Chapter 3

A voice calling “My lady” pulled Xu Yunqi out of her chaotic thoughts.

Was someone calling her?

The light from the lamp was hazy, and as the wind blew, frost fell softly between the tiles.

Xu Yunqi recalled the previous scene, met the man’s calm black eyes, and leisurely asked, “Third Master just said to handle it according to the old rules. May I ask what those old rules are?”

Xu Yunqi always greeted people with a soft smile and spoke gently and slowly. To others, she appeared gentle, and with her stunning appearance, she was like the moon reflected on water or flowers in a mirror—people dared not speak loudly for fear of disturbing her.

Pei Muheng explained slowly.

After listening, Xu Yunqi thought to herself that since they were now living together, Pei Muheng’s private property was essentially the property of the third household. Handing it over to the princess consort would not be appropriate, so she said, “First, send it to the back courtyard. I’ll organize and catalog it, and then pick some good items to honor Mother.”

This seemed very appropriate.

Pei Muheng instructed Steward Chen to follow Xu Yunqi to handle the matter and then returned to his study. Just as he stepped over the threshold, he saw a secret guard waiting inside, hands respectfully offering a document. “Third Master, there’s news about the Tongzhou case.”

Pei Muheng immediately took the letter, moved to his desk, and opened it. He scanned it quickly, his eyes narrowing slightly, and his long back leaned against the armchair.

Not long ago, he received a mysterious distress letter, stating that the rice in the Tongzhou granary had been adulterated. The letter was stained with river mud, and Pei Muheng suspected it was written by a river worker. He sent a trusted aide to Tongzhou overnight. Upon arrival, his man found that the granary had caught fire, burning the adulterated and moldy rice to ashes.

It is not unusual for granaries to catch fire, but Pei Muheng found it odd. Every winter, the northern regions lack food and resort to plundering the south. During such times, the court would allocate grain to the northern frontiers in advance. Pei Muheng, serving by the emperor’s side, had the opportunity to send documents for grain requisition to Tongzhou. Just then, the Tongzhou fire consumed tens of thousands of loads of grain, angering the emperor, who sent people to thoroughly investigate the matter.

The investigator was Pei Muheng’s trusted aide, Liu Yue, a seventh-rank imperial censor.

Liu Yue’s secret letter reported that the cause of the fire had been identified. The granary guards, indulging in nighttime revelry, accidentally overturned an oil lamp. The piled and fermenting rice caught fire, escalating uncontrollably. Was this truly the cause?

The Tongzhou granary is the largest granary near the capital. The grain stored here serves as a reserve for the central government and the royal palace, as well as military provisions. Due to its reserved nature, the granary rarely opens, making it a hotspot for various shady characters.

If not for that distress letter, Pei Muheng would have believed the result. But since the real grain was stolen and replaced, there must be something more behind it. Tongzhou is close to the capital, and who could pull off such a scheme in such a critical location? The person must have a high rank.

The young man slowly approached the silver candlestick at the corner of the table, holding the letter. The yellowed paper quickly made a sizzling sound as it met the flame. His eyes focused sharply, “Have Liu Yue secretly investigate Tongzhou Prefect Chen Mingshan.”

The bait was set, just waiting to catch a big fish—or maybe two.

Pei Muheng slowly brushed off the ashes in his palm, a cold, ruthless smile flashing in his eyes.

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Xu Yunqi hurried back to the rear courtyard of Qinghui Garden. Steward Chen had already had the gift list delivered. Soon, over a dozen boxes were placed under the veranda of Qinghui Garden. That night, Xu Yunqi, along with Yin Xing and two old nannies, busied themselves organizing the annual gifts and verifying the gift list to prevent any misreporting by the estate manager.

The news of the annual gifts from the royal estate in Tongzhou naturally couldn’t be hidden from Princess Consort Xi.

In the past, Princess Consort Xi handled all of Pei Muheng’s household affairs herself. But look, the new daughter-in-law had just entered the house for a day and was already taking charge. Princess Consort Xi felt a rush of anger that she couldn’t swallow.

Second Young Madam Li served Princess Consort Xi a bowl of calming soup and subtly remarked, “Third Sister-in-law is inexperienced. Mother, don’t get upset. Perhaps tomorrow she’ll bring something good to honor you.”

Princess Consort Xi glared at her, “Do I care?”

