Chapter 2

“Who says it’s not absurd!”

In the dead of night, the main courtyard of the Prince Xi Mansion remained brightly lit. A beautiful woman dressed in a crimson silk robe leaned on a pillow, tears streaming down her face.

“Poor Ling’er, she fell seriously ill just before Heng’er’s wedding and had to retreat to Qing Mountain Temple. I heard she has become skin and bones…”

Xun Yunling, who grew up with Pei Muheng, visited the Prince Xi Mansion daily to pay her respects. Princess Consort Xi treated her as her own daughter and had long considered her to be her daughter-in-law. After crying for a while and thinking about Pei Muheng losing his perfect match, she gritted her teeth in frustration. She said, “Among the emperor’s seventeen grandsons, all have married daughters of prominent families or ministers’ descendants, except for our Heng’er… He has to settle for the daughter of a fifth-rank official…” The more she spoke, the angrier she became, her brows knitting into a dense cloud of worry. “You didn’t see the looks on those sisters-in-law today, all gloating and mocking. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life!”

Whenever she thought of the Xu family’s background, Princess Consort Xi felt a pain in her chest, unable to catch her breath.

The Xu family’s ancestors were merchants who later bought an official title to join the ranks of officials, but the local elites still looked down upon them. It wasn’t until Father Xu became a top scholar that the Xu family gradually gained a foothold in Jingzhou. Later, he was transferred to the capital due to the struggle between the Crown Prince and Prince Qin.

Such a background was indeed unworthy of the Prince Xi Mansion.

Sitting beside her, Prince Xi, understanding his wife’s and son’s grievances, sighed softly. After a moment of silence, he lifted his sleeve to wipe her tears and half-consoled, half-advised, “Others may laugh at our mansion, but how can you be so foolish? Do you really think the emperor misspoke while drunk?”

Princess Consort Xi was slightly stunned, her long eyelashes still wet with tears, and she asked hoarsely, “What do you mean?”

Prince Xi stroked his beard and sighed, “The emperor is getting old and has become more vigilant lately. He must have seen us choosing the daughter of a grand secretary for Heng’er, which made him wary. So, taking advantage of his drunkenness, he arranged a marriage for Heng’er. It seemed like a random decision made while drunk, but it was actually a warning to the Prince Xi Mansion.”

“You’ve complained enough. The bride is already in the door, so you mustn’t act rashly or displease the emperor any further.”

Princess Consort’s lips trembled, and she was speechless.

Pei Muheng is indeed the most favored grandson of the emperor. However, while the emperor allowed him to shine, he didn’t permit him to break free from his control. Recently, the court has been turbulent, with the Crown Prince and Prince Qin battling fiercely. With the emperor’s health deteriorating, Pei Muheng sought to use marriage to test the emperor’s attitude towards Prince Xi’s residence. Now, he knows the outcome, but it is not what he wanted.

The lights flickered in the west room, occasionally accompanied by the sound of pages turning, indicating that Pei Muheng was handling official business. Xu Yunqi, however, slept soundly. Having led a turbulent life, she had developed the habit of falling asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. Even on a day of chaos, she slept well through the night.

The next morning, the rain had cleared, and the air was filled with a moist freshness. Xu Yunqi looked at the unfamiliar room, dispelling her nervousness. With the help of Yin Xing, she got up. Through the bead curtain, she heard movements in the main room. Hesitating for a moment, she quickly prepared herself and walked out from behind the screen, only to see Pei Muheng sitting in the center of the main room, waiting for her.

The tall man had changed into a crimson robe, sitting upright behind the desk with more than a dozen breakfast dishes laid out before him, each more exquisite than the next, though Xu Yunqi could not name any of them. She sat opposite Pei Muheng, looked up at him, and softly called, “Third Master.”

Pei Muheng lowered his eyes, casually playing with the silver chopsticks in front of him. Hearing her gentle tone, he slowly looked up at Xu Yunqi. He had always had trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds. In the past, he always slept in the east room, but last night he had to make do in the west room and didn’t sleep well. He imagined that the newly arrived girl, in a strange place, must have also slept uneasily. So, he asked warmly, “How are you adjusting to the Prince’s mansion?”

Xu Yunqi smiled indifferently, “Everything is fine.”

Pei Muheng assumed she was being polite and lightly nodded. The two were not familiar with each other, and the conversation stopped there. Later, they would go to the main hall to pay their respects and silently ate their meal. From Pei Muheng’s tone last night, he feared she would cling to him, so Xu Yunqi remembered the rules, ate by herself, and did not pay attention to Pei Muheng’s eating habits. Pei Muheng, in turn, paid no attention to what Xu Yunqi liked to eat.

