The Su family waited for the two of them with a mixture of nervousness and anxious anticipation. Some even felt that the journey from the main gate to the inner residence had taken far too long.
But that was hardly their fault. With Pei Liang’s lavishness, if she intended to honor someone, she certainly did so without holding back. Some gifts had to be presented in person, and that naturally took time.
Of course, ever since the two had entered the estate, the Su family had been fully aware of their every move. Although they had yet to see Prince Liang’s consort in person, the care she had taken over this return visit after the wedding had already brought them considerable comfort.
Before long, the newlyweds were led inside.
It had only been three days since his marriage, yet Su Yue felt as though a lifetime had passed. Under the emotional gazes of his father and grandfather, his nose began to sting.
But to be fair, no matter how reprehensible Prince Liang was, and no matter how despicable the means she had once used to marry into the Su family, her appearance was undeniably capable of deceiving anyone.
She was strikingly beautiful, radiant, and dressed in an air of effortless dignity. Her bearing was graceful, and every gesture displayed perfect propriety.
Although the members of the Su family had cursed her out whenever she was mentioned over the past few months, now that she stood beside Su Yue, the two truly looked like an extraordinary couple—a handsome man and a beautiful woman, perfectly matched.
Su Yue was married to her now, so naturally they hoped the two of them could live well together in the future.
No matter how much the Su family disliked Prince Liang, for Su Yue’s sake they had to treat her normally.
In the past, the Su family had kept themselves out of political struggles and had not had much private contact with Prince Liang. Aside from Chancellor Su and Lord Su, who saw her frequently at court, most of them had only known her by reputation: violent, arrogant, and insufferably imperious.
Yet at that moment, there was none of that restless ferocity about her. In conversation, she was composed and witty. Though she possessed the imposing presence of someone accustomed to authority, she was not at all irritating.
Several of the Su family’s women who had previously held deep prejudices against her soon found themselves conversing with her enthusiastically.
They were full of admiration for her learning, eloquence, humor, and farsightedness. There was even a captivating quality to her speech, as though she possessed a peculiar magic that drew people in.
She was also remarkably good at flattering people. The men of the family—who cared far more about the newlyweds’ relationship than about her status as a prince—were won over in just a few sentences, their faces glowing with pleasure as she led them happily astray.
Moreover, Prince Liang had brought several large carts of gifts. The Su estate was already one of the most powerful and wealthy households in the empire, so they were hardly coveting the presents themselves.
What mattered was not only her generosity, but the thought she had put into every gift. With so many members of the Su family, even the most ordinary-looking present revealed how carefully she had considered its recipient.
Even the less conspicuous secondary sons and daughters had been given gifts entirely within the bounds of propriety, yet still delightful enough to surprise them.
That level of thoughtfulness was rare not only among the younger generation, but even among the daughters-in-law of Su Yue’s mother’s generation.
Su Yue’s grandfather joked, “The one married to our Xiaoyue is so considerate. What are your younger brothers’ wives going to do now?”
Several of the young men present flushed with embarrassment.
Some merely listened, but others could not help comparing themselves.
Looking at Prince Liang, an imperial noblewoman with elegant brows and phoenix-like eyes, who was considerate in every possible way, they could not help envying Su Yue, who looked so dignified and splendid beside her.
A different sort of feeling naturally began to stir in their hearts.
After chatting for a while and introducing everyone, the people in the main hall split up.
Su Yue’s grandmother, Chancellor Su, invited Prince Liang into the study, while the other male relatives escorted Su Yue to the Old Madam’s courtyard.
There were some private matters between men that could not conveniently be discussed here, so they naturally needed to question Su Yue carefully.
Once the doors were closed, Su Yue’s grandfather asked, “Yue’er, have you been well these past few days at the prince’s residence?”
Even by his most exacting standards, Su Yue could not claim that he had been treated poorly. He nodded.
“Grandfather, there is no need to worry. I’ve been fine.”