What saddened her was that in the past, she had always handled the annual tributes from the estate herself, deciding how to distribute them without anyone interfering. Now, she couldn’t even get involved. It truly echoed the saying, ‘When a man gets a wife, he forgets his mother.’

Madam Li felt embarrassed.

Next to her, the eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Xie, remembered something important, “Mother, now that our sister-in-law has come into the family, she surely lacks people to serve her. Should we send some maids and servants to Qinghui Garden?”

Madam Xie was in charge of the household affairs, and she managed all matters in the mansion.

In theory, Princess Consort Xi should assign people to serve Xu Yunqi, but ever since Pei Muxheng was twelve years old, when a maid tried to seduce him improperly dressed, he had been furious. He had the maid beaten with twenty strokes and sold off, and since then, he had never allowed anyone to approach him. Therefore, Princess Consort Xi had concerns. Not wanting to wrong her son, she said, “Heng’er does not like crowds, so let’s forget about the servants.”

“Besides, didn’t the Xu family bring some attendants with them? She shouldn’t lack people to serve her, right?”

Madam Xie looked troubled, “Mother, her dowry list is still here, but she only has a little maid who isn’t experienced.”

Princess Consort Xi’s expression grew even worse. After a long pause, she said disdainfully, “Truly from a lowly family, unpresentable.”

Thinking of the well-mannered Xun Yunling, Princess Consort Xi felt heartbroken again, “Forget it, let her be.”

The next day, Xu Yunqi went to Jinhe Hall early in the morning to pay her respects and brought some fine furs to present to her mother-in-law. However, when the master and servant duo reached the corridor, the gatekeeping maid told her in an obscure manner, “Third Young Madam, the Princess Consort has a headache and has excused morning and evening greetings.”

Xu Yunqi was momentarily stunned, hesitating whether to ask the maid to convey her respects. She then saw the eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Xie, holding a maid’s hand, leisurely stepping out from the courtyard.

Madam Xie’s gaze fell on the bright furs, instantly understanding.

Xu Yunqi then realized that the Princess Consort wasn’t ill; she just didn’t want to see her. Given that, there was no need to force it.

Xu Yunqi nodded slightly to Madam Xie and turned to leave Jinhe Hall.

Although the Princess Consort didn’t like Xu Yunqi, she was very concerned about appearances. She instructed Madam Xie to prepare a generous return gift, with the carriage waiting at the side gate.

Xu Yunqi and her maid had been sitting in the carriage for almost half an hour, but Pei Muheng still hadn’t shown up.

Yin Xing, who was already upset by Princess Consort Xi’s treatment of Xu Yunqi, couldn’t help but complain,

“Princess Consort Xi is really too much. You were granted this marriage by the emperor, not begging to marry into this family. Why does she make things difficult for you?”

Xu Yunqi, lost in her thoughts, heard this and looked over calmly, “How is she making things difficult for me?”

Yin Xing mumbled, “Didn’t she turn you away?”

Xu Yunqi replied magnanimously, “She simply doesn’t like me, which isn’t the same as making things difficult. Look, hasn’t she prepared a generous homecoming gift? If others don’t like us, we don’t need to force ourselves on them. Besides, remember our purpose for coming to the capital; don’t get distracted by trivial matters.”

Princess Consort Xi didn’t like her, which was actually a good thing. This way, she didn’t have to carefully serve her mother-in-law.

Yin Xing wanted to argue, but upon hearing the latter part, she fell silent, lowering her head.

Half an hour later, Pei Muheng appeared with the palace steward.

The homecoming was the final ceremony of the grand wedding and was very significant, so the palace steward handled it personally.

Unlike the previous day when they rode together, today Pei Muheng rode in his own carriage. He offered no explanation, and Xu Yunqi didn’t mind. The group slowly headed south.

The Xi residence was near the imperial city in Chengqing Alley, while the Xu residence was far to the south in Chongbei Alley. Although the Xu family was somewhat famous locally in Jingzhou, they were insignificant among the many nobles in the capital. Being able to hold a government position in the capital was already a family pride, let alone now being connected to the royal family.

Early in the morning, Lord Xu instructed Madam Xu to prepare a banquet in the back courtyard while he led the whole family to wait at the front gate, fearing any breach of etiquette. Accompanying Lord Xu to welcome the guests were the eldest son, second son, and second daughter of the household.

