……
Taiyi Palace.
The draperies hung half-lowered. More than twenty exquisite dishes were arranged across the imperial dining table.
Fresh and tender crab roe tofu, lotus-leaf chicken wrapped in fragrant fresh lotus leaves, golden-fried prawn meat, a bird’s nest and silver fungus soup dotted with a few red dates, and in the center, a stack of crispy shredded chicken rolls tucked into thin crepes……
The Prince of Xuan sat at the head seat. To his right was the Queen Consort, dignified and stately with a phoenix hairpin crowning her hair. The seat to his left was empty — that was Xuan Yanyu’s place.
Further along sat Noble Consort Pei, dressed in gold-thread embroidery, her eyes upswept at the corners, her brow carrying an air of composed authority.
Standing at Noble Consort Pei’s side was Pei Shutong, dressed in a pink ru skirt, her features delicate and clear-cut.
Pei Shutong stood beside Noble Consort Pei, blinking obediently, projecting an air of innocent naivety untouched by worldly scheming.
“Imperial Father. Mother Consort.” After greeting the Prince of Xuan and Queen Consort, Xuan Yanyu took Yan Yunning’s hand and led her to their seats.
Yan Yunning pressed her lips together. Xuan Xixi had not greeted Noble Consort Pei — should she do so herself?
By Xuanzhao’s customs, she was expected to pay her respects to both the Imperial Noble Consort and the Noble Consort.
“Shutong pays her respects to His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.” Pei Shutong curtsied with a light smile.
Even though Pei Shutong had previously made a habit of gravitating toward Xuan Yanyu at every opportunity — something Xuan Yanyu found deeply distasteful — he still gave her face with a nod of acknowledgment.
After all, she was a young woman, and with so many maids and eunuchs present, he gave her that much face. Had it been his natural inclination, he would simply have ignored her entirely.
Pei Shutong’s gaze burned as it fixed on Xuan Yanyu. The man lowered his eyes, reached over in practiced ease to pour water for Yan Yunning, and Pei Shutong automatically filtered Yan Yunning out of her field of vision — her eyes could hold no one but Xuan Yanyu.
The Prince of Xuan’s calm, measured eyes flickered once. This Pei young miss — did she have designs on his Yuyi??
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, have you and the Crown Princess been well of late?” Pei Shutong asked in a gentle, soft voice.
Noble Consort Pei shot Pei Shutong a reproving glance. This child — had she not been advised before they came? Why could she not hold herself in check.
Asking after the Crown Prince’s private affairs in front of His Majesty and the Queen Consort — how thoroughly ignorant of proper conduct.
Whether the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were doing well was the Crown Prince’s personal business. Shutong was merely the daughter of a minister — how could she presume to inquire into such matters?
The Crown Prince and Shutong were not even close — why would he answer such a question from her?
Xuan Yanyu said nothing. Yan Yunning naturally made no move to speak either. The two of them behaved as though they had heard nothing at all, and the atmosphere became subtly charged.
Pei Shutong tugged at Noble Consort Pei’s sleeve in aggrieved appeal.
Noble Consort Pei gave a helpless smile. “Your Majesty, Your Highness — it is Shutong who is impudent. She has been spoiled by the Prime Minister since childhood. This consort will certainly reprimand her properly upon returning to the chambers. Noble Consort Pei apologizes.”
Having heard Noble Consort Pei put it this way, the Prince of Xuan saw no need to press the matter further and smiled lightly. “Think nothing of it.”
“Shutong, have you still not thanked His Majesty?” Noble Consort Pei lectured. “His Majesty has not taken you to task for coming with your aunt-mother to accompany him at the midday meal — you ought to be grateful for that already. How could you be so ignorant of propriety as to ask after the Crown Prince’s affairs? Apologize to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.”
Pei Shutong obediently bowed toward the Prince of Xuan. “Shutong thanks Your Majesty.”
Then she turned her gaze to Xuan Yanyu, her voice softening. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, Crown Princess — please forgive Shutong for her ignorance.”
“……”
“……”
No one responded. Pei Shutong’s eyes reddened, and Noble Consort Pei, too, was visibly displeased.
She had not even made an issue of Yan Yunning failing to bow to her — and yes, Xuan Yanyu was the Crown Prince, his status exalted, but His Majesty himself had not taken it to heart. Why should he, a crown prince, humiliate Shutong like this??