He believed that he had answered honestly and without reservation. But the men gathered there were mostly experienced in such matters. If a newlywed couple had truly been enjoying themselves, spending their first few days together in sweetness and intimacy, how could Su Yue possibly look like this?
He should have blushed the instant they asked, his entire person radiating romantic affection.
Thus, his answer only made his grandfather and father more worried.
His father was especially tender-hearted. Tears had already gathered in his eyes as he said, “You poor child, my Yue’er—”
But before he could finish, his grandfather sharply rebuked him. “Watch your words. He is the consort of a prince and has suffered no loss of dignity or honor. What hardship could there be?”
Judging by the look of his grandson, it did not appear that he had been mistreated or was brooding over anything.
Most likely, the couple was simply treating each other with courtesy and restraint.
That was not necessarily a bad thing. They had never placed much hope in this marriage to begin with. If Prince Liang could observe proper etiquette and give their Su family son the respect due to a legitimate consort, that would be acceptable.
Naturally, it was a great pity that the marriage might not be harmonious. But Prince Liang was a member of the imperial family and had still gone to such lengths to preserve their family’s dignity. They could hardly complain, or they would only put Su Yue in a difficult position.
Even so, they remained worried.
They wanted to find out, without hurting Su Yue, how he had spent these past few days and what he truly thought of the situation.
Su Yue’s father was gentle and mild by nature, and, truth be told, somewhat lacking in authority.
Changxu’s mild disposition meant that he could not keep his younger brothers-in-law in check.
Although the Su family appeared from the outside to have strict and orderly household rules, at the end of the day it was a large clan with many members. How could there not be complications within it?
Su Yue’s mother, Lord Su, was the legitimate eldest child. Yet among her many sisters, she had never stood out to an overwhelming degree. The third and fourth aunts held official positions comparable to Lord Su’s.
In fact, considering the importance of their posts and the favor they enjoyed in the eyes of the Empress, the third aunt even surpassed her by a fair margin.
Because their wives were accomplished, the husbands of the third and fourth aunts also held considerable influence within the family. Moreover, since their eldest brother-in-law was gentle and disliked conflict, the two of them had grown increasingly assertive.
Their children had naturally always been competitive with the eldest branch as well. It was only because Su Yue had been clever since childhood that he made up for his father’s shortcomings.
Indeed, whenever the third and fourth branches tried to make trouble, he had often left them humiliated and empty-handed.
When Su Yue had been hastily married off, the damage to the Su family’s reputation had hardly been good news for either side. Still, those who had long resented being suppressed by Su Yue could not help feeling some schadenfreude.
But the splendor and grandeur surrounding everything from the wedding ceremony to this return visit had finally jolted them into realizing the truth.
No matter how fallen Su Yue might be, he had still married into the family of a prince—and not just any prince, but the most powerful of the three imperial daughters.
Although the position of Crown Princess had already been settled, how many Crown Princesses throughout history had actually ascended the throne? The future was still uncertain.
Then there were the dazzling gifts and the almost overwhelming thoughtfulness Prince Liang had displayed during this return visit. Every detail revealed the respect and dignity she accorded Su Yue.
And when they looked again at the peerlessly handsome Prince Liang, their hearts soured even further.
Especially after the Old Madam’s remark that the pressure on the future daughters-in-law of the Su family would be considerable.
How could it not be?
Chancellor Su had already made it clear that the Su family would not form a marriage alliance with the imperial family. Su Yue’s marriage had been forced upon them by circumstance.
So who in the future could marry someone more noble and illustrious than Su Yue had?
How many women in the world possessed Prince Liang’s handsome, romantic charm? Even if someone met both conditions, she would still have to devote herself completely and exhaust every ounce of ingenuity. Such a match would be nearly impossible to find.
From the moment Prince Liang and Su Yue entered the estate, these people had been consumed by sour envy. Now that they had finally discovered one small imperfection amid all that splendor, how could they not take pleasure in it?
The Su family had strict rules, of course, and no one could openly display such ugly gloating.
But when the Old Madam began asking questions, every one of them pricked up their ears.
