
Although the imperial edict had demoted Xiao Qingxue to the Crown Prince’s concubine, Princess Royal De’an still addressed her as Princess Consort Jin, to show respect.
“My health has not been well these past years,” Princess Royal De’an said with a faint smile. “Women often suffer from hidden ailments that are awkward to speak of, and I was reluctant to summon the imperial physicians. Fortunately, Princess Consort Jin was able to treat me. She asked for no fee, no favor—her only condition was that Zhou Yian and Shanshan’s marriage be delayed for two years.”
A playful curve touched Princess Royal De’an’s lips. “I always understood her intentions. In the past, when the Crown Prince was gravely ill, everyone only wished for Ziyan to survive. But once his health improved, his ambitions grew. For Princess Consort Jin to make such a request, I knew what it meant.”
“I could even lend my support to establishing the heir through the principal line. Though the Su family and my household never openly take sides, in secret I have aided the Crown Prince.”
The Empress was a shrewd woman. She understood perfectly what Princess Royal De’an was saying.
For years, the civil and military officials had urged the Emperor to name a Crown Prince. Each faction sought to use the Crown Prince’s grave illness as an opportunity to press the Emperor into making a decision. But the Emperor had always hesitated.
Two years ago, when the Crown Prince’s health improved and the court officials raised the matter again, Minister Su openly declared before the Emperor that only if Prince Jin fully recovered could appointing him as heir win the court’s support.
But the ministers had long since formed factions, each backing their own favored prince, so they naturally argued fiercely. After repeated debates, the Emperor still delayed the decision of naming the Crown Prince.
Looking back on the undercurrents of the past two years and the struggle for succession, the Empress still felt lingering fear. She remembered that Princess Consort Jin, for her merits in treating Prince Jin, had incurred resentment from other princes and had even suffered several attempts at framing.
A pang of guilt rose in the Empress’s heart, quickly followed by anger: “Did Princess Consort Jin use this to threaten you?”
“She only wants a divorce letter,” Princess Royal De’an replied truthfully. “As long as she receives it, she will give me the prescription. Once I have the prescription, I will still honor our agreement and set Shanshan’s wedding for next year. That gives the Crown Prince a full year to secure his position. I believe that year will be enough for His Majesty and Your Majesty to pave the way for him.”
The Empress was silent, her expression unreadable: “She only wants a divorce letter?”
“Yes. Nothing else.” Princess Royal De’an’s eyes narrowed slightly, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Princess Consort Jin is not from a noble family of the capital. She has no family ties to bind her, no rules to restrain her. She lives freely, as she pleases. I believe her resolve to divorce is genuine, not a ploy. Your Majesty, since she truly does not wish to remain at the Crown Prince’s side, why not let her go? It would be better for both her and the Crown Prince.”
The Empress’s face darkened: “Have you ever seen a royal consort allowed to divorce?”
Princess Royal De’an said calmly, “Rules exist to be broken. Special circumstances call for special measures. You need only weigh in your heart which matters more: the Crown Prince’s succession, or the impact of a single divorce letter.”
Keeping a consort who is already disheartened and disappointed within the palace brings nothing but harm to a Crown Prince whose foundation is still unstable.
Not only must he spend most of his energy contending with the court and building his own faction, but he must also manage the inner palace. If relations between the Crown Princess and the secondary consorts sour, the consequences could be far worse than granting a divorce now.
Yet the Empress could not make this decision on her own.
The marriage between Pei Ziyan and Xiao Qingxue was decreed by the Emperor himself. Even if they were to divorce, it would still require the Emperor’s consent. And the Emperor would never agree to such a thing.
Princess Royal De’an seemed to read the Empress’s thoughts and gave a faint smile. “Two years ago, Prince Jin knelt before the Emperor for a full day and night just to secure a marriage decree. I imagine kneeling again for a divorce letter would not be too difficult.”
“He has only just been named Crown Prince. If he kneels to beg for a divorce now, how will the court view him? How will the men of the realm judge him?” The Empress’s face darkened. “The censors will impeach him for casting off his wife of humble origins, and they will invoke Xiao Qingxue’s life-saving merit. Once the charge of ingratitude is laid upon him, can the Crown Prince’s position still be secure?”
She closed her eyes. “I simply cannot understand. What has the Crown Prince done to wrong her? Even noble sons of great families take three wives and four concubines. Ziyan, as Crown Prince, will one day have a household full of consorts. Must he cling to her alone?”
“I have never denied her kindness to the Crown Prince. These past two years I have treated her almost like a daughter, sending her fine gifts, never scorning her lowly birth. What more could she want? Why must she insist on divorce?”
Princess Royal De’an knew the answer.
“Because when she married Ziyan, he promised her that she would be his only wife for life,” she said. “That was why Qingxue agreed to his proposal. If at the time he had said he would one day have three wives and four concubines, then even after curing Prince Jin’s illness, she might well have left the capital, each going their separate way…”
Her voice paused, then she laughed softly. “After all, no physician would pledge herself in marriage simply because she treated a patient. If Prince Jin had not begged for a marriage decree back then, they might have been spared all this trouble today.”