Once they had both finished eating, Xu Yunqi, mindful of her new role as a wife, took the initiative to pour tea for Pei Muheng. His personal attendant had always served him, but now that there was a new lady in the back courtyard, the attendant couldn’t come in, and Pei Muheng didn’t like using maids, so he had to do it himself.

Unintentionally, a jade-like arm reached over, coincidentally grasping the handle of the gold and silver inlaid teapot. Warm, soft skin brushed against his cool hand, with a slightly wet feeling.

Caught off guard, Xu Yunqi immediately withdrew her hand. Pei Muheng paused for a moment, his expression subtly changing. The place she had touched seemed to raise goosebumps; he had always disliked being touched, especially by women.

Suppressing his discomfort, Pei Muheng, with an unaffected expression, poured a cup of tea. However, his well-defined fingers holding the teacup did not bring it to his lips for quite some time.

Xu Yunqi was unaware of Pei Muheng’s thoughts. After he finished pouring the tea, she quickly poured herself a cup. As she raised her sleeve to drink, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Pei Muheng discreetly wiped the area she had touched with a damp cloth.

Xu Yunqi: “…”

Bright autumn light spread across the veranda, outlining the hem of Xu Yunqi’s skirt with a golden edge. The Prince Xi’s mansion was grand and luxurious, with pavilions and corridors connected, jade embellishments, and beautiful designs along the way. Xu Yunqi followed behind Pei Muheng towards the main courtyard, keeping a deliberate distance from him to avoid any more accidental contact with this noble prince.

Not long ago, a major case had occurred in Tongzhou, and the situation changed rapidly. Pei Muheng pondered the mystery behind the case, completely unaware that his young wife was distancing herself from him.

Perhaps because Pei Muheng lived in a remote area, there were few people along the way. Only after passing a lushly vegetated pavilion did they see the grand mansion ahead. The flying eaves pierced the sky, chrysanthemums bloomed in the courtyard, and there was no dust. A row of well-dressed servants waited, all holding their breath and silently lowering their heads.

Such grandeur surely indicates this must be the Jinhe Hall where Prince Xi and Princess Consort Xi reside.

At this moment, Pei Muheng snapped out of his deep thoughts and noticed that Xu Yunqi was five steps away from him, standing in the corridor waiting for him to proceed.

Xu Yunqi slowly walked out from the long corridor, the clear autumn sunlight creeping from her skirt to her brows, highlighting her features with a radiant clarity. In that instant, Pei Muheng realized that this face seemed familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

Xu Yunqi followed Pei Muheng into Jinhe Hall.

Prince Xi and Princess Consort Xi sat at the main seat in the center of the hall. Prince Xi had an impressive and energetic presence, while Princess Consort Xi’s expression was cold, never glancing at Xu Yunqi even once. Surrounding them were the household members of the prince’s mansion. Before arriving, Xu Yunqi’s mother had informed her that Prince Xi’s mansion consisted of three households.

The eldest household included Pei Muxiang, Pei Muheng’s full-blooded elder brother, who stood beside him with a solemn expression, looking serious and unsmiling. The woman beside him with a similarly stern demeanor was likely his wife, Madam Xie. The second household consisted of Pei Mujing, the son of a concubine with a reserved nature. He glanced cautiously at Xu Yunqi and then lowered his head without speaking. However, the second young madam, Madam Li, beside him, curiously observed Xu Yunqi and even gave a playful smile when Xu Yunqi looked over at her.

Princess Consort Xi noticed her daughter-in-law’s small gesture, and her face immediately darkened.

“Alright, it’s time for the tea ceremony.”

Pei Muheng and Xu Yunqi knelt and bowed to Prince Xi and Princess Consort Xi.

Seeing his daughter-in-law’s elegant and beautiful appearance, which rivaled his son’s, Prince Xi felt quite pleased.

“Such a handsome couple. The emperor indeed has an excellent eye.”

As soon as these words were spoken, no one responded.

Xu Yunqi knelt beside Pei Muheng without any reaction.

The eldest son, Pei Muxiang, wanted to help his father out of the awkward situation. He glanced at his mother, whose face was cold as ice, and pretended not to hear.

Prince Xi awkwardly coughed.

Aside from the brothers and their wives, there were also two younger sisters. The tea ceremony ended quickly.