Grandfather asked with some trepidation, “Yue’er, tell your grandfather honestly. Have you been comfortable and free in Prince Liang’s residence?”
If Prince Liang had no real feelings for his grandson, that would be one thing. What they feared was that Prince Liang was merely putting on an act to win over the Su family. Once she was certain their Chancellor would not be swayed by a marital tie, what would become of their Yue’er…?
Su Yue was clever, but there were things a sheltered young man who knew nothing of such matters simply could not understand.
Not knowing what had caused his family to worry, he could only reassure them even more earnestly. “I truly have been doing quite well.”
“Prince Liang’s residence is enormous. On the first day, I had to enter the palace to meet the Empress and the Imperial Consort, and the Crown Princess kept me there for most of the day, so I had no time to spare.”
“I still haven’t finished looking around the residence these past two days. I certainly haven’t been bored.”
Su Yue’s father and grandfather felt even more heartbroken upon hearing this. No matter how large Prince Liang’s residence was, wasn’t it still a cage for a bird?
The men from the Su family’s third and fourth branches, however, could not help curling their lips. Only Grandfather, with his obvious favoritism, thought Su Yue was suffering.
Just listen to him. He had gone to meet the Empress, been warmly detained by the Crown Princess, and now claimed that Prince Liang’s residence was so large he could not finish exploring it in two days.
Had they lived in the modern world, they would probably have unanimously condemned Su Yue as a master of humblebragging.
His Third Uncle-in-law could not resist putting on a concerned expression as he said, “This child truly doesn’t know his own limits. Could your health really withstand all that exertion these past few days?”
“Going to the palace to meet the Empress couldn’t be helped, but once you returned, you should have rested properly. You’ll have a lifetime to familiarize yourself with the residence—why rush? Young people never take these things seriously. If you suffer some lingering ailment later, you’ll regret it.”
He continued, “There should be palace attendants sent over from the imperial palace to look after Prince Liang’s health, shouldn’t there? You may not understand these matters, but surely they do. How could they not advise you to take care of yourself?”
Although every word sounded as if it had been spoken out of concern for Su Yue, something about it struck everyone as unpleasant.
Because Su Yue had resisted this marriage from the beginning, he had never learned anything about marital relations. He sensed that something was off, but he did not fully understand the sarcasm and suspicion hidden in his Third Uncle-in-law’s words.
He merely noticed that his father’s face had suddenly gone pale and replied calmly, “I had no choice but to hurry.”
“His Highness tossed the entire residence to me and made himself a hands-off manager. I have to familiarize myself with everything—the people coming and going, the inventories and property, the businesses under the residence’s name, the many people who depend on it for their livelihoods, even every brick and tile.”
“If I don’t have a clear understanding of it all, the people beneath me will come asking questions and find me completely at a loss. His Highness has already gone off to busy himself with court affairs. How could I possibly have had time to relax while taking over everything in such a hurry?”
The moment he finished speaking, the entire room fell so silent that one could hear a needle drop.
Su Yue had already taken complete control of Prince Liang’s residence?
Although he was now the Prince Consort and therefore the master of the residence, it was only natural that he should oversee the household. But which young husband gained full control of the household less than two days after the wedding?
This was no ordinary family with only a few possessions to its name. Even in a poor household, a father-in-law would normally keep a firm grip on the family property.
Among the wealthy and powerful, there were vast fortunes and complicated rules. It could take years to fully understand all the intricacies involved.
Handing everything over to a newlywed husband was practically madness—making a mockery of propriety and good sense.
In a great household, if a new husband obtained control of the family’s affairs on the second day of marriage, one would instead have to be wary. Perhaps the entire household was riddled with problems, and they were waiting for him to clean up the accounts.
But Prince Liang’s residence had only just been established. When Prince Liang had set it up, she had been favored by the Empress and her power had been at its height. After years of careful management, her assets were certainly substantial, and there would be no hidden dangers in such a short span of time.
And yet she had simply handed everything over to Su Yue?
Was Prince Liang not afraid that a single oversight on Su Yue’s part would make the entire residence a laughingstock?
