Chapter 4:

Chapter 4

Due to injuries sustained during childbirth and the harsh winter weather, Pei Yun, still in her lying-in period, was confined to her Linglang Hall. She spent her days playing with Chen'er and frequently summoned Li Jin for conversation.

Day by day, she endured until the lying-in period finally passed.

As in her previous life, Chen'er's month-old banquet was not held. Severe snow disasters in the north had left the people destitute, prompting her imperial father-in-law to order austerity measures in the palace and forbid extravagance. Pei Yun thus petitioned to cancel the month-old banquet.

Her logic matched that of her past life: first, her health had not fully recovered, making it difficult for her to manage such an event. Moreover, given the current circumstances, a grand celebration was likely impossible. By taking the initiative, she also sought to curry favor with her imperial father-in-law toward the Eastern Palace.

Most importantly, she knew that although the month-old banquet was canceled, her imperial father-in-law would promise to compensate Chen'er with a grand hundred-days celebration.

Thus, Chen'er wouldn't miss out.

And everything unfolded just as it had in her previous life.

Though the month-old banquet was canceled, gifts from both inside and outside the palace poured in continuously.

Among them, of course, were gifts from the Pei family.

In her past life, Pei Yun had not bothered to look at them, but this time she deliberately opened them to inspect. The Pei family had sent two gifts: one was a longevity locket and a pair of small gold bracelets engraved with auspicious cloud patterns, while the other was a complete set of children's clothing—a tiger-head hat, a tiger-faced drool bib, a tiger-patterned bellyband, and more.

She carefully picked up the tiger-head hat, tracing the fine stitches with her fingers, a lump forming in her throat.

Shu Yan and Shu Mo, seeing the redness in Pei Yun's eyes, understood her feelings. Exchanging a glance, Shu Mo smiled and said, "Look how exquisitely this tiger-head hat is made! I wonder which embroiderer Madam commissioned—the craftsmanship is truly outstanding. The tiger is stitched so playfully and adorably."

Pei Yun knew she was playing dumb.

Who else could it be? Such fine needlework could only belong to her mother, Lady Zhou.

Others might not know, but Shu Yan and Shu Mo were aware that her melancholy stemmed not only from the difficult childbirth but also from a quarrel with her family during her fourth month of pregnancy when she returned home. Having been reborn, her greatest wish was to return home and see her mother and younger sister properly.

Seeing that their mistress was not upset, Shu Yan and Shu Mo sensed an opportunity to bridge the gap between her and her mother. Before they could speak, however, Pei Yun abruptly asked, "Has Noble Consort Gao's gift arrived as well?"

The two were momentarily taken aback before Shu Yan replied, "Yes, it arrived early this morning. Noble Consort Gao specially sent Eunuch Fang to deliver it. Since he came unusually early and heard you were still asleep, he did not enter to pay his respects. Would you like to see it now?"

"No need," Pei Yun said, rising. "Help me change. Noble Consort Gao has sent such generous gifts—it’s only proper that I go and express my gratitude in person."

"Yes," Shu Yan and Shu Mo replied without further question, obediently assisting her.

Four years ago, after the passing of the Late Empress Xiaoren, the Emperor had not appointed a new empress, leaving the position of the central palace vacant. Noble Consort Gao now managed the affairs of the inner court as the acting empress. Their mistress had always been meticulous in etiquette, and now that her lying-in period had ended, it was indeed appropriate for her to pay respects.

Pei Yun changed into a peacock-blue embroidered jacket with an ivory-white pleated skirt and draped a fox-fur cloak over her shoulders. Before leaving, Shu Mo slipped a hand warmer into her hands, then helped her into a sedan chair bound for Noble Consort Gao's Yong'an Palace.

Upon arriving at the palace gates, Shu Mo announced her arrival to the palace attendants. She then assisted Pei Yun out, and under the guidance of two palace maids, they crossed the courtyard and proceeded along the corridor toward the main hall.

Before even entering, Pei Yun heard gay laughter and chatter drifting from within.

Her steps faltered slightly as she could just make out some voices, realizing that Yong'an Palace was bustling with activity today.

The maids lifted the felt curtain, and Pei Yun glanced inside—just as she had expected.

Noble Consort Gao held court at the head, with three familiar figures seated on either side below her.

After stepping forward to pay her respects, Pei Yun received greetings in return. Noble Consort Gao promptly invited her to sit and inquired about her health. "When the Crown Princess had just given birth to the little imperial grandson, I visited the Eastern Palace once. At the time, you were suffering from postpartum hemorrhage and had only just stabilized—your pallor was truly alarming. Have you recovered now?"

Pei Yun smiled. "Thank you for your concern, Noble Consort. The imperial physicians of the Tai Hospital performed miracles, and with the rare medicinal ingredients sent by all the noble consorts, I have nearly fully recovered."

"I think so too. The Crown Princess looks so radiant, hardly like someone who just recovered from a serious illness," said Consort Shu [a mid-ranking imperial concubine], seated to Noble Consort Gao's lower left.

