Consort Zhou had thought he was bound to take a fall, with the scalding tea spilling all over him afterward. He would be a bedraggled mess and make a complete fool of himself.
Instead, he landed lightly in someone's embrace.
Unlike the woman who so often humiliated and beat him, this embrace was as steady as an immovable mountain—strong, gentle, and inexplicably reassuring.
Still dazed after his fright, Consort Zhou opened his eyes and looked up blankly. What met his gaze was Prince Liang's splendid, striking beauty.
She was nothing like the cruel and overbearing figure described by outsiders, nor like the mocking, venomous image the Second Imperial Daughter had painted before him.
Prince Liang possessed a presence too powerful to ignore, one that made people instinctively catch their breath, yet there was warmth in her eyes.
So close to her now, Consort Zhou could clearly feel her body heat and catch her scent. It was a feeling the Second Imperial Daughter had never given him.
From the Second Imperial Daughter, he had only ever felt coldness, sharpness, sarcasm, and the terrifying filth of mud that swallowed others whole.
Consort Zhou suddenly blushed. As though remembering something, he was about to look toward the Second Imperial Daughter when her rebuke rang out.
"Have you no sense of propriety? Why are you still in my elder sister's arms?"
The Second Imperial Daughter's face, usually so gentle and gracious, twisted slightly. Her sharp rebuke made Consort Zhou tense all over, and he hastily tried to get up from Prince Liang's arms.
But given their position, it was not so easy.
Her husband was still in her arms. Anyone with a modicum of tact would have known that, even if there had been no time to think of such things in the moment of danger, this was the time to keep a proper distance.
But Prince Liang did not.
It was as though she knew nothing of propriety between men and women. She merely stared at the Second Imperial Daughter in bewilderment and said, "Second Sister, why are you suddenly throwing a tantrum?"
"The floor is hard, and the tea was scalding. Your husband has a delicate constitution; had he come into contact with either, he would have suffered badly today."
"He narrowly escaped harm, yet as his wife, instead of showing concern for your husband, you rebuke him?"
"Are you blaming your elder sister for meddling?"
The Second Imperial Daughter hurriedly composed her expression, soon returning to the mask that seemed to have grown onto her face.
Though it was plainly still a little stiff.
Damn it—the Boss was obviously playing dumb, using her madcap reputation as an excuse to flirt with her husband.
And she had righteousness on her side, leaving the Second Imperial Daughter no way to openly fall out with her. Naturally, her cold gaze fell upon Consort Zhou instead.
That unlucky, ill-omened wretch. She had underestimated him. Those fox-like tricks he used to entice people were no less skillful than those of the male courtesans in the pleasure quarters.
Poison churned in the Second Imperial Daughter's heart, but she still smiled as she thanked Pei Liang. "Elder Sister acted with such chivalry; naturally, I am deeply grateful."
"It is only that concern made me lose my composure. This man has always been clumsy and forever causing trouble. When we are behind closed doors, it is one thing, but today he has behaved improperly before Elder Sister and Third Sister, even causing Elder Sister such alarm. It truly is inexcusable."
Then she rebuked Consort Zhou. "Why are you not getting up and thanking Elder Sister?"
Having been trapped in Prince Liang's embrace for so long, Consort Zhou's face was already red enough to drip blood. At her words, he hurriedly struggled to rise.
Pei Liang stopped teasing another woman's husband and, with a smooth motion, let him stand.
But from their earlier closeness, she had naturally noticed certain marks concealed beneath his clothes.
There were rather a lot of bruises on Consort Zhou's arm.
After Consort Zhou regained his footing, he hurriedly bowed to Pei Liang once more. “Th-thank you, Imperial Sister, for coming to my aid. I was clumsy.”
He added, “I’ll have someone prepare a fresh pot of tea.”
He was about to leave, hoping to avoid the Second Imperial Daughter’s snake-like gaze, when Prince Liang said, “There’s no need to trouble yourself, brother-in-law. The tea isn’t dirty, and it’s still perfectly drinkable.”
With a light chuckle, she continued, “If anything, after circling around you for a while, it must have become even sweeter and more delicious.”
