The Second Imperial Daughter was rather stunned. She had been just about to sow discord.
Even if she did nothing now, the Boss’s dissatisfaction with the Mother Empress had surely reached its peak. But dealing with such a colossal force as the Boss, whose influence was deeply rooted and intricately connected, naturally required guiding her into the right position before letting her tear into the Empress.
First of all, after everything that had happened, if the Boss neither quarreled nor made a scene and simply let matters pass, that would hardly be a good sign.
So the Second Imperial Daughter had no choice but to make some effort herself. Yet the Boss’s reaction caused her to misstep completely.
She had not merely shown displeasure, nor suppressed her anger. Instead, she had openly said something outright rebellious.
She had really said it. The pleasant surprise had come too quickly, leaving the Second Imperial Daughter unsure how to react.
The Third Imperial Daughter was even more anxious. In a panic, she said, “Elder Sister, why don’t we go find the Mother Empress now and explain everything clearly?”
The Second Imperial Daughter was practically laughing herself to death inside. The humiliation she had suffered earlier had been swept away in an instant. If the Boss could still put on a pleasant face for the Third after this, then she might as well be a Bodhisattva.
Her heart was overjoyed, but she said aloud, “Elder Sister, please be more careful with your words. The Mother Empress must have her reasons for making this decision. Even if—one ought not…”
Pei Liang put on an utterly brazen expression. “We’re all family, and it’s the middle of the night. We’re in Second’s palace, and there isn’t a single outsider here.”
“What’s wrong with saying whatever is on my mind?”
After saying that, she looked at her. “Second, don’t tell me that besides the three of us sisters and our brother-in-law, who would never repeat a word, you can’t even keep the mouths of the two or three servants in this palace shut?”
The Second Imperial Daughter was left speechless. All the excitement in her heart seemed to have fallen into a bucket of ice water. Not only had it been thoroughly doused, but it even sizzled awkwardly, as though mocking her.
The Boss’s meaning was perfectly clear: apart from herself and the Third, everyone here belonged to the Second. And there were only a few people present.
If those words got out, whose fault would it be? If they spread, would that not amount to a declaration of war against her?
The Second Imperial Daughter nearly ground her teeth to pieces. The Boss’s reckless, unrestrained manner was infuriating. By dragging such hidden schemes into the open, she had made them seem useless through sheer frankness, and that enraged the Second Imperial Daughter beyond measure.
She had been abandoned long ago, which was why she could never carry herself with such arrogant confidence.
The Third Imperial Daughter, whether genuinely foolish or merely pretending, had no idea what to do. She hurriedly declared her loyalty.
“Elder Sister, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. Not a single word will leave my mouth.”
“You know me, Elder Sister. I’ve always been good at keeping secrets.”
“Good girl.” Pei Liang patted her on the head.
She raised her cup and became even more unrestrained.
She smiled. “Still, we can’t entirely blame the Mother Empress. She’s been bedridden for so long and doesn’t even know how much time she has left.”
“To stabilize the court, she naturally had to go along with the circumstances. It’s just that she can’t think things through anymore.”
“Considering that all the medicine has muddled her mind, this Prince won’t hold it against her.”
The Second Imperial Daughter broke into a cold sweat. She wished she could put the Empress’s ears right here and let her hear what the Boss was saying.
But she still had to maintain the appearance of a dutiful daughter and virtuous descendant.
“The Mother Empress has a lifetime of illustrious achievements. I believe every decision she makes has its reasons. If Elder Sister is unhappy, why not speak frankly with the Mother Empress?”
“We’re mother and daughter. We shouldn’t treat each other coldly and give that treacherous villain an opportunity to take advantage of us.”
Pei Liang smiled. “You do seem to enjoy playing mediator.”
“Then you should spend more time attending to the Mother Empress these next few days. Perhaps she’ll change her opinion of you.”
The expression on the Second Imperial Daughter’s face stiffened.
Given how perceptive she was, she had long since seen through the Empress’s ruthlessness toward her children.
The Empress had never once looked at her properly. At least the Third could occasionally receive something resembling praise, such as being called “pure-hearted.”
But no matter how carefully she cultivated her reputation outside the palace, no matter how benevolent and wise she appeared to the people, the Empress treated all of it with complete indifference.
Whenever she mentioned it, there was even a faint, mocking amusement in her eyes, as though she were watching a child put on an act.
