Pei Yue's long lashes fluttered lightly. After a brief pause, she turned gracefully and entered the mansion. Though the onlookers spoke in hushed tones, a few fragments still drifted into her ears.
No sooner had she crossed the threshold than a familiar-looking old maidservant greeted her warmly. "Miss Pei has finally arrived! Our eldest young mistress has been asking about you since morning, worried you might not come today." Realizing mid-sentence that her words were ill-chosen, the maidservant quickly smiled and asked, "Is Miss Pei hungry?"
"No," Pei Yue replied flatly, then shifted her gaze and asked, "What was happening outside the mansion just now?"
The maidservant's eyes paused briefly. The Princess Royal's household and the Pei family were connected by marriage and had always been on good terms. When news of the Emperor's betrothal decree reached her, Her Highness had also sighed three times in succession, saying Pei Yue was unlucky. As a longtime servant of the Princess Royal's household, the maidservant knew exactly what to say and what not to say. She smiled lightly and deflected, "Nothing serious—just a drunken barbarian who's already been dragged away."
Hearing this, Pei Yue asked no further questions. People passed by along the corridor from time to time, and with her veiled hat already removed, many glanced at her with curiosity. Being the center of attention made her somewhat uncomfortable.
In truth, Pei Yue rarely attended such banquets. Had her mother not been laid up with illness from anger, she truly would not have wanted to leave the house today.
When Pei Yue was five years old, the current Empress Dowager had still been Noble Consort Jiang. In order to win over the Pei family, the Empress Dowager and the Jiang clan had put considerable effort into their courtship, both openly and covertly. But the Pei family stood at the very pinnacle of the great houses—they already possessed all the glory and wealth one could want—and had no desire for their daughter to become embroiled in the struggle for succession. Grand Secretary Pei had thus mentioned to the Emperor that Pei Yue was delicate in health and requested that she be excused from palace banquets and other social engagements.
Hence, though Pei Yue's reputation was widely known, not many had actually seen her face.
But no matter how carefully they guarded against it—the Pei family had just refused the Empress Dowager's overtures—they could not guard against a betrothal decree from the Son of Heaven.
Sigh. Pei Yue let out a long internal sigh, then heard a cheerful voice call out, "Yue'er, little sister!"
She looked up to see her cousin An Yingying approaching—the "eldest young mistress" the maidservant had mentioned.
An Yingying had a clear, lovely face and was two years older than Pei Yue. The two had grown up together and were very close. She had married last year's tanhua—the third-place graduate in the imperial examinations—and had come back today to help manage the birthday celebration.
"I waited and waited at Grandmother's place until I grew anxious, so I came out to look for you myself." An Yingying's nature was open and forthright. She glanced around, then took Pei Yue's arm and asked, "What about Aunt? Why didn't she come?"
"Mother is ill," Pei Yue said, tilting her head.
An Yingying met Pei Yue's helpless gaze and understood immediately. Noticing the faint shadows beneath Pei Yue's eyes, she sighed and lowered her voice, unable to help herself. "Yesterday's betrothal decree truly came as a shock. It's a pity my grandmother has long since withdrawn from court affairs—otherwise she could have gone into the palace to sound things out for you."
"I wouldn't dare trouble Her Highness the Princess Royal. Even my father didn't catch the slightest wind of this matter." Pei Yue smiled bitterly.
When the betrothal decree had arrived at the Pei residence yesterday, Grand Secretary Pei had stood stunned for a long while. As the Grand Secretary of this dynasty, he was constantly at the Emperor's side—yet he had heard not a whisper of the Emperor's intention to issue a betrothal decree. It was clear the Emperor had deliberately kept it from him.
An Yingying pressed her thin lips together, about to sigh again, but noticed Pei Yue's gaze flicker. She quickly suppressed her worried expression and instead said, "The cart will find its way around the mountain when it gets there. There's still a year before the wedding—who knows, there may be a turn of fortune. Speaking of which, Aunt should have betrothed you to Bo'er back then. If you'd become my sister-in-law, our two families would have been doubly bound, and you wouldn't have today's troubles."
Pei Yue could tell her cousin was teasing her, so she played along with a laugh. "Even if I dared to marry, Cousin Bo wouldn't dare to take me as his wife. Don't forget, ever since we were kids, we used to grab him and tie flowers in his hair. Later on, whenever he saw me, he'd go out of his way to avoid me."
The two sisters began chatting and laughing, their steps growing lighter. But as they turned a corner, they encountered Prince Shou beneath the corridor across from them. His bearing was as upright as a pine, and his dark eyes happened to glance their way. He was the third person at the center of the storm.
Pei Yue had no choice but to stop and greet Prince Shou with a bow. Fortunately, the two corridors were separated by a pond, so they could leave right away.