“You—” The Second Imperial Daughter dropped her composure completely and nearly overturned the table.
If there had still been some excuse for her earlier, this was now unmistakably blatant flirtation—an open attempt to humiliate her, disregard her dignity, and cuckold her right in front of her.
The Eldest Imperial Daughter had always been like this. From childhood until now, aside from the Empress, whom had she ever taken seriously?
In her eyes, everyone but herself was a servant—including her own younger brothers and sisters.
What was a little humiliation to her? And what did it matter if she casually flirted with her younger sister’s husband?
After all, this was a woman who even dared to—
The Second Imperial Daughter thought of the deadly piece of information she had learned by chance. It was precisely because of this information that she had concluded the Boss had no chance of inheriting the throne.
But the Boss had been building her power for many years. Her influence was now so formidable that even the Mother Empress had to regard her with caution. For that reason, the Second Imperial Daughter dared not be careless.
The closer victory was within reach, the more cautious one had to be.
With that thought, the Second Imperial Daughter actually managed to suppress her twisted resentment and indignation. Perhaps the Empress’s circumstances offered her a sliver of comfort.
She forcibly pulled a smile onto her face. “Imperial Sister really does love to joke.”
Pei Liang merely smiled without responding, leaving the Second Imperial Daughter feeling even more like a clown.
Pei Liang glanced at the small pastries laid out on the table. Every one of them was exquisitely shaped and full of ingenuity.
They looked bright and adorable. The pastries had been molded into little animals, pumpkins, and jade cabbages, so they were clearly not the work of the Imperial Kitchen.
She picked up a pastry shaped like a tiny pumpkin and examined it carefully, turning it over in her hand as though it were far more interesting than the Second Imperial Daughter.
The Third Imperial Daughter also looked at the treats, then praised them. “What beautiful pastries! Were these made by Second Brother-in-law?”
As she spoke, she picked up a little rabbit and stuffed it into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out adorably. “They really are delicious—much better than anything from the Imperial Kitchen.”
At her words, Consort Zhou gave a shy smile, a faint, unmistakable pleasure appearing on his face.
The Second Imperial Daughter took advantage of the Third Imperial Daughter’s remark to smooth things over. “I’m glad you like them, Imperial Sister. I’ll have him make more and send them to your residence another day—oh, no. You’ll be moving into the Eastern Palace soon.”
“When the time comes, I’ll have him make some for you and send them over.”
Pei Liang’s lips curved slightly. The woman couldn’t take a loss or hold back her temper. The moment anything minor happened, she had to retaliate—truly petty and small-minded.
How had she earned a reputation for being broad-minded and magnanimous?
And this woman didn’t dare make her attacks openly. Instead, she took sly little jabs at the original host, always choosing her words and timing with precision, and invariably steering the blame toward someone else.
Given the original host’s blunt and careless nature, she probably would have taken offense at the Third Imperial Daughter by now. She certainly wouldn’t have had the time to consider the deeper meaning behind that remark.
Seeing that the Boss remained unmoved even at the mention of the Eastern Palace, the Second Imperial Daughter became somewhat certain: overnight, this woman had truly reined in all the obvious weaknesses she had once displayed.
She had become far more adept at reading the situation. That was no good thing.
Just as the Second Imperial Daughter’s heart was sinking, the Boss opened that foul mouth of hers and said something that made her scalp prickle.
“Second Sister, don’t play favorites. Third Sister is moving into the Eastern Palace; naturally, she ought to get a little something out of it. Your eldest sister will be marrying before long—why haven’t I heard you suggest lending out your husband to her?”
The atmosphere froze.
The Second Imperial Daughter’s lips actually began to tremble. Damn it—lend him out? Lend him out for what?
Why the hell would you borrow your younger sister’s husband when you were about to marry? So he could teach you the arts of the bedchamber?
Yet there was not a single extra implication in the woman’s words, while Third Sister still wore that foolish expression as she eagerly chimed in.
“Oh, right. Eldest Sister is in a hurry to marry her consort, so I won’t compete with her for Second Sister’s husband.”
That idiot!
