Each generation of court officials reflects the temperament of their sovereign – the nature of the emperor naturally cultivates corresponding ministers.
During Emperor Taizong's reign, court ministers wouldn't dare discuss imperial princes so freely, not only because of Emperor Taizong's formidable authority but also because that generation of imperial princes weren't figures to be trifled with.
Prince Xiang lived like a timid quail on the fringes during his youth, only entering the capital's spotlight after the late emperor ascended the throne as an object of imperial favor.
Now in his advanced years with senior status, the old lord feels entitled to comment on anyone.
Yet he possesses no particular talent and maintains a gentle disposition. Having lived a life of luxury, his only discontent stems from outliving some of his juniors.
Speaking harshly about others doesn't come easily to him – for him to utter "Ning'an is sick" was already quite remarkable.
Noticing He Yunzhao's intensely inquisitive gaze, Prince Xiang could only sigh and elaborate in detail.
From his perspective, Princess Ning'an was truly bringing suffering upon herself.
Pei Shangxuan was actually quite talented – among the noble scions of his generation, he stood out as exceptionally resilient and capable.
His attainment of ducal rank wasn't solely due to his own efforts, but because his father was the Duke of Li.
Normally he should have inherited a lower marquis title, but because he became Princess Ning'an's consort, the late emperor exceptionally permitted him to inherit the full ducal title.
This marriage had the late emperor's approval, and the Li Country Duke Mansion welcomed it with great celebration.
One must understand that even now, the three largest courtyards in the western part of the mansion were built specifically for the princess' residence, costing nearly half the ducal estate's wealth at the time.
Who could have predicted that years later, after the new emperor's accession, Pei Shangxuan would suddenly produce a daughter of a disgraced official whom he'd saved, just in time to take advantage of the new emperor's coronation pardon.
He directly brought her into the mansion, and from then on, Princess Ning'an's harmonious marriage encountered turbulent storms.
Prince Xiang shook his head, lamenting with frustration: "His Majesty has summoned Ning'an to the palace multiple times precisely to understand the situation at Li Country Duke Mansion, and has even reprimanded Pei Shangxuan, but the princess never relented, leaving no solution. Over time…"
"Over time, everyone grew accustomed to it." He Yunzhao murmured thoughtfully.
Prince Xiang paused, giving his elder grandson a puzzled look. "Indeed."
The emperor is human too – unable to change Princess Ning'an's circumstances, he naturally grew angry. Hearing about the princess' situation would inevitably darken his mood.
With time, palace attendants learned to avoid mentioning Princess Ning'an to prevent upsetting His Majesty.
Eventually everyone became accustomed to this situation – with Princess Ning'an's own consent.
He Yunzhao felt somewhat perplexed, asking curiously: "Has the princess never considered divorce?"
Prince Xiang shook his head – this he didn't know. He'd only heard some rumors, as how could a prince from the imperial clan appropriately discuss such personal matters with a princess?
Rumors suggested that Li Country Duke Mansion was currently managed by that Consort Feng, who even controlled the princess' dowry. Consequently, Pei Zeyuan – Princess Ning'an's son and the legitimate eldest son – had repeatedly clashed with his father's concubine, receiving frequent punishments from Pei Shangxuan.
Specific details circulated among lower servants: Madam Feng would pull Pei Shangxuan away, forbidding him from visiting the princess' quarters or dining with her. The old madam of Li Country Duke Mansion became so angered she moved to a countryside estate.
He Yunzhao leaned closer and whispered speculatively: "Could the Duke of Li be harboring malicious intentions…"
For instance, Pei Shangxuan amassed military power for his own ends and repeatedly humiliated the princess to test the emperor's stance. Should the emperor take action, he would use it as a pretext to raise an army.
Princess Ning'an, being clever and perceptive, detected his scheme. Gritting her teeth, she refused to give him any excuse and might now be secretly gathering evidence of Pei Shangxuan's rebellion.