The Emperor had few surviving children. Excluding those who died before being formally named, only five sons and two daughters remained.

Consort Shu was the birth mother of the Emperor's youngest son, the Fifth Prince, Li Changgeng.

After speaking, she turned to the woman beside her and asked, "Don't you think so, Meier?"

The woman addressed as Meier was about the same age as Pei Yun, bright-eyed and fair-skinned, gentle and dignified. She smiled faintly, her expression unreadable, and replied, "Consort Shu is right. To me, the Crown Princess seems even more radiant after this month of recovery than before childbirth."

"It’s a blessing she recovered so quickly. That reassures me," said Noble Consort Gao. "When the Crown Prince gets back from Tan County and sees the Crown Princess fully recovered, he’ll be overjoyed."

"Speaking of which, I heard Prince Yu went with the Crown Prince on this trip to Tan County?" The woman seated beside Pei Yun smoothly took over the conversation, glancing at Liu Meier.

After all, Liu Meier was none other than the wife of Prince Yu and the mother of the Second Imperial Grandson, Li Qian.

"Indeed. His Majesty wanted my husband to gain experience, so he took this opportunity to send him south with the Crown Prince." At this point, Liu Meier suddenly—whether intentionally or not—cast a glance at Pei Yun. Then, as if remembering something, she covered her lips with a light laugh. "The decree came on short notice. When my Rong Jieer heard her father would be away for three months, she couldn’t bear to let go, tugging at his sleeve. My husband had to coax her for a long time, promising to bring her gifts upon his return, before she finally let go."

Rong Jieer was the eldest daughter of Prince Yu and Liu Meier, now four years old. Prince Yu doted on his little treasure.

Yet at the mention of "gifts," Pei Yun's fingers, which had been stroking the hand warmer, paused slightly. She smiled faintly, her expression unreadable.

She knew full well that Liu Meier wasn’t merely sharing a family anecdote—she was digging the knife in—just subtly.

As for how Pei Yun had learned that her Crown Prince husband had casually ordered someone to prepare a gift for her, she could thank Princess Consort Yu for that.

It was the second year after her marriage into the Eastern Palace. The Emperor had once again dispatched Prince Yu and the Crown Prince on an official trip outside the capital. Upon their return, Chang Lu arrived at the Linglang Palace carrying an embroidered box, saying it was a gift the Crown Prince had picked out just for her.

At the time, she still held some hope for the Crown Prince and was naturally delighted that her husband had remembered her while away. She even wore the white jade bracelet from the box to the palace banquet the following day.

She wasn’t trying to flaunt it, but during the banquet, Princess Haoyue suddenly grabbed her wrist and exclaimed to the crowd, "I was curious what kind of fine bracelet Second Brother had bought for Second Sister-in-law, but it’s nothing special—not as nice as the one she’s wearing now. Second Brother really should have just swapped with Third Brother if he wanted something better. After all, Third Brother wouldn’t care—he just had Chang Lu buy whatever, so it wouldn’t have mattered."

Pei Yun was no fool. Though she only caught fragments of the conversation, the smirks and side-eyes said it all.

A few days later, she deliberately tested the Crown Prince, mentioning how much she liked the gold hairpin he had bought for her. The Crown Prince showed no reaction, merely smiling faintly and saying, "As long as you like it."

That one line confirmed everything and sent her heart plummeting.

Princess Haoyue was right—it didn’t matter what the Crown Prince gave her, just as it didn’t matter to him that she was his Crown Princess.

But even if she, the Crown Princess, was unloved, that didn’t mean everyone could trample over her.

Given a second chance, she would no longer endure in silence.

Pei Yun met Liu Meier’s gaze calmly and remarked casually, "Yuzhou’s got plenty to offer. Since Prince Yu rarely leaves the capital, I’m sure he’ll bring back all sorts of little treasures for Rong Jieer."

Liu Meier’s smile stiffened.

She hadn’t expected Pei Yun, who’d always taken things lying down, to now wield words like hidden blades.

If there was one thing Liu Meier resented most in life, it was being betrothed to Prince Yu.

Unlike the other princes, Prince Yu’s birth mother was of lowly status—a mere maidservant from His Majesty’s days before ascending the throne. She died in childbirth, and years later, when Emperor Qingzhen took the throne, she was posthumously granted only the modest title of Noble Lady. Prince Yu himself was mediocre and weak-willed, unfit for great responsibility and rarely entrusted with important missions outside the capital.

And yet, the Liu family was one of the three great noble houses of the capital. Her grandfather was a Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, and her father and uncles all held high-ranking positions. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that she, once the most favored candidate for Crown Princess, harbored such resentment toward Pei Yun—always striving to outdo her at every turn.

To prove she was no lesser.

She discreetly studied Pei Yun, seated across from her. Her brow furrowed slightly. Pei Yun was dressed as conservatively as ever, her attire dignified and understated, her face free of makeup. She sat there with a faint smile, yet somehow, she glowed brighter than ever.