The people who had deliberately provoked him were now both envious and jealous, especially the younger gentlemen of the third and fourth branches.
Only a few days ago, they had pitied the eldest branch, sighing over their misfortune. Yet overnight, they themselves remained unmarried young men whose futures were uncertain, while the elder brother they had thought doomed for life had become the person in charge of a prince’s residence.
What did that mean?
It meant that if he managed the household for several years, then even if Prince Liang’s feelings for him grew distant, and she took a favored secondary husband or male consort, neither would be able to shake his authority or prestige.
The distance between the brothers would only grow wider. For now, while they were still unmarried, their brotherly affection remained good, and they did not begrudge him his position.
But once they married, they would have to kneel before their elder brother alongside their wives.
And if Prince Liang managed to rise even higher…
Someone could no longer sit still.
A young, clear voice suddenly rang out. “Elder Brother must be terribly busy. For you to find the time to return home today is truly an honor for the rest of us.”
The speaker was the eldest son of the third branch, Su Yu. He had always competed with Su Yue, and his temperament was equally strong-willed.
Su Yue had never paid him much attention. The earlier gathering, supposedly arranged so that Su Yue could spend time with a group of close friends and be comforted, had actually been Su Yu’s idea.
But the moment he said this, his father glared at him and silenced him.
Even if he was dissatisfied, he should not be so foolish. Such a spiteful remark made him look terrible.
Su Yu had been spoiled from childhood. Once his temper flared, he cared about nothing else. Seeing that several elders looked displeased, he convinced himself that everyone was favoring Su Yue now that Su Yue had gained status.
His resentment only deepened.
Ignoring his father’s warning look, he continued, “Did I say anything wrong? Elder Brother’s mind must be filled with matters concerning the residence—checking every department and taking stock of everything.”
“Grandfather, if you ask him about those matters, I’m sure he can recite them by heart. Everything else naturally has to wait. If he returned late today, that’s only to be expected.”
Su Yue was not unaware of how pointless his cousin was being. He had been dispirited lately and indifferent to everything, while this person seemed to have become especially loud and insolent.
He took a sip of tea without realizing that he had begun to resemble Pei Liang somewhat.
Then, addressing Su Yu and everyone else who shared his attitude, he said, “When a lord meets his subject, how can one speak of being late?”
If someone was late, they could simply wait.
“You…”
Su Yu stared at Su Yue in disbelief.
Several elders frowned as well. Concern appeared on Su Yue’s father’s face, but Grandfather alone finally looked completely relieved.
His Yue’er was not the kind of person who failed to understand the situation and acted arrogantly for no reason. If he was openly displaying his authority now, it meant that he was confident in his position.
It seemed that in Prince Liang’s residence, his control was even stronger than they had imagined.
He had perhaps already come to regard himself as one with Prince Liang from the bottom of his heart. For a family like theirs, romantic affection was secondary. What truly mattered was whether a married couple could act with mutual understanding.
The people from the third and fourth branches smiled. Whether their expressions were mocking or merely playful, no one could tell.
“The eldest young master shouldn’t take offense at your younger brother. He’s only a child—what could he possibly have done wrong? As his elder brother, you need only reprimand him.”
“Why flaunt the authority of the imperial family in front of Grandfather and your father? It isn’t worth upsetting Grandfather over such an ill-mannered wretch.”
Before Grandfather could speak, Su Yue let out a soft laugh.
“Third Uncle-in-law, say that again. What authority did I supposedly flaunt?”
The two branches immediately fell silent, inwardly cursing themselves for misspeaking and handing him a weapon to use against them.
What did they mean by flaunting imperial authority? Su Yue was now a member of the imperial family.
He was a lord, while everyone present was a subject. When he spoke to them normally, he was already deigning to lower himself. If he adopted an air of authority, that was simply proper dignity and ceremony.
To speak this way was practically to question the standing of the imperial family.
Some people with ulterior motives were seething inside, yet they also understood with perfect clarity that everyone’s positions had truly changed.