He had been able to hold his position as Crown Prince only because His Majesty had no other son. If His Majesty had more than just Xuan Yanyu, given His Majesty’s temperament, he would absolutely not have indulged Xuan Yanyu this much.
“Imperial Father, you summoned this son here — was it to share the midday meal, or to have this son watch Miss Pei put on a look of wounded grievance? If it is the latter, then this son will take his leave with Lingning and return to the residence.” The man made as if to stand.
The Prince of Xuan pressed down on his arm and turned a stern gaze toward Noble Consort Pei, his voice very low. “Have the Pei young miss leave the palace — and in the future, if there is no matter of importance, she need not enter the palace again.”
“Your Majesty……”
“Say another word and you may return to your own chambers.” The Prince of Xuan said flatly.
Noble Consort Pei’s face flushed red. Suppressing her fury, she instructed a maid to escort Pei Shutong out of the palace. After composing herself for a moment, she brought a smile back to her face. “Your Majesty, this consort will speak properly to Shutong afterward.”
“Do as you see fit.” The Prince of Xuan said coldly, then turned with a cheerful expression and began serving dishes to Xuan Yanyu.
Noble Consort Pei bit down hard. All at once she found herself intimately understanding how Noble Consort Wu must have felt when she was demoted to Attendant Wu.
Concealing the resentment and chill in her eyes, Noble Consort Pei rose with a smile and came to Yan Yunning’s side, personally placing dishes in her bowl. “Lingning, I don’t quite know what you enjoy eating — Mother Consort will put a little of everything in for you. Please do not hold what Shutong did against her.”
Gone was the imperious arrogance of a favored consort — in its place was an almost self-effacing deference.
After all, she was the Prince of Xuan’s noble consort. Yan Yunning could not very well assume a haughty posture either, and smiled back. “I can manage on my own.”
Noble Consort Pei’s gaze came to rest on her face — fair, delicate, and beautiful, her skin fine-textured and luminously clear, soft and tender-looking. How could Shutong possibly compare with such a face?
Her smile was lovely too, eyes and brows curving gently, the phoenix hairpin in her hair swaying with a playful, barely-there tremor as she smiled.
Two loose strands of hair draped across her chest were threaded with pale blue ribbon, paired with court robes in matching shades, coordinating exactly with the Crown Prince’s brocade. Both wore identical pendants at their waists.
Nearly identical jade pieces, both carved with dragon motifs. Noble Consort Pei raised her gaze and caught sight of the golden crown binding Xuan Yanyu’s hair — also in shades of blue. Seated side by side, the two of them truly were a matched pair.
Charming, beautiful — with a woman like this, it was understandable that the Crown Prince would dote on her and refuse to take other consorts. She would simply have to wait for him to tire of her.
“Noble Consort, please go back to your seat — Lingning is of the younger generation. How can you be placing dishes for her?” The Queen Consort said with a gentle smile.
“What sort of example is this? Not a scrap of propriety.” The Prince of Xuan gave a low grunt.
Upon being told she had not a scrap of propriety, Noble Consort Pei gathered her courage and said, “Your Majesty speaks of this consort having no propriety — yet are you not also placing dishes for His Highness the Crown Prince? This consort was simply following your lead.”
The Prince of Xuan gave a humphing sound. “Just look at your nerve — daring to talk back to Us.”
Seeing the Prince of Xuan’s expression ease, Noble Consort Pei let out a light, tinkling laugh. “Then this consort will serve dishes for Your Majesty.”
The Queen Consort glanced at the dishes and pastries Noble Consort Pei had placed in Yan Yunning’s bowl, then gave the nanny standing behind her a quiet look.
The nanny, understanding at once, discreetly helped herself to the same dishes and pastries from Yan Yunning’s bowl, placing them in the Queen Consort’s own bowl.
To avoid making it obvious, she added a few extra dishes as cover.
After years in the palace, one learned to be cautious about everything — she had nearly developed a suspicious disposition. She found it hard to believe that Noble Consort Pei would lower herself to serve dishes to Lingning purely for Pei Shutong’s sake.
That was simply not in Noble Consort Pei’s nature — after years of living alongside her, she knew her well enough.
Perhaps she was overthinking things. With His Majesty and Yuyi both present at the imperial table, there would absolutely be no issue with the food itself. But she could not entirely rule out the possibility that some of these dishes might contain things Lingning could not eat.
There was a chance, after all, that Lingning’s belly might already be carrying her own imperial grandchild at this very moment.