After walking a bit further, An Yingying kept looking back as she walked and said, "If Prince Shou weren't born of the Empress Dowager, he'd actually be a fine choice for a husband. Just speaking of him as a person—not only is he elegant and refined in appearance, but he has also achieved repeated military merits. He treats others with warmth and courtesy, and everyone at court, high and low, sings his praises."
Compared to the mediocre Crown Prince, An Yingying privately felt that Prince Shou was far superior. But she couldn't say such things out loud, since the imperial decree of betrothal had already been issued—Pei Yue was to marry the Crown Prince.
Pei Yue smiled without speaking. In the past, she had no intention of marrying into the imperial clan, and whether it was Prince Shou or the Crown Prince, she had never paid them much attention. If it weren't for Prince Shou frequently appearing before her last year, she wouldn't even have known who he was.
With these thoughts turning in her mind, the two arrived at the main hall, where many noble ladies and wives of officials were already seated.
When everyone saw Pei Yue enter, they unanimously stopped their conversations and turned to look at her.
Princess Jing'an sat at the head of the hall. Though advanced in years, her eyes remained sharp and clear. After Pei Yue paid her respects, she had her granddaughter take Pei Yue to see the orchid garden.
Pei Yue understood that this was the Princess's way of acknowledging that she didn't like to draw attention to herself. Since she was currently a hot topic of discussion in the capital, the Princess was giving her a quiet place to retreat to.
The orchid garden was secluded, and ordinary guests wouldn't come this way. An Yingying led Pei Yue around half the garden before being called away by a maidservant.
Left alone, Pei Yue found herself quite at ease.
But this ease didn't last long—Prince Shou approached from the distance.
Pei Yue intended to step aside, but Prince Shou blocked her path, causing her to furrow her brows and look at him with an expressionless face.
"Miss Pei, I trust you are well." Li Changjian stopped two feet away. Seeing Pei Yue take a half step back, a trace of bitterness flickered in his eyes. "Why is it that when Miss Pei sees me, it's as if she's encountered a wolf or a tiger?"
"You flatter me, Your Highness." Even facing a prince, Pei Yue felt no fear—behind her stood the Pei family, whom even the Empress Dowager dared not touch. Her tone was quite distant. "You and I are of different sexes; we should be mindful of appearances."
"Miss Pei speaks rightly. By next year, you will be my imperial sister-in-law." The words carried a hint of mockery, but Li Changjian quickly changed tack, gazing at Pei Yue's ice-jade-like countenance with deep affection. "I know well that Miss Pei is dissatisfied with this arranged marriage. If I were to say that I am willing to exhaust every effort to help you dissolve this engagement, would you be willing to give me a chance?"
To be dissatisfied with an imperial betrothal was a crime punishable by death. If word of this got out, even the Pei family would be unable to protect Pei Yue.
"You are mistaken, Your Highness. I have never uttered a single word of discontent." Pei Yue's expression turned cold. Having been doted on by her parents since childhood, and coming from the Pei family—one that could throw its weight around in the capital—she had seen all sorts of people. While others sang Prince Shou's praises, she saw him as someone living behind a mask. "Your Highness, please show some restraint. I hear you are soon to be betrothed to Lady Jiang. Since you have found a worthy wife, you ought to conduct yourself with propriety."
After the Pei family had rejected the Empress Dowager's overtures, she had arranged for her niece to be betrothed to Prince Shou, waiting only for the right moment to petition the Emperor for the marriage decree. If Prince Shou truly cherished Pei Yue, he should not have accepted Lady Jiang—and having accepted her, he certainly should not be seeking Pei Yue out in private to speak words that feigned devotion.
Long ago, her mother had told Pei Yue that a man's affection was not measured by what he said, but by what he did.
Pei Yue walked away with her back straight. Li Changjian, seemingly unwilling to let the matter rest, strode forward and blocked her path.
"Miss Pei, are you truly willing to marry the Crown Prince?" Li Changjian paused, drawing a deep breath before asking, "Do you… do you truly know the Crown Prince's character?"
Pei Yue was naturally unwilling. She had not seen the Crown Prince since she was two years old. A man she did not know at all—no matter how noble his status—she could not bring herself to like.
But Prince Shou's persistent pestering now only deepened her displeasure. She said with a stern face, "As for the Crown Prince's character, I shall see for myself. A gentleman does not speak ill of others in idle conversation. Prince Shou, the world sings praises of your noble conduct, yet today you block my path like this. Is it genuine admiration you hold for me, or is it—"
Before Pei Yue could finish, someone suddenly called out "The Crown Prince" from behind the rockery nearby, startling her into silence.
Li Changjian, too, looked toward the rockery in alarm, his thick brows furrowed deeply.