Baoying was momentarily stunned.
She had said those words merely to vent her frustration—how could she have expected Zong Duo to suddenly appear here?
When he heard her speak of his maternal family that way, he was surely furious.
The Xu sisters exchanged glances. Xu Lanxing struck first, grabbing the eldest Xu brother's arm and beginning to sob.
"Big Brother! The Princess Consort heard that Sister excels at music and forced her to play the qin for her. When Sister refused, she said these things to smear the Xu family name…"
"Lan Xing!" Xu Lanyue cut her off, then stepped gracefully before Zong Duo and offered a deep bow. "Your Highness, it was Lanyue's poor hospitality that neglected the Princess Consort. The Princess Consort merely spoke rashly in a moment of impulse—I hope Your Highness will not take offense."
Seeing Zong Duo's expression grow increasingly dark, Xu Lanyue turned to Baoying, her demeanor becoming even more gentle and submissive—a complete contrast to her earlier cold arrogance. "Princess Consort, what piece would you like to hear? Lanyue will have someone fetch a qin at once. I only hope you won't dwell on what happened just now."
Baoying stared in shock at the two sisters playing their duet. With just a few words, everything had been turned around to be her fault.
"Princess Consort, come here!" Zong Duo said coldly.
Baoying turned her gaze to him. His face was as dark as water. Behind him, the Xu brothers wore smiles, but they had the look of spectators enjoying a show. The Xu sisters hung their heads in pitiful vulnerability, while servants murmured words of comfort to them.
She suddenly realized—she was the only outsider here.
Though Zong Duo was her husband, judging by his expression, he was clearly standing with the Xu family.
Only she stood alone against all of them.
Everyone was bullying her.
She felt utterly wronged. Without a word, she walked to Zong Duo's side, but instead of defending herself, she shoved past Xu Pei who was blocking her way, gathered her skirts, and ran out.
Xu Pei, a man of considerable stature, stumbled from her shove and rubbed his shoulder in surprise—he hadn't expected the Princess Consort to be so small yet so strong.
The Xu sisters exchanged astonished glances: She actually dared to give Prince Yan the cold shoulder! Then a flicker of excitement passed between them—now she'd lose whatever ground she had even if she was in the right. They'd see how Prince Yan dealt with her.
Zong Duo cast a brief glance at Bailu, who hurriedly chased after Baoying.
Only then did he look at the Xu family. His cold, sharp gaze swept over the Xu sisters before settling on the eldest Xu brother's face.
"She poses no threat to you. There's no need to target her."
The Xu sisters froze, embarrassment flooding their faces. Just as they were about to defend themselves, Zong Duo spoke again, each word deliberate:
"No matter how humble Mrs. Shi's origins, she is still my Princess Consort of Yan. Don't let me see such behavior again."
Though the words were spoken lightly, they were enough to make the Xu family's expressions change.
The Xu sisters felt as though they had been slapped twice out of thin air, their faces cycling through shades of white and red.
Earlier, they had dared to toy with Baoying only because they relied on their status as Zong Duo's maternal relatives. Now that he had publicly rebuked them, both were mortified, hanging their heads and daring not to speak.
The eldest Xu brother abruptly dropped his earlier careless smile and said solemnly, "My sisters have been ill-mannered. I will have them apologize to the Princess Consort before Grandmother shortly."
Zong Duo replied indifferently, "A little squabble between young ladies needn't be brought before the elders. Let this simply be the last time."
The others could only murmur their assent.
Just then, Bailu came rushing back. Seeing the strangely quiet atmosphere inside, she hesitated, not daring to speak.
Zong Duo glanced at her. "What is it?"
"Your Highness, the Princess Consort… she tripped and fell by the roadside just now. She can't walk now."
Zong Duo said nothing, simply striding out.
The eldest Xu brother turned to look at his sisters and let out a sigh of frustration. "What is meant to be yours will be yours in time. Rushing over to intimidate the Princess Consort—do you think that makes His Highness look good?"
Xu Lanyue kept her head down, silent.
Xu Lanxing, however, couldn't help arguing: "Big Brother, if it weren't for her butting in, Second Sister would be the Princess Consort of Yan right now! We were only playing a joke on her, and His Highness already defends her like that. In the future, where will Sister have any place to stand!"
"Quiet!" the eldest Xu brother snapped. "If you can't even muster that much patience and restraint, then don't call yourselves daughters of the Xu family!"
Xu Lanyue quietly tugged at Xu Lanxing's sleeve.
Once they were alone, she said to Xu Lanxing, "Big Brother only sees the bigger picture. What use is there in saying those things to him?"
She turned to look at the brilliant pomegranate blossoms outside, her voice bitter. "I'm going to the palace. I'll complain to Aunt!"
A gentle breeze stirred, sending a single red pomegranate petal drifting down to land at her feet.
Baoying sat on a stone bench with her head lowered, tears welling in her eyes.