The second daughter, Xu Ruo, being the youngest and most unruly, lost her patience after waiting half a day without seeing any carriages and started complaining loudly, “Marrying Sister off to Young Master Jiang wasn’t good enough; instead, she aims for that unattainable Third Master, famed throughout the land. When Miss Mei next door got married, the couple returned early the next day. We’ve waited until the sun’s almost set, and still no sign of them. Why should we endure this humiliation?”

Lord Xu, always gentle and loving towards his children, pulled a stern face today upon hearing this, “What nonsense are you spouting? Your elder sister was pushed onto that bridge by circumstances, not by her choice.”

Xu Ruo, however, remained skeptical. In recent days, neighbors gossiped incessantly, ridiculing Xu Yunqi for her ambitions and dreams of climbing the social ladder. Having heard it all, Xu Ruo believed that Xu Yunqi had damaged the family’s reputation, making her future marriage prospects difficult.

Lord Xu looked at his naive youngest daughter and shook his head repeatedly. Since Xu Yunqi’s imperial marriage decree, his status in the court had risen dramatically. Having spent his life bowing and scraping, always mindful of others, he now savored the newfound respect and flattery, an indescribable pleasure.

Marrying into this family made the Xu family notable in the capital. While they couldn’t compare to the most powerful families, they were now a respectable household.

“You are still young and don’t understand the intricacies.” Worried that she’d say something inappropriate, he found an errand to send her away.

Moments later, a servant’s voice announced from the alley ahead,

“Master, they’ve arrived.”

Lord Xu could not contain his excitement, straightened his clothes, and eagerly awaited.

In a short while, two luxurious carriages stopped in front of the steps, with Pei Mucheng and Xu Yunxi stepping out one after the other.

Seeing the tall and graceful Pei Mucheng, Lord Xu instinctively was about to salute, but the steward of the prince’s residence stopped him with a smile, “Lord Xu, it should be our third young master and third young mistress saluting you.”

Lord Xu nervously wiped his sweat.

The autumn sun was blazing, and the clear light filtered through the treetops, casting fragmented shadows on the shoulders of the two. Xu Yunxi met her father’s unfamiliar yet cautious gaze, walked to Pei Mucheng’s side, and saluted together with him, “Father.”

“Father-in-law.”

Xu Yunxi, not wanting to worry her family, deliberately stayed close to Pei Mucheng. Pei Mucheng glanced at her but said nothing.

With the prince mansion’s steward present, Pei Mucheng didn’t need to socialize. He lazily sat in the guest seat, sipping tea slowly. Lord Xu cautiously observed his expression while carefully engaging with the steward.

Xu Yunxi then took Yin Xing to the back yard. She hadn’t been at the Xu residence for long, and the maids there weren’t familiar with her. Xu Yunxi didn’t like strangers following her, so she instructed the maid to prepare the return gifts and went alone to the main courtyard where her mother was.

In the capital, paper was expensive. Although the Xu family had ancestors who were merchants, many family resources had been spent in the officialdom over the years. They had only managed to buy a three-section courtyard, which felt cramped compared to the prince’s mansion.

As she walked down the passageway to the flower gate, she saw several maids hiding in the corner, eating melon seeds and gossiping.

“Did you see? The return gifts from the prince’s mansion are so lavish, they rival the eldest daughter’s dowry.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t I see the dowry being carried out like a flowing river during the wedding?”

The maid with a mole on her lip snorted, “What do you know? Those were just for show by the prince’s mansion. How could our master possibly match the prince’s grandness?”

Another maid disagreed, “I don’t think so. The eldest son of the mansion has delayed getting married, and the second son and daughter are still young. There will be plenty of expenses in the future. The eldest daughter isn’t even the master’s biological child. How could he bear to spend the family’s resources on her?”

The old woman with the mole on the corner of her mouth turned pale upon hearing her words. She quickly covered her mouth, “Good heavens, you must never say that again. If the palace finds out, it could cause big trouble.”

Yin Xing slowly followed behind Xu Yunqi, her eyes moist as she looked at her tall, elegant back.

The smile on Xu Yunqi’s lips faded, and with the autumn wind, it disappeared without a trace.