The two of them made the Second Imperial Daughter’s liver ache with rage, which Pei Liang found immensely entertaining.
People with such dark minds were the most fun to tease. You only had to say a few words—without even spelling things out—and they would interpret them in the most malicious way possible.
Seeing that the fool in her own household had suddenly become a sought-after prize, the Second Imperial Daughter hurriedly said, “He’s clumsy and useless with his hands. Eldest Sister, please stop making fun of him.”
“Young Master Su, your future brother-in-law, is the truly learned and exceptionally gifted man. Compared to him, my husband isn’t worth even one of his fingers.
“He is slow-witted and dull besides, unfit for refined society. He and I, this cripple, are a broken pot with a broken lid—well matched. Better not let him go out and make a spectacle of himself.”
Though the Second Imperial Daughter minded her leg injury deeply, she was accustomed to using it to appear vulnerable.
Ordinarily, by this point, no matter how absurd the Boss was, she would lose interest and drop the matter. Proud and arrogant as she was, she naturally disdained to waste effort squabbling with a cripple.
But today was different.
At the Second Imperial Daughter’s words, the Boss frowned.
She took a bite of the pastry in her hand. Its rich, faintly sweet, multilayered flavor spread across her tongue.
Only after chewing and swallowing at an unhurried pace did she lift her eyes and look at the Second Imperial Daughter with a smile that was not quite a smile.
“Mother Empress was right to tell you to leave the palace more often, broaden your horizons, and stop wallowing in self-pity.
“There are some things Mother Empress, as a mother, cannot say too plainly. As her children, we naturally hope for our parents’ approval. Even if such words are meant kindly, when someone learns that the person they long to please thinks of them this way, it is hard not to be hurt.
“But among sisters of the same generation, we need not have such reservations.”
Prince Liang’s gaze settled on the Second Imperial Daughter’s face, as if it could see straight through the mask she wore.
“Second Sister, how much plainer must I make it? Stop being so uselessly morose and self-pitying all day, and stop using your leg as an excuse for everything.”
How dare this bitch!
The Second Imperial Daughter’s pupils constricted sharply. For an instant, the killing intent she felt nearly spilled out.
But she did not dare. With the Boss as unstable as she was now, the moment the Second Imperial Daughter revealed any aggression, she would only bring disaster down on herself.
But that vile woman was not finished. “You’re so fixated on that little problem with your legs, throwing yourself into ruin if you please—but you insist on dragging everyone around you down with you.”
“Your younger sister’s husband comes from a distinguished family and was already renowned for his virtue before he married. Otherwise, Mother Empress would never have chosen him for you at a glance.”
“Such a gentle, virtuous, kind-hearted man, with culinary skills second to none—how did he become utterly worthless in your eyes?”
So that was what she had been waiting for.
The Second Imperial Daughter sneered inwardly. She glanced at Consort Zhou, who stood to one side looking utterly meek and submissive, and thought of the Zhou family’s response earlier. Just looking at him made her furious.
But that was not all.
The Boss had clearly come looking for trouble today.
She rose, pulled out a chair beside her, and said to Consort Zhou, “Sit, brother-in-law.”
Consort Zhou feared the Second Imperial Daughter, but Prince Liang was equally known for having an iron will.
He had no choice but to sit down.
Pei Liang picked up another pastry and actually began discussing it with him.
“This pastry is sweet without being cloying, with wonderfully varied layers of texture. Did you add orange peel to the filling?”
Consort Zhou looked at Prince Liang in surprise. Orange peel could cut through the richness, but many people could not tolerate its bitterness.
He had spent a long time devising a way to preserve its refreshing effect without leaving behind any excess bitterness, while also creating several layers of texture. Very few people could identify it in a single bite.
He answered quietly, “Orange peel.”
Prince Liang smiled, her face lighting up with pure delight. “There truly is no end to what one can learn in the culinary arts.”
Even with all her experience, she had never seen this method of preparing orange peel before. Consort Zhou had likely invented it himself.
She continued, “Brother-in-law, you really are remarkably inventive. Even this little pastry is full of surprises. One can only imagine how masterful you must be in the kitchen.”