The Mother Empress had always known her true nature, yet she had never cared. She had simply allowed her to sink deeper and deeper into the mire.
At that moment, the Boss’s words felt as though they had stripped away her false exterior, glanced at her casually, and then draped the cloth of decency back over her.
The Second Imperial Daughter’s face flushed crimson. She did not dare confront the Boss directly and could only steer the conversation toward the Third.
“Elder Sister needn’t take her anger out on us. I was merely making a suggestion. If you find it irritating, that’s fine, but you should at least consider Third Sister’s feelings.”
“She’s innocent and knows little of the world. Being suddenly appointed Crown Princess today has naturally left her frightened and uneasy. Whatever you may think of the Mother Empress, Third Sister is innocent.”
The Third Imperial Daughter listened and sensed that something was wrong, yet she could not put her finger on it.
Then she heard her Elder Sister say, “She’s not ignorant.”
Pei Liang glanced at the Third Imperial Daughter. “Even setting aside all other reasons, it was perfectly reasonable for the Mother Empress to choose Third as Crown Princess.”
The Second Imperial Daughter truly wanted to mock her for being so hypocritical.
But Pei Liang continued, “Third is compassionate and concerned for all the people of the realm. She is perceptive as well, and has reached the point where her understanding is beginning to blossom. Most importantly, when she believes something is right, she is capable of holding to her own convictions and has considerable patience.”
“These are all qualities of an excellent sovereign.”
“So it’s not that Third is inadequate. It’s simply that this Prince is better.”
The Third Imperial Daughter’s face lit up, and she wore a shy, delighted expression. “I—I’m not as good as Elder Sister says.”
The Second Imperial Daughter held herself back with all her strength and managed not to look at the Crown Princess as though she were an idiot.
Yet her resentment deepened.
What Pei Liang had just said had only included herself and the Third. In other words, in the Boss’s eyes, even a fool like the Third possessed at least a trace of the qualities required to rule.
But she possessed none.
The Second Imperial Daughter nearly clenched her hand hard enough to draw blood. She could only force herself to look on the bright side.
The Third was a fool now, but power could move anyone’s heart. Once she became Crown Princess, the flattery from those around her and the special treatment that came with it would let even a fool understand the sweetness of power.
At present, the Boss loomed over her like an imposing mountain, inspiring awe and fear. But one day, she would surely develop the self-awareness of a Crown Princess.
When that happened, the Boss’s outrageous words today would become a thorn lodged in the Third’s heart.
Just as she was twisting the thought into something gratifying, the Boss shifted the subject to Consort Zhou.
“Since your wedding, Consort Zhou, have you ever left the palace to visit your family?”
Consort Zhou could not help revealing a trace of desolation. “I have not.”
Even when his father came to the palace to see him, such visits were few and far between. The Second Imperial Daughter was adept at tormenting people—how could she possibly let him freely visit his family?
Prince Liang looked at the Second Imperial Daughter in disapproval. “You spend all day trying to keep everyone happy, yet you spill the water in every direction and manage to offend everyone.”
“It’s clear that you aren’t suited to playing mediator. Since you have little to do in the palace all day, you might as well show your husband more consideration and take him back to his family’s home more often.”
Pei Liang rose to her feet, smiling faintly. “After all, when a wife needs something from her husband’s family, she ought to put on a good performance and wait on her husband hand and foot.”
“How can you expect to enjoy all the benefits while putting on airs? If you want something from someone and still insist on throwing your weight around, well, if there were truly such a thing as getting every advantage, it wouldn’t be Second’s turn.”
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
The color drained from the Second Imperial Daughter’s face in an instant. Terror surfaced uncontrollably in her eyes.
She instinctively wanted to explain herself, but from the look in the Boss’s eyes, she knew this was not a casual bluff. It was—
At that moment, the Second Imperial Daughter felt as though she were standing on a bed of needles. She did not even know when the Boss and the Third had left.
When she came back to herself, Consort Zhou had already escorted the two of them back.
The Second Imperial Daughter looked up at him. Consort Zhou was undeniably handsome; before their marriage, he had been one of the capital’s most renowned beauties.
But she found this air of dejection utterly distasteful.
Yet now, this wretch actually wore a hint of a smile and a flush on his face. The moment he noticed her gaze, he did not even have time to hide it.