Outwardly, nothing seemed different, yet everything had changed.

Not only did she look radiant today, but she also dared to subtly mock her.

But what did it matter if she was beautiful? Raised in the uncivilized backwaters of Wunan, she remained crude and unworthy of noble circles.

Liu Meier sneered inwardly, though she answered Pei Yun with a smile. Moments later, she suddenly turned to Consort Zhen and asked, "Consort Zhen, why hasn’t Rui Er come with you today? Has she gone out of the palace again?"

"You guessed right," Consort Zhen sighed helplessly. "That girl’s too free-spirited to stay cooped up in the palace. She mentioned going to Shen—"

Mid-sentence, Consort Zhen abruptly stopped, then quickly glanced at Pei Yun before forcing a dry laugh and continuing, "She said she was going to visit a newly opened rouge shop in the western part of the city."

Pei Yun had caught the 'Shen' before Consort Zhen could swallow it.

She almost wanted to laugh. Liu Meier just had to twist the knife at every opportunity.

Everyone in the palace knew that the thirteen-year-old Princess Haoyue, Li Shurui, was close friends with the twelve-year-old Sixth Miss Shen, who was the full-blooded younger sister of Second Miss Shen, Shen Ningjia—the original Crown Princess-to-be.

By deliberately bringing up Sixth Miss Shen, Liu Meier was clearly reminding her that she, the Crown Princess, was just a stand-in, while the Crown Prince’s heart had always belonged to his doomed sweetheart.

Like Pei Yun needed that rubbed in.

In her past life, before her death, the scene of the Crown Prince swimming without a second thought toward Sixth Miss Shen when the bridge in the imperial garden collapsed was still vivid in her mind.

He had loved Shen Ningjia so deeply that he even transferred his affections to Shen Ningchao, who bore a striking resemblance to her.

She, his wedded wife, had been nothing but a joke from beginning to end.

But Pei Yun didn’t care in the slightest whom the Crown Prince loved.

In her past life, she had always sought validation, striving for perfection in every matter, hoping to become the undisputed Crown Princess and future Empress.

But now? Let whoever would be Empress be Empress. Let others think of her as they pleased. All she cared about now was her family, hoping they would live safe and sound in this life, and that her two children would grow up carefree.

Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, she would fade into the background and live out her days in peace, letting him and his beloved be together.

Pei Yun had it all planned out in her heart, but her silence was interpreted by Liu Meier as sorrow and displeasure.

Liu Meier hid a smug smile.

Thanks to Consort Zhen’s slip of the tongue, the atmosphere in the hall had grown awkward.

Amid the silence, a palace attendant suddenly entered and announced that Princess Consort Cheng had arrived.

No sooner had the words been spoken than a delicate figure swept in, letting in a chill as she entered.

Draped in a scarlet cloak lined with snow-white rabbit fur at the collar, her fair, round face was half-buried in the soft fur, revealing only a pair of bright, star-like eyes.

Newlyweds really did glow—she carried an air of joy that instantly dispelled the earlier awkwardness, brightening the entire Yong’an Palace.

She stepped forward, dipping into a bashful curtsy to each person in turn before bowing apologetically to Noble Consort Gao. "Mother Consort, your daughter-in-law begs forgiveness for her lateness."

Her honeyed voice could melt stone, evoking an instinctive desire to protect her—who could bear to punish her?

Noble Consort Gao’s face lit up, immediately rising to personally help her up.

With her son now wed, and to a girl from a family of scholars for generations, as charming in manner as she was lovely, how could Noble Consort Gao be anything but pleased?

She affectionately patted Cheng Siyuan’s hand and said gently, "No matter the hour, we keep no strict clocks here. Punishment? Nonsense."

Noble Consort Gao pulled Cheng Siyuan to sit beside her on the small couch when Consort Shu’s soft chuckle from below drew their attention. Raising an eyebrow, Consort Shu asked, "Did Princess Consort Cheng oversleep this morning, causing her to miss the proper hour for paying respects in the palace?"

Cheng Siyuan froze at the question, her ears turning bright red. Her lips parted slightly as if to offer an explanation, but in the end, she only lowered her lashes shyly without a word.

The others exchanged knowing glances, their smiles full of innuendo.

Prince Cheng and Princess Consort Cheng had been married for barely two months—still in the honeymoon phase. It was only natural for them to be inseparable.

While everyone else shared this unspoken understanding, Pei Yun, seated in the corner, watched Cheng Siyuan’s flustered reaction and the suggestive looks around her, but she felt nothing of the sort.

Before her own wedding to Li Zhangye, she too had been instructed by the palace matrons on marital duties.

Yet, what no one knew was that in her past life, despite carrying Li Zhangye’s child three times over thirteen years, she had never once experienced the so-called pleasures of marital intimacy or conjugal bliss as the matrons had described.