Madam Zhang, Xu Yunqi’s mother, was waiting in the main courtyard. When she saw her daughter approaching, she slowly smiled. Xu Yunqi saluted her, and Madam Zhang led her into the inner room, dismissing everyone else, leaving the mother and daughter to have a private conversation.

Madam Zhang sat down with her on the Luohan bed, first observing her daughter’s expression. Seeing no clue, she asked, “Have you been well in the palace these two days?”

Xu Yunqi held her mother’s soft, warm hand and replied with a smile, “I do well wherever I am.”

Tears filled Madam Zhang’s eyes at these words.

Years ago, to avoid being despised by her husband’s family, she left her in the countryside when she was very young. Initially, she cried, but later, every time she went to see her, there was always a smile on her face, and she never saw her cry again.

Don’t ask, the answer would always be that she’s fine.

“I have wronged you,” Madam Zhang said, lowering her eyes and choking up, her tears falling on Xu Yunqi’s hand.

Xu Yunqi’s expression became more serious.

“Mother, you haven’t wronged me. You were abandoned by a heartless man and should seek your own happiness. Should you be burdened by your daughter all your life? If you are well, your daughter will be well too.”

Hearing Xu Yunqi’s comforting words, Madam Zhang’s tears fell even more uncontrollably. Every time, she would say things like this, as if she didn’t need anyone to care for her.

Madam Zhang was at a loss for words.

“Look at you now. How well are you doing? You’ve had more children and secured a firm position in the Xu family. I am to marry into a high-status family, and you can hold your head high in the Xu household. No one dares to look down on you, nor will anyone bully you,” said Xu Yunqi.

Madam Zhang embraced her daughter. “Mother has done nothing for you, but you always think of me.”

“If it were up to me, I would rather you not marry into the Prince Xi Mansion. Mother only hopes that there will be someone in this world to care for you…” Madam Zhang’s shoulders trembled, and she cried uncontrollably.

As for Pei Muheng, Madam Zhang had met him once. He seemed like an otherworldly being, not part of the earthly realm, so how could he possibly care for anyone?

Xu Yunqi’s eyes sparkled. “Why should I need someone else to care for me? I can take care of myself.”

At that moment, the door was forcefully pushed open from the outside, revealing a childish yet fierce face. Behind her was a stewardess with a troubled expression.

Xu Ruo stormed in, pulling Xu Yunqi from Madam Zhang’s arms, and angrily asked, “Elder sister, people outside are calling you shameless, deliberately seducing the third young master. Is it true?”

Madam Zhang, forgetting to wipe her tears, angrily scolded, “Ruo’er, how can you speak so disrespectfully and slander your elder sister?”

Xu Yunqi, with a headache, looked at her sister and smiled indifferently, “The third young master is famous in the capital. If any woman could easily seduce him, he would have been married long ago. How could it be my turn?”

Xu Ruo thought for a moment and agreed.

Xu Yunqi patted her sister’s head and hinted, “Others are jealous of our Xu family, so they speak ill of us. You’re smart, don’t fall for their tricks.”

Just as Xu Yunqi thought she had convinced her sister, she saw her furrow her brows and look at her suspiciously. “But that night, I saw you with my own eyes, lifting your skirt and running towards the third young master.”

Xu Yunqi was momentarily stunned.

The room fell silent.

Everyone was looking at her.

The dancing light and shadow passed through the window lattice, falling obliquely on her eyebrows, perfectly blurring the complexity in her eyes.

That night, amidst the clamor, the bustling crowd squeezed her under the bridge. In the midst of it all, a familiar yet distant mellow voice seemed to pierce through the throng, emerging from the depths of the dust, and entered her ears. She couldn’t help but follow the direction of the voice, but at that moment, fireworks blossomed, and the bustle faded away. The voice disappeared without a trace, like a fleeting dream.

Yes, he was already dead, having died when she was four years old. How could he possibly appear in the palace?

Compared to bringing up her mother’s sorrowful memories, Xu Yunqi didn’t mind being misunderstood by others and explained helplessly,

“Yes, I heard that the third young master is as handsome as Pan An, so I wanted to get a closer look.”

Outside the window, the sky was bright. Lord Xu led Pei Muheng to pay respects to Madam Zhang. A group of people silently crossed the corridor. The man at the front, with a handsome and profound face, expressionlessly glanced towards the window lattice before stepping onto the stairs as if he hadn’t heard anything.