On the eve of Xu Yunqi’s marriage, the prince’s mansion had sent someone to inform her that she did not need to prepare the tea ceremony gifts, probably fearing that the Xu family’s modest offerings would not be presentable and might embarrass Pei Muheng. Therefore, Princess Consort Xi took care of the tea ceremony gifts herself.

Everyone in the mansion was well aware of this, and those holding the tea ceremony gifts did not feel much joy. On the contrary, Xu Yunqi did not spend a penny and received several boxes of greeting gifts.

To the eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Xie, this seemed like her mother-in-law was indirectly subsidizing the youngest son. The second young lady, Madam Li, glanced at Xu Yunqi, wondering if this third sister-in-law was dense. Since her mother-in-law did not ask her to prepare tea ceremony gifts, she actually came empty-handed. If she were smart, she would have personally embroidered some items to offer as a token of her respect.

But she seemed foolish. With such a sister-in-law, she thought there would be interesting events to watch in the future.

Prince Xi was unaware of these undercurrents among the women. He looked kindly at his youngest son and daughter-in-law,

“It’s getting late, hurry and go to the palace to pay your respects to your imperial grandparents.”

Pei Muheng bowed and glanced at Xu Yunqi, signaling her to follow him.

In Qinghui Garden, where Pei Muheng lived, there were only two old women serving, and the rest were his trusted long-term attendants, each with tight lips. No one knew that the two had not consummated their marriage.

Princess Consort Xi watched them step over the threshold one after the other, her eyes welling up with tears. When they were far away, she finally restrained herself from crying out loud, “My son is so unfortunate…”

Seeing her crying in front of the daughters-in-law and sons, Prince Xi frowned, “Enough. I see that the third daughter-in-law is gentle and well-behaved, very suitable. Once she’s in the door, she will be part of the family, and no one should mistreat her.” This was directed at the younger generation, and Madam Xie and the others all kneeled in response.

A palace carriage was already waiting at the mansion’s gate, with an eunuch present. Even if Pei Muheng did not want to ride with a woman, he had no choice. Xu Yunqi, understanding his habits, tucked herself into a corner of the carriage, trying not to disturb him.

The couple sat on opposite sides, with enough space in between to fit two or three more people. Pei Muheng, looking lazy and contemplative, didn’t pay attention to anything while Xu Yunqi leaned against the carriage wall, feigning sleep. Neither of them looked at the other.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the couple entered the palace walls and met the emperor and empress around noon. Compared to Prince Xi’s mansion, the emperor and empress were quite satisfied with Xu Yunqi. The empress even praised her for having a unique ethereal beauty distinct from the capital’s aristocracy, possibly to support Xu Yunqi, and awarded her more generously than the previous grandsons’ wives.

Xu Yunqi noticed that it was only after entering the palace that a smile appeared on Pei Muheng’s handsome face.

In late autumn, the sky darkened quickly, and by the time they finished socializing and returned to the mansion, it was already twilight.

The emperor granted Pei Muheng three days off, ordering him to accompany his newlywed wife at home. Pei Muheng did not dare to disobey. Silently, he followed Xu Yunqi back to the mansion. Just as they stepped onto the slanted corridor in front of Qinghui Garden, they saw Steward Chen hurriedly approaching and saluting.

“Third Master, the annual tribute from the imperial estate in Tongzhou has arrived early. The list is in the study. Please have a look.”

Back in the day, Pei Muheng had extraordinary courage and subdued the arrogance of the ambassador, for which the emperor rewarded him by giving him an estate. The estate had excellent harvests. At that time, Pei Muheng was young, and the estate’s income was managed by Princess Consort Xi. After he turned fifteen, it was handed back to him. However, out of filial piety, every year, apart from keeping the silver, he handed over the rest of the annual tribute to Princess Consort Xi without exception.

Without hesitation, Pei Muheng said, “Handle it as usual.”

Just as Steward Chen was about to turn away, Pei Muheng caught a glimpse of his newlywed wife standing gracefully not far away, momentarily stunned.

Unlike in the past, he was now married. Regardless of his feelings, Xu Yunqi was now his wife, and matters of the household should be decided by her.

So, he gestured for Steward Chen to stay and turned to look at Xu Yunqi. In the shadows of the slanted corridor, with trembling osmanthus branches, her slender figure leaned against the corridor, appearing delicate and gentle in the evening breeze. Pei Muheng was about to speak when he realized he didn’t know her full name. Calling her “Madam Xu” felt too distant, and using her first name felt too intimate. After some consideration, he formally accepted Xu Yunqi as his wife and spoke in a calm voice,

“The annual tribute from the estate has arrived at the mansion. How would you like to arrange it, my lady?”