Thinking of how the Boss had shamelessly flirted with him right in front of her—and who knew what else they had said while they were out—the Second Imperial Daughter’s expression grew even darker. The smile vanished completely from Consort Zhou’s face, leaving behind nothing but suffocating silence.
The Second Imperial Daughter rose and slowly approached him.
As she drew near, Consort Zhou’s body began to tremble faintly.
She let out a cold laugh and slapped him across the face.
“Wretch. Seeing your own wife in such a sorry state, yet you act so shamelessly intimate with Prince Liang.”
Consort Zhou covered his face without saying a word.
The Second Imperial Daughter wanted to strike him again, but suddenly remembered the warning the Boss had given her.
She could only lower her hand resentfully and sneer, “I nearly forgot. You have Prince Liang protecting you now. Naturally, there is nothing a useless person like me can do to you.”
At the beginning, when Consort Zhou heard her self-pitying words, he might still have wanted to comfort her and deny them.
But now he understood everything. This woman was nothing more than a cowardly, shameless viper.
He remained silent, but the Second Imperial Daughter refused to let him off. She seized his chin, her expression malicious.
“Clinging to the Boss—are you very pleased with yourself?”
“Were you hoping that you and Young Master Su would switch places, so that you could marry the Boss instead?”
Consort Zhou could not help sneering inwardly. Clearly, she was the one who coveted the power of the Su family.
His dead-eyed expression only enraged the Second Imperial Daughter further. She gave a cold laugh.
“Do not think that just because the Boss gave me a warning, I would not dare touch you.”
“Though she did remind me of something. Perhaps you really can be of some use after all.”
*
By the time Pei Liang returned to the prince’s residence, it was already very late.
Her advisers were still waiting for her, however. The situation today had been bizarre, and the entire capital had practically exploded.
Perhaps the calmest people were actually Pei Liang and the Third Imperial Daughter, the two figures at the center of the incident.
Pei Liang had spent most of the day wandering around and had gathered quite a bit of information. Naturally, she was all the more composed when dealing with her advisers.
After spending the entire night analyzing the advisers’ accounts and the records in the study, Pei Liang had more or less pieced together seventy to eighty percent of the original host’s affairs.
The next two days were just as hectic. As the bride, she had plenty of preparations to make.
The original host had ruined Young Master Su’s reputation and forcibly married him in an attempt to force the Su family to take her side.
Though the wedding had been arranged in haste, it was still a marriage alliance between royalty and the family of the most powerful official in the court. Naturally, the ceremony would be grand.
After two days of nonstop preparations, the day of the wedding finally arrived. By custom, Prince Liang naturally had to pay the Empress a visit.
The Empress’s illness had truly reached the point where she could no longer rise from her bed.
When Pei Liang arrived, the Empress did not even get up. She merely reclined against the bed, her hair entirely white. Though her face was covered in wrinkles, one could still discern the elegance she must have possessed in her youth.
Even severe illness could not conceal the sharp intelligence and calculating mind in her eyes.
Consort Yan was there as well. Today, he wore a formal ceremonial robe, and his alluring, slightly upturned eyes swept toward Pei Liang.
When his gaze fell upon her red wedding robes, he let out a cold snort. Anyone unaware of the circumstances might have thought he simply disliked her on sight.
It was no secret that Consort Yan had a poor relationship with all three Imperial Daughters.
Aside from Consort Yan, the Crown Princess and the Second Imperial Daughter were also present. Standing beside the Empress was another person, a Taoist with an otherworldly air about him.
When he looked over, his eyes held a scrutinizing glint as well.
The Empress coughed twice and steadied her breathing before speaking.
“I thought you would not come today either.”
“You were granted the title of Prince, yet you did not come to express your gratitude. Do you feel that the title of prince is beneath you?”
The moment the Empress spoke, everyone in the bedchamber unconsciously quieted their breathing. No one had expected the Empress to confront Prince Liang so directly on her wedding day.
Everyone waited for Prince Liang to turn pale and plead guilty.
But Pei Liang merely gave a languid smile.
“It’s all right. I’m quite satisfied. Especially with my title.”
“Liang.”
Someone nearby even sucked in a sharp breath. No one had expected Prince Liang to dare answer with such pointed sarcasm.
The bedchamber fell deathly silent, and the Empress’s eyes narrowed as well.
But heaven as witness, Pei Liang had meant every word.