Only after putting a few of the more loose-tongued people in their place did Su Yue finally get to speak properly with her grandfather and father.
Su Yu had been unable to bear it any longer and made an excuse to leave early. These days, whenever he saw Su Yue, he could not suppress the disgust and jealousy churning inside him.
He was taking out his frustration on the flowers and plants in the courtyard when he happened to run into Prince Liang, who was coming out of the study.
At her side was the eldest daughter of the main branch. The two of them appeared to be chatting merrily. Nothing about the scene suggested that, only a few months ago, the eldest daughter had spent every day at home loudly cursing Su Yue in disgust.
She was graceful and elegant, with a lively sparkle in her conversation. Her eyes seemed to notice him, and she suddenly looked over.
The other woman’s gaze was deep, and a faint smile still lingered on her face after her pleasant conversation.
Su Yu’s face flushed at once.
He stepped forward and said, “Su Yu greets Sister-in-law.”
Su Yue’s elder sister introduced him. “This is the younger brother from the third branch, Su Yu.”
Upon hearing this, Pei Liang smiled politely. “So you’re my husband’s younger brother. I’ve heard from the Prince Consort that he has always shared a deep affection with all his brothers since childhood.”
“The Prince Consort has few relatives here, and he must find it lonely being by himself. Whenever you have time, do come to the prince’s residence and visit him. There’s no need to stand on ceremony.”
Su Yu was overjoyed.
Su Yue’s elder sister thought to herself that this was quite a coincidence. Of all the brothers, Su Yu was one of the few who had never gotten along with Su Yue.
Still, Prince Liang had invited all the younger members of the Su family, so there was no need to single him out.
The Su family had a pleasant conversation with Prince Liang that day, and the atmosphere was remarkably cordial.
Prince Liang had completely changed from her previous attitude. She showed no intention of forcing them to take sides.
Several times, they tried to sound her out, but she simply steered the conversation away herself.
Yet it would be inaccurate to say that she was merely advancing by retreating. She still made no effort to conceal her ambitions; she had simply become much more composed.
Chancellor Su asked about her plans after returning to court, then discussed the current political situation and government affairs with her.
He discovered that his former prejudice against Prince Liang had indeed been considerable. Her political views were broad in scope yet practical and feasible. Whether she was discussing military affairs, governance, or the economy, every point was incisive and substantial.
What was more, she already had solutions in mind, each one ingeniously conceived. Even with Chancellor Su’s ability, he could find no obvious flaw after examining them closely.
Having lived for so many years, she could naturally distinguish genuine ability from empty theorizing.
After this conversation with the young prince, Chancellor Su even felt that he was the one who had benefited more.
They had originally intended to continue talking after lunch, but a message arrived from the imperial palace: after several days, news had finally come from Xianluo Mountain.
Prince Liang could only apologize to her in-laws and take her leave first.
Before departing, however, she wanted to personally go and apologize to the Old Madam. Since she was doing it to preserve Su Yue’s standing, she had to carry it through properly and not leave matters half-finished.
Chancellor Su naturally understood the gravity of the situation. This was likely the first direct confrontation between the imperial family and Xianluo Mountain in the Great Liang Dynasty.
The Empress had long wanted to make a move and pull out this thorn in her side. Chancellor Su understood that perfectly.
Unfortunately, when the Empress had inherited the throne, the previous emperor had left the country in a ruinous state, with troubles both within and beyond its borders.
Even with the Empress’s extraordinary talent and vision, she had needed to exhaust herself to create the peaceful and prosperous realm they now enjoyed.
The Empress no longer had much time. If she had been given another twenty years, she would certainly have begun laying her plans already.
Allowing Prince Liang to make such a commotion at this moment might well be a test.
Prince Liang personally came to the rear residence to apologize, so naturally no one could find fault with her.
She was a prince of the imperial family, summoned by the Empress for an urgent matter. The fact that she had shown the Su family this much courtesy was already more than enough.
