Chapter 139

Chapter 139: Impertinence

"They each received a Lotus Pond Blossom Fan," Princess Yongtai announced. Her maids approached the young ladies, each carrying a wooden box containing a round fan.

Though mere fans, they were exquisitely precious.

Crafted with kesi double-sided embroidery, the front depicted the twin lotus blossoms from the princess's garden, while the reverse featured a beautiful maid.

Such a fan could fetch a hundred taels of silver outside the palace, yet compared to the gold-woven brocade bestowed upon Xue Jiayan and Song Xiaoshan, it seemed insignificant.

The princess clearly held the latter two in higher regard.

But this was not what Xue Jiayan desired.

"Princess, I don’t want the brocade. I want a fan too," Xue Jiayan declared, chin held high.

A subtle, unsettling atmosphere began to permeate the Water Cloud Pavilion.

Xue Jiayan, being young, had only heard tales of Princess Yongtai from others. She dismissed them as exaggerations, finding it unbelievable that anyone could strike an imperial consort and remain unscathed.

However, apart from the younger generation present, the others had firsthand experience of Princess Yongtai's youthful arrogance.

Lady Xue was among them. Hearing her daughter's audacious request, her heart clenched. Her mind immediately conjured images of Princess Yongtai erupting in fury, seizing the golden dragon whip bestowed by the Emperor, and lashing her daughter.

Terrified by this vision, she cast a pleading glance at the noblewomen seated beside Princess Yongtai.

Yet, most present were merely spectators, eager for drama—even the noblewomen were no exception.

The late empress and the Emperor had been childhood sweethearts. Before the Emperor established his own household, only the late empress and her family had consistently supported him. It wasn't until the late emperor's edict named the then-Prince Hengsu as his successor that some still found it hard to believe.

The late empress had ascended to the throne alongside the Emperor but had barely enjoyed her esteemed position for days before being harmed by Prince Duanxiang's mother, leading to her death shortly after giving birth to Princess Yongtai.

With the court unstable after the Emperor's ascension, he neglected the imperial harem. Blaming himself, he poured his guilt-ridden affection into Princess Yongtai.

The full truth remained unknown to outsiders. They only knew that after the late empress's demise, Prince Duanxiang's mother voluntarily went to guard the late emperor's tomb, while Prince Duanxiang was sent to his fiefdom in Lingnan. Within approximately a year, both died of illness—the true circumstances remained a subject of speculation.

Princess Yongtai, doted on by the Emperor, possessed a temperament starkly different from her gentle and refined mother, though her appearance was an exact replica.

During her time in the palace, the princess commanded immense influence. Those outside often heard stories of her striking people, receiving lavish gifts from the Emperor, or having her every wish granted without question.

Though Prince Qihui now enjoyed the Emperor's favor, it paled in comparison to the boundless indulgence Princess Yongtai had once received.

Once, Consort Yi, then favored by the Emperor and pregnant with his child, uttered words that hinted at coveting the empress's position—words that, by chance, Princess Yongtai overheard. The young princess, accustomed to being unchallenged in the palace due to the Emperor's doting, immediately wielded the golden dragon whip he had given her and struck Consort Yi. Upon seeing Consort Yi bleeding profusely, she was terrified and fled back to the palace, crying to the Emperor.

The aftermath was unexpected: Consort Yi lost her child, was demoted, and confined to Jingjia Palace, while Princess Yongtai was sent to Wanfo Temple on Xiangtuo Mountain to accompany the Empress Dowager in Buddhist rituals.

It was clear to all that this was a protective measure for Princess Yongtai.

Consort Yi, stripped of favor and child, died of despair within a year.

From then on, even the most favored consorts dared not disrespect Princess Yongtai. It was only after her marriage and departure from the palace that they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Later, Princess Yongtai also suffered the loss of a child, which drastically altered her disposition. She ceased attending banquets, instead frequently visiting temples to offer incense. She couldn't help but wonder if this was divine retribution.

After all, looking back, the incident with Consort Yi had been far too coincidental—her words overheard precisely by Princess Yongtai. Perhaps someone had orchestrated the situation, exploiting the princess's fiery temper to target the then-favored Consort Yi.

Lady Xue felt a glimmer of hope. She reassured herself that perhaps the princess's temperament had mellowed and she wouldn't stoop to bickering with her immature daughter.

As she tried to convince herself, she unconsciously dug her nails into her palm, leaving crescent-shaped marks.

Princess Pingning interjected, "You foolish girl, there's no need to save the princess's money."

Xue Jiayan was taken aback—that wasn't her intention at all.

Lady Xue looked at Princess Pingning with profound gratitude. If not for the presence of others, she would have thanked her profusely.

Though Prince Pingning and his consort were not favored by the Emperor, they were truly kind individuals.

Seeing her daughter about to speak again, Lady Xue quickly moved to her side and accepted the shimmering gold-woven brocade on her behalf.

Steeling herself, she said, "Thank you, Princess. My daughter is quite frugal at home. She only wears such expensive fabrics on special occasions."

The guests glanced at Xue Jiayan. In the bloom of her youth, she possessed a delicate charm, dressed in a pink ruqun. Yet, overall, her attire was modest—both the fabric of her clothes and the jewelry in her hair were noticeably beneath her station. Could she truly be so frugal at home?