Consort Zhou flushed slightly. He loved cooking, but noble gentlemen all prided themselves on their mastery of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. His family let him experiment in the kitchen, but they hardly approved of his passion.
After marrying the Second Imperial Daughter, he had been criticized even more harshly for possessing nothing but useless skills. In the end, he could only amuse himself in the small kitchen during his spare time.
Seeing the interaction between the two, the Second Imperial Daughter’s gaze grew colder and colder.
She nevertheless forced herself to hold back her anger and said, “It is his good fortune to have won Imperial Sister’s approval. But aside from cooking and embroidery, what other talents does he have? How could he possibly compare with Young Master Su—”
Before she could finish, Prince Liang impatiently cut her off. “You certainly have a lot of nerve.”
“You rarely leave the palace to experience the hardships of ordinary people. Do you know what this single plate of pastries from your brother-in-law represents?”
“Wha—what?”
Pei Liang said, “The capital’s largest restaurant, Fragrant Heaven House, takes in a fortune every day. Its patrons are all high-ranking officials and nobles. Third Sister and I only visited it today.”
“Third Sister, tell me—how do their pastries compare with your second brother-in-law’s?”
The Third Imperial Daughter was eating like a little mouse. At the question, she thought for a moment and replied, “Fragrant Heaven House’s pastries are delicious, but they’re still not as good as Second Brother-in-law’s.”
Pei Liang turned to the Second Imperial Daughter. “I hear that, in order to improve the sauce used in one of its signature dishes, Fragrant Heaven House once spent one hundred taels of silver buying a recipe from a sauce shop.”
“And that hundred taels was only because the sauce shop still needed to do business. The shop guaranteed that, apart from Fragrant Heaven House’s own use, the recipe would never be shared with anyone else. If it were leaked, Fragrant Heaven House would be entitled to enormous compensation.”
“If my brother-in-law doesn’t plan to open a pastry shop himself, then if he sells the recipe outright, I’m sure Tianxiang Tower would be willing to pay a thousand taels for this recipe and his method of preserving orange peel.”
After all, with that preserving method, they could develop countless signature desserts along the same line.
“A thousand taels would be enough for a family of five to live comfortably and well in the capital for the rest of their lives.”
As the Second Imperial Daughter listened to her calculate the sum, she looked baffled—and inwardly disdainful. A thousand taels?
Ordinary commoners might never see that much money in a lifetime, but any random ornament in their palace was worth far more.
Then the Boss said something that filled her with fury—
“So, do you understand now? If one day you became a useless cripple with nothing to your name, my brother-in-law could still support you with this single pastry recipe alone.”
“Elder Sister, you—”
Pei Liang gave a mocking laugh. “What? Do you think that comparison is utterly meaningless?”
“But who can say what the future holds?”
The Second Imperial Daughter’s heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat broke out on her skin. What did that bitch mean by this?
Yet Pei Liang had already turned away and praised Consort Zhou. “Brother-in-law, do not listen to her nonsense.”
“You are clever and deft, and your devotion to the culinary arts is wholehearted. Pursuing skill to its utmost becomes art—that is something to be proud of.”
“Once you move into the Prince’s residence, I’ll introduce you to the supply channels used by Prince Liang’s estate. After leaving the palace, you can put your talents to full use.”
Though Consort Zhou’s heart had been as withered as dead wood after months of torment, Prince Liang’s words still stirred him deeply, awakening in him a hope he had never felt before.
He could not help stealing a glance at Prince Liang. A woman whose words were so sensible, who respected men, and who praised his strengths without reservation—
She truly was not the shameless, licentious libertine the Second Imperial Daughter had made her out to be.
Then Consort Zhou gave a bitter inward laugh. Of course. That woman’s heart had been steeped in poison; she saw no goodness in anyone. How could her words be trusted?
The Crown Princess spoke up as well. “Elder Sister is right. Second Brother-in-law speaks gently and treats people kindly. He never beats or scolds the palace servants, and his cooking is so delicious.”
“What is there not to like about him?” Then she looked at the Second Imperial Daughter. “Second Sister, please stop saying such things.”