The Old Madam hurriedly said, “Are you all leaving? The kitchen has already prepared the dishes you like. I’ll have them pack some for you—”
Pei Liang smiled. “Grandfather, don’t worry. Leaving first is already an act of filial disrespect on my part, so I’ll have the Prince Consort stay and keep you company, allowing him to fulfill his filial duties.”
“The guards and carriage at the prince’s residence are all at the Prince Consort’s disposal. Grandfather can send him back this evening.”
The Old Madam laughed and scolded her. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to keep your husband.”
Getting along so easily with Prince Liang only further proved how much she valued her husband.
Even an ordinary daughter-in-law would have found it difficult to be so considerate. Given that she was a prince of the imperial family, such thoughtfulness was even more exceptional.
The visit to her family home ended happily for everyone. Once Pei Liang left the Su residence, she took Red Sleeve and Qingyi with her and mounted her horse.
She had intended to ride straight to the imperial palace, but someone stopped her on the way.
It was Fang Jiu.
Come to think of it, she had already seen him twice outside Ripple Pavilion in the past few days, and on both occasions it had been obvious that he had gone there to see her.
As his patron, Pei Liang was beginning to have some opinions about the way this spy chief and courtesan queen was slacking off on the job.
Still, she dismounted and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Fang Jiu replied, “Today is the Prince Consort’s three-day return visit. I guessed that Your Highness would be passing through here, so I waited.”
“I thought I would have to wait for quite some time, but I didn’t expect Your Highness to come out so quickly.”
Pei Liang pondered for a moment. Now that she had taken over everything belonging to the original host, her relationship with Fang Jiu was technically nothing more than a paid-sex arrangement.
But in essence, to her as Prince Liang, Fang, the courtesan queen, was still rather like a kept lover.
And a kept lover blocking the official wife’s path on the day of her three-day return visit—without knowing that Pei Liang had been summoned away unexpectedly, Fang Jiu might well have run into Prince Liang and the Prince Consort together.
Oh, my.
A kept lover confronting the official wife. What an exciting scene.
If only there were a pregnant belly to complete the picture—
Pei Liang amused herself with the thought and said to Fang Jiu, “You’re playing dirty.”
Fang Jiu looked puzzled. “Your Highness, I don’t know martial arts.”
Then, unable to hide his joy and emotion, he said, “Your Highness, I’ve already learned about what happened to the Du family.”
Only then did Pei Liang remember that she had thrown the three members of the Du family into jail a few days ago. The matter was still being argued over.
She waved a hand. “It’s too early to say. Let’s see what move they make next. If they’re clever enough, the Du family will suffer no more than a loss of face this time.”
“But if we’re lucky—”
Fang Jiu nodded. “I understand. Everything Your Highness has done for me—I will remember it forever.”
Pei Liang smiled. “Just do your job properly. Is that why you came today?”
In the past, Prince Liang had been obsessed with his body and had treated him with near-constant humiliation. Fang Jiu had found it unbearable.
But now that Prince Liang was acting so strictly on business, he found it even harder to endure.
This was not the time to dwell on that, however. He bit his lip and still forced himself to speak of the real matter.
“Your Highness, there is something I must tell you personally, no matter what.”
“Oh?” Pei Liang’s heart stirred.
If he insisted on telling her in person, then it was clearly a secret that could not be entrusted to anyone else. The fewer people who knew about it, the better.
Fang Jiu said, “It concerns Xianluo Mountain, Your Highness…”
After receiving the information from Fang Jiu, Pei Liang did not linger and continued toward the imperial palace.
But once she combined his intelligence with what she already knew, the situation became rather interesting.
She entered the palace without encountering any obstruction and went straight to the Empress’s sleeping quarters.
The Empress had just finished drinking her medicine and seemed to be in fairly good spirits.
When she saw Pei Liang arrive, she got straight to the point.
“Xianluo Mountain has sent a divine decree.”
“Prince Liang must be executed. Otherwise, divine punishment will descend within three months.”
After saying this, the Empress gave Pei Liang an amused, almost mocking look.
“For a mere prince to receive such treatment, you are the first.”