Lady Xue tugged at her daughter, shot her a stern look, and whispered, "Thank the princess."

Xue Jiayan had no choice but to comply.

Princess Yongtai remained impassive, her face devoid of surprise or joy. She said calmly, "I see. I quite admire frugal people. Baizhu, fetch another fan for Miss Xue."

The female official beside her curtsied and replied, "Yes, Princess."

The guests were bewildered. They hadn't expected the princess to be so mild-tempered, as if the once-arrogant and domineering woman were an entirely different person.

Lady Xue and her daughter performed another curtsy.

The guests harbored their own thoughts, but Princess Yongtai paid them no mind. She announced brightly, "I've also invited musicians from the Qingyin Bureau. Feel free to request any tunes you'd like to hear. There's no need to be overly formal here. I invited you for no other reason than that this season is perfect for admiring the twin lotus flowers my father bestowed upon me."

The guests nodded politely, though inwardly skeptical, believing the princess was merely masking her true intentions.

Xue Jiayan had been so disrespectful, yet the princess showed no anger. Could it be that the Emperor truly intended to betroth Xue Jiayan to Prince Qihui as his consort?

At this thought, they smiled warmly at Lady Xue and Xue Jiayan.

Lady Xue managed to return the smile, but Xue Jiayan’s expression darkened again.

It seemed Miss Xue had no desire to be betrothed to Prince Qihui...

The musicians from the Qingyin Bureau were all family members of disgraced officials. Dressed differently, they would be indistinguishable from the young ladies present. Yet, due to their status, a veil of sorrow perpetually lingered in their eyes—even when they forced smiles for the nobles, the melancholy remained.

They wore identical bluish-green ruquns, moving with the delicate grace of willow branches, almost spectral.

Some played the pipa, others the zheng, while some played flutes or xiao... Still others struck chimes with small mallets in the rear.

They performed in perfect harmony, the music now soaring, now intense, now gentle. The guests listened, sipping tea, and enjoyed themselves immensely.

But for Xue Jiayan, the beautiful melodies did little to improve her mood.

She watched Song Xiaoshan laughing and chatting with the other noblewomen, and her mood grew darker and more agitated, tinged with a fury she didn't even realize she felt.

*Why wasn't she worried at all?*

*Was she willing to marry Prince Qihui?*

Xue Jiayan’s glare was so fierce that the young ladies near her shifted away, turning instead to the gentle Song Xiaoshan to whisper with her.

Xue Jiayan stood and left the banquet. Amid the lively party, no one noticed her departure except her attendants.

Lady Xue had been watching her daughter closely and naturally noticed her leaving by herself. She quickly followed, claiming she'd had too much to drink and needed some fresh air for a stroll. Once she left the Water Cloud Pavilion, she quickened her pace to catch up with her daughter.

"Yan'er, Yan'er," Lady Xue called out her daughter's name, "Xue Jiayan!"

Hearing her mother's angry tone, Xue Jiayan finally stopped and turned around, saying plaintively, "Mother."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke. Lady Xue’s heart ached at the sight, and she immediately took out a handkerchief to wipe them away.

"Alright, alright, we’re in the princess’s residence now. We can't have people seeing you like this," Lady Xue said gently.

Xue Jiayan leaned against her mother and said sadly, "I don’t want to marry Prince Qihui."

Lady Xue sighed. "Even so, you can’t show such an attitude toward the princess. Do you have a death wish?" She reached out and lightly tapped her daughter’s forehead twice.

"But the princess didn’t get angry," Xue Jiayan argued.

"You were just lucky. You have no idea what a force the princess used to be..."

As Lady Xue began to lecture again, Xue Jiayan interrupted impatiently, "Alright, alright, I understand. I’ll go back and sit quietly, not causing any trouble. If the princess rewards me with anything else, I’ll take whatever she gives me. Is that good enough?"

Lady Xue looked at her daughter’s face and sighed again, this time even longer than before. "Yan'er, don’t blame your mother. No matter what, our family cannot go against the Emperor’s command. The fact that the princess didn’t get angry today despite your behavior likely means His Majesty has already confided his intentions to her. That’s why she gifted you and Miss Song such expensive gold-woven brocade."

At the mention of this, Xue Jiayan frowned again, crossed her arms, and turned away defensively.

"Be obedient. When we return to the Water Cloud Pavilion, be gentle and observe how Miss Song behaves. Show respect to the princess and try to make conversation with the other young ladies. Let the princess see that you’re not ill-tempered."

Xue Jiayan retorted, "I won't do it. Miss Song is only acting that way to gain the princess’s favor. Perhaps she’s aiming to become the princess consort, but I couldn’t care less."

"Foolish girl, this isn’t just about selecting a consort for Prince Qihui. The Sixteenth Prince and Seventeenth Prince are also candidates. If Miss Song becomes Prince Qihui’s consort, you’ll have no choice but to marry either the Sixteenth Prince or the Seventeenth Prince." Seeing that her daughter still failed to grasp the situation, Lady Xue had no choice but to lay out the options.

As expected, Xue Jiayan’s face instantly turned pale, and her eyes brimmed with tears.