“We are sisters. There is no need to demean yourself like this.”
The Second Imperial Daughter nearly spat blood. That ungrateful little brat.
She was the one who had regularly checked on her and attended to her every need, yet in a single afternoon, the Boss had won her over.
With a stiff smile, she said, “Third Sister is right.”
Watching the three of them enjoy one another’s company, she found the sight unbearably harsh.
This was clearly her own palace, and she was its mistress, yet somehow she felt like the extra person in the room.
The Second Imperial Daughter endured it for as long as she could before letting out a sigh. “I am not as refined in my tastes as Elder Sister and Third Sister.”
“It has been several months since our marriage, yet Consort Zhou’s belly has shown no sign of movement. I began to think such trivial pursuits were of no use. Looking at it now, I suppose I have been somewhat extreme and impatient.”
The moment she said this, Consort Zhou, whose expression had only just begun to ease, went rigid. His face became desolate and grief-stricken.
At once, Pei Liang said, “Is that so? That is a grave matter.”
“Second Sister, why did you not tell me sooner? You made me wrongly blame you. The continuation of the imperial bloodline truly cannot be delayed; it concerns the dynasty’s future for generations to come. This is naturally no time to be sampling pastries.”
Consort Zhou’s lips curved in a bitter smile. As expected—even a woman like Prince Liang, when it came to heirs, still—
Then Prince Liang said to an attendant at her side, “Go summon an imperial physician for the Second Imperial Daughter.”
Consort Zhou froze and looked up at Prince Liang. She did not spare him so much as a glance, her face wholly clouded with concern for the Second Imperial Daughter.
“Her health is poor, and it may affect her ability to have children. How has no one noticed after all this time? Hurry!”
The Second Imperial Daughter was utterly dumbfounded. “Me? No, Elder Sister, you misunderstand. It’s the consort—”
What woman would dare admit that she was the one who could not manage such a thing?
But before she could finish, Pei Liang pressed her down with one hand, smiling faintly. “How could that be? My brother-in-law is covered in wounds and can still move about freely. That alone shows how robust his constitution is.”
“On the other hand, you have always been in poor health and low spirits, moping about all day as though you have one foot in the grave. The answer is obvious. Whose problem do you think it is? How can you have the nerve to pin it on a man?”
The Second Imperial Daughter’s face went pale. Looking at the Boss, she did not dare speak rashly.
Then the Boss asked, “Are you in a hurry to have children?”
With difficulty and humiliation, the Second Imperial Daughter replied, “N-no. There’s no hurry.”
Pei Liang smiled. “Well, if there’s no hurry, then there’s no hurry. You are still young, after all. It won’t be too late to address it once you are ready to face yourself.”
“As your elder sister, I will not force the issue. But—”
She gave a derisive snort. “Do not use this matter to torment your consort again. Only the lowest sort of person would do such a thing. It disgraces the bearing of our imperial house.”
“Yes, I understand, Elder Sister,” the Second Imperial Daughter said, forced to lower her head in humiliation.
“Then go to the Imperial Medical Office and bring back some medicated wine for bruises and injuries,” Pei Liang instructed.
Startled, the Second Imperial Daughter said, “We keep that on hand in the residence. There is no need.”
Prince Liang smiled. “Very well. However—”
She looked at the Second Imperial Daughter. “My wedding is in three days. There will be more than half a month of preparations and obligations before and after it, so do not cause any trouble that spoils the occasion.”
The Second Imperial Daughter gritted her teeth. “I will remember Elder Sister’s instruction.”
Consort Zhou watched in alarm. Yet, seeing the Second Imperial Daughter—normally so ferocious—cower before Prince Liang without daring to move, he inexplicably felt a flicker of satisfaction and warmth.
Eager to change the subject, the Second Imperial Daughter asked, “By the way, Elder Sister, you have not yet gone to thank Mother Empress for her favor after court today.”
“Mother Empress is somewhat—”
Pei Liang waved a hand. “It is fine. She is not right in the head. I do not wish to see her at the moment.”
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone in the room sucked in a sharp breath.