Her eyes sparkling, she looked earnestly at Prince Xiang and analyzed, "Grandfather, could it be possible like this?"
Prince Xiang, despite his advanced age, squirmed like an awkward youth and glanced sheepishly at He Yunzhao. "Well… perhaps… maybe it couldn't be like that."
The old man clicked his tongue and turned to He Yunzhao. The young man frowned in deep thought, his vibrant ambition and fervor palpable, his excitement and audacity in navigating political schemes strikingly reminiscent of Prince Xiang's late son-in-law.
Prince Xiang: "…"
So familiar. Looking closer, still so familiar.
"Could it be that Pei Shangxuan is repaying a kindness, and Ning'an can't bear to sever their bond?"
He Yunzhao shook her head with a frown, regarding her grandfather as if he were a naive child.
How could that be?
Pei Shangxuan wasn't from humble origins—he was the legitimate eldest son of a duke.
How could such a man possess such a sense of gratitude? Why would he go to such lengths to repay Madam Feng's life-saving grace? Unless Madam Feng held some deadly secret over the Li Country Duke Mansion?
He Yunzhao propped her chin on her hand, pondering carefully.
After a while, He Yunzhao made her way to the small parlor where her grandmother was. The room was filled with elderly ladies of high status, all delighted by such a talented young person like He Yunzhao. They showered her with praise and generous gifts.
With a smile, He Yunzhao clasped her hands in mock distress. "This really puts me in a difficult position."
She playfully lifted the hem of her robe, pretending she would carry all the gifts away at once, making the old ladies laugh uproariously.
From her grandmother, He Yunzhao heard another perspective on the Li Country Duke Mansion's affairs.
Old Madam He pursed her lips, and Old Madam Fang, dressed in luxurious purple with a forehead ribbon, slapped her thigh on the other side.
"Oh, I remember now, the Li Country Duke Mansion." And thus, she launched into the story.
The more He Yunzhao listened, the more astonished she became. The way men and women recounted this story was so different.
According to these elderly ladies, Princess Ning'an was also helpless.
Princess Ning'an and Li Country Duke Pei Shangxuan were betrothed very early, almost growing up together like childhood sweethearts. They often saw each other at palace banquets during festivals, and the young couple had an excellent relationship. Pei Shangxuan was merely reserved by nature, not displeased with the marriage.
They had an emotional foundation, and their relationship remained good for several years after marriage, resulting in the birth of their eldest son, Pei Zeyuan.
However, after Madam Feng returned to the capital, the couple's relationship deteriorated rapidly.
The emperor did not ignore the matter, but his intervention missed the mark. He only spoke of reprimanding Pei Shangxuan and expelling Madam Feng from the duke's mansion.
But what use was that? What Princess Ning'an wanted back was the young man who still cherished her, not the husband now bound by a sense of obligation.
Some looked disdainful. "The princess is too naive and lacks cunning, allowing that little vixen to gain influence."
Others quickly intervened, exasperated. "If this gets out, just see if the Li Country Duke Mansion loses face."
Old Madam He sighed, her wrinkled face showing compassion. "Men fear entering the wrong profession, women fear marrying the wrong man."
Even as a princess, marrying the wrong person made it hard to escape.
On the other side, Old Madam Fang lifted her teacup to take a sip of hot tea, her expression calm to the point of numbness. "It has always been this way."
He Yunzhao glanced over and saw that among the elderly ladies, some were moved to sorrow, while others remained as tranquil as an abyss.
She sighed inwardly. Clearly, the chief culprit who mistreated his wife was the Duke of Li, yet people's focus remained fixed on Princess Ning'an.
She was genuinely curious—how much was this debt of gratitude truly worth in the heart of Li Country Duke Pei Shangxuan?
…
Li Country Duke Mansion, West Courtyard.
The courtyard, originally built to welcome the princess upon her marriage, was now brightly lit. Servants moved about holding their breath, not daring to make the slightest sound.