She had run too hastily and twisted her ankle. The old injury hadn't healed, and now a new one was added. In less than half a month of marriage, she had suffered more grievances than in all her seventeen years combined.
Seeing from a distance that Bailu was leading Zong Duo over, Baoying quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She refused to let Zong Duo see her cry—she wouldn't give those wicked people the satisfaction.
As he approached, she turned her head away in a huff.
He would surely blame her for making things difficult for his cousin, or demand to know why she had been disobedient.
She resolved not to pay him any mind.
But neither happened.
Zong Duo crouched down before her, lifting his gaze to meet hers. "Which foot did you twist?"
Dappled light filtered through the lush branches and fell across his face, lending a hint of warmth to a man carved from ice.
Baoying froze for a moment, then cautiously extended her left foot.
Beneath the dignified robes of a princess consort were hidden a pair of playful cat-faced shoes, much like her innocent, carefree nature—always peeking out unexpectedly from the margins of propriety.
Through the silk stocking, Zong Duo gently squeezed her ankle, yet an inexplicable image surfaced in his mind: her splashing through water in wooden clogs in the courtyard.
"No damage to the bones or tendons. A bit of medicinal oil will suffice." He paused, then added, "Rainwater is unclean. Don't play in it again."
Baoying stared at the blazing sun in the clear sky, bewildered. It hadn't rained at all, and she hadn't been playing in water either.
She looked at him in confusion.
He turned his face away, cleared his throat lightly, and said, "This time, the Xu family was in the wrong. I apologize to you on their behalf. It won't happen again."
Baoying was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected the lofty Prince Yan to offer an apology. But belatedly, a greater sense of grievance welled up in her heart instead.
"They don't like me. I want to return to the prince's residence. I don't want to stay here any longer."
She said, head lowered.
"My business here isn't finished. I can't leave until later."
Zong Duo straightened up and glanced at the direction of the tree shadows—it was just past noon. He turned to instruct Bailu, "Take the Princess Consort to the guest quarters to rest, and apply some medicinal oil to her ankle."
Bailu quickly acknowledged and stepped forward to support Baoying as she stood.
Baoying's foot still ached. She looked at Zong Duo with pleading eyes. "Where are the guest quarters? Are you going to carry me there?"
Zong Duo ignored her.
A moment later, a sedan chair was carried over, and Bailu helped her into it.
…Fine, as long as she didn't have to walk herself.
Though called guest quarters, it was actually a refined chamber that the Xu family had reserved specifically for Zong Duo. Even though he rarely visited, it was kept spotlessly clean.
It was already past noon, and Baoying was growing drowsy. After Bailu finished applying the medicinal oil, she was ready for her afternoon nap.
Bailu seized the opportunity to ask for leave. "My family lives on the street behind the Xu residence. Since we rarely get the chance to come out, I'd like to visit them."
Baoying granted her request. After all, she and Bailu found each other tiresome—she'd rather be alone anyway!
She was quite adaptable, feeling no restraint in the Xu family's guest quarters, treating it as her own room. After dismissing Bailu, she removed her gauze robe and outer skirt, leaving only a bodice and a pair of thin trousers, then climbed onto the bed to sleep.
A southern breeze drifted through the window, gently swaying the bamboo blinds. The cicadas in the courtyard trees had all been caught and removed, leaving only the rustle of wind through leaves, adding a touch of coolness to the sweltering summer day.
Baoying covered herself with a thin quilt and soon fell fast asleep.
Zong Duo's visit to the Xu residence was originally to see his maternal grandfather, Grand Secretary Xu. Unfortunately, Grand Secretary Xu had gone to the Grand Secretariat's duty office that day, so Zong Duo could only remain at the Xu residence and wait for his return.
After the midday meal, Zong Duo returned to the refined chamber for a rest.
With matters weighing on his mind, and no one greeting him as he entered, he momentarily forgot that he had brought his princess consort along. He walked straight past the folding screen into the inner chamber.
There, the gauze bed curtain was half drawn, the brocade quilt trailing to the floor—a scene of a crabapple blossom sleeping in spring unfolded before his eyes.
Baoying lay on the bed, sound asleep. Her peach-blossom cheeks were nestled among raven-black hair, a bean-pink peony-patterned bodice just barely containing two mounds of soft snow, water-green floral silk trousers clinging snugly to her rounded, slender legs. The delicate curves of her figure rose and fell gently with each breath.
Zong Duo's gaze seemed scorched by the spring scene within the bed curtain. He immediately averted his eyes and turned to walk back outside.
On the table sat the tea brewed that morning. He picked up the teapot and drank it all in one go, the lukewarm tea flowing down into his stomach, yet it could not suppress the restlessness in his heart.
The potency of those two liang of deer antler was indeed not to be underestimated—several days had passed, and it could still so easily stir up wicked desires.
Zong Duo regulated his breathing for a while, finally managing to cast that voluptuous figure from his mind. But the moment he closed his eyes, he recalled the round belly button exposed to view.