Suddenly, an extremely shrill scream came from the main room. Noble families valued dignity, and servants had never heard such a fierce, unrestrained tantrum—yet those around this courtyard had grown accustomed to it.
Pei Shangxuan sat upright in the main seat, his expression cold. A closer look, however, revealed a trace of reluctance in his eyes. A woman in pink clothing sat on the floor, tugging at the hem of his robe as she threw her fit.
Feng Li wept and wailed relentlessly, utterly devoid of the dignity befitting an official's daughter. "I don't care! Someone humiliated Xiao Qing—you must avenge him. He's your brother-in-law—how can you not help him?"
He had no brother-in-law; his wife had only one elder brother, the current emperor.
Pei Shangxuan lowered his head to look at her.
The woman had an elegant and delicate figure, slender and fragile—even from behind, she was a beauty. Yet her vulgar, street-urchin-like wailing shattered the entire atmosphere.
Pei Shangxuan did not agree. After all, this was no trivial matter. The He Family was not without reputation, and the newly promoted scholar was under close scrutiny. As a military official, rashly targeting a scholar would easily provoke a united backlash from civil officials.
"Xiao Li, calm down. This matter has no real impact on Xiao Qing."
"How can it not!" Feng Li cut him off sharply, gritting her teeth as she spoke fiercely. "If our Feng Family were still around, if Xiao Qing were still the son of an official, would anyone dare bully him like this?"
"Xiao Qing studies so hard, all for my sake—so I won’t be looked down upon!"
"Do you regret it? Do you wish I had died on the frontier, so I wouldn’t disturb your happy life with your delicate wife and young son now?"
"Do you want me to die right here in front of you?" she shrieked.
Pei Shangxuan felt a headache coming on. He bent down, half-dragging and half-embracing her as he helped her up, explaining with guilt, "Xiao Li, I never meant that. Stop making a scene—this really can’t be done. He Sanlang is not a nobody."
Gritting his teeth, he added, "Didn’t you want the phoenix hairpin from Ning’an’s dowry? I’ll get it for you."
Feng Li seemed to go limp, collapsing into his arms as she sobbed, "I don’t want jewelry, I don’t want any of that. You know what I want—why won’t you love me? Do you still prefer the princess?"
In a pleading tone, she said, "Just this once—help us this one time. Consider it helping our Feng Family. Just this once, Pei Lang, I beg you."
Pei Shangxuan lowered his head, using his hand to brush aside the disheveled black strands of the woman in his arms. Her jet-black hair and snow-white skin, her eyes brimming with tears.
A long scar ran from her temple to the corner of her mouth, splitting her beautiful face in a way that was startling. Even more shocking was the woman’s infatuated, love-filled gaze—her dazed eyes reflecting a face full of anguish.
Pei Shangxuan felt his heart gripped tightly. The guilt clung to him like a shadow, and his last shred of rationality kept his lips sealed.
His silence was the answer; Feng Li's lowered eyes were filled with resentment and venom.
If he wouldn't help her, she had her own methods.
Feng Li hastily wiped her face, then perked up with nervous excitement. She pulled Pei Shangxuan into the inner chamber and pressed him onto the bed.
Even when pushed away, she showed no concern, still clinging tightly to him. With a coquettish laugh, she murmured, "Pei Lang, look at me. Am I beautiful?"
As if a strange voice emerged from within him, Pei Shangxuan heard himself say—"Beautiful."
If one request was refused, another would surely be granted.
A white silk handkerchief had been laid upon the bed. The next morning, Feng Li treasured it like a precious item, carefully storing it in a box and handing it to a servant. "Go, deliver this to our princess."
Brimming with exhilaration, Feng Li unabashedly ordered a servant to summon her brother, Feng Qing.
The siblings, with their strikingly similar features, wore equally shadowed expressions as they hissed venomously, "Let's teach that little brat a lesson."