Baoying was awakened by the heat.
Opening her eyes, she saw that someone had covered her with a thin quilt, wrapping her snugly from the neck down.
Still groggy, she threw off the quilt and sat up, calling out twice for Xiaolian with no response. Looking at the unfamiliar furnishings of the room, it took her a moment to remember she was at the Xu residence.
Baoying flexed her ankle—after the medicinal oil, it was indeed much better. She got up, washed her face at the basin stand, and wandered to the outer room to pour herself some tea, only to find the teapot empty.
Some scholarly household this was—not a shred of hospitality, not even bothering to prepare tea for their guests.
She picked up the teapot and headed toward the side room, intending to ask a maidservant to refill it, when she overheard people whispering inside, seemingly discussing her.
"Did you see her? The new Princess Consort is truly beautiful. I'm afraid it won't be long before His Highness forgets our Second Miss!"
"What do you mean, not long? There's no place left for Second Miss now! You must not know—this morning at the Pavilion of Resonating Melodies, His Highness scolded Second Miss in front of the new Princess Consort. She went back and cried for ages!"
Second Miss? What did Xu Lanyue have to do with any of this?
Baoying's suspicion grew, and she simply pushed the door open and walked straight in.
The two maids inside saw who it was and nearly jumped out of their skins, dropping to their knees and trembling like leaves in the wind.
"Princess Consort, spare us! We didn't mean to gossip about you!"
Baoying was baffled. It wasn't as if she ate people—why were they so terrified of her?
But she had something else on her mind at the moment. "What were you just saying? What is His Highness's relationship with Second Miss? What do you mean, His Highness will forget her before long?"
"This…" The two maids exchanged a glance, hemming and hawing without answering.
"Not talking, are you?" Baoying rolled her eyes. "Then I'll go tell His Highness that you've been speaking ill of him behind his back!"
"Princess Consort, have mercy! We'd never dare again!" The two maids waved their hands frantically.
The Xu household was strictly governed. If this were reported to the masters—especially involving Prince Yan—they'd likely be sent back to their families on the spot.
Haltingly, they told Baoying that Xu Lanyue, as the eldest legitimate daughter of the head of the household and close in age to Zong Duo, had originally been groomed by the Xu family to be his future Princess Consort.
But when it came time to discuss marriage, Zong Duo had not chosen Xu Lanyue. Instead, he had overruled all objections and married Baoying, the daughter of a lowly seventh-rank official.
The Xu family was naturally furious about this, which was why today, when Zong Duo brought his Princess Consort to visit, Grand Secretary Xu hadn't even shown his face.
Baoying suddenly understood. No wonder the old madam had been so lukewarm toward her, and the Xu sisters had shown her such inexplicable hostility—so this was the story behind it all!
"You mean… His Highness actually offended his own grandfather, the Grand Secretary, just to marry me?"
"Yes. The Grand Secretary is very angry, at any rate." One maid shivered. "His Highness's reason to the Emperor for requesting the marriage was that he fell in love with you at first sight. But the whole household is saying it's because His Highness didn't want to be constrained by the Xu family at every turn, so he refused to marry Second Miss."
The other maid quickly added, "But His Highness bringing you here today proves those are all just rumors! Having seen your bearing today, who wouldn't be charmed! Clearly, His Highness's love at first sight for you couldn't be more genuine."
Baoying's heart soared with joy. So Zong Duo really did like her, after all? Even if she couldn't quite tell from the way he treated her.
Then again, maybe he was just cold by nature?
Oh well, she thought magnanimously—as long as he truly liked her, she'd let bygones be bygones about his earlier terrible behavior.
By the time they were ready to leave, Grand Secretary Xu still hadn't appeared. The two Xu masters were seeing Zong Duo off at the gate.
Baoying couldn't be bothered to listen to them talk about official matters, so she returned to the carriage first to wait.
Climbing into the spacious carriage, her gaze swept over the stack of official gazettes on the low table in the middle. She picked one up and glanced at it—all boring political news. She truly couldn't understand how he could read this the whole way without saying a word to her.
A mischievous idea suddenly struck her: if that stack of gazettes disappeared, then he couldn't put on airs anymore—he'd have to talk to her, wouldn't he?
She let out a sly little chuckle, looked around the carriage for a moment, and hid the gazettes in a hidden compartment beneath the seat cushion.
When Zong Duo boarded the carriage, Baoying quickly shut her eyes and pretended to doze, but couldn't resist peeking through a tiny slit to watch him.
She saw him settle onto the seat, reach casually for the gazettes on the table—then pause mid-motion.
The table was empty. The stack of gazettes had vanished without a trace.
Zong Duo froze for a moment, then shot a sharp glance at Baoying.
She quickly closed her eyes, feigning drowsiness, while inwardly cheering with glee: Come talk to me!
But Zong Duo said nothing.