Pei Liang’s expression changed at once.
She felt that the Second Imperial Daughter was, to put it mildly, a little brain-dead.
The Zhou family was hardly some fallen, helpless household. Expecting them to do her a favor and then taking her anger out on her husband when they refused was simply absurd.
Still, it was enough to show that after pretending for so long in public, the woman’s true nature erupted all the more violently in private—revealing a kind of stupidity and vicious extremism no one would have imagined, along with an impatience to act.
People like that existed in the real world too. They appeared refined and learned on the outside, yet privately did nothing but violent, narrow-minded, selfish, and foolish things.
Before the wedding, Pei Liang had already warned the woman and exposed the fact that Consort Zhou was being abused.
If the woman possessed even a little sense, then after realizing that the Zhou family was no longer willing to help her, she should at least have guarded against them using the opportunity to retaliate and reined herself in.
Pei Liang had not expected her to dare beat him half to death in broad daylight.
If the situation had not truly been dire, Consort Zhou’s personal attendant would never have risked punishment—or even execution—to intervene.
With a life at stake, Pei Liang had no choice but to set Consort Yan aside for the moment.
She turned to the palace attendant. “Let’s go.”
A glimmer of hope appeared in the attendant’s eyes. She hurriedly rose and wiped away her tears, then prepared to lead Prince Liang there.
Consort Yan had left in such a rush that he had not yet properly organized what he wanted to say. Being interrupted by this incident had instead helped him calm down, and he was no longer in a hurry to speak.
Seeing that Prince Liang was heading to the Second Imperial Daughter’s residence, he followed along.
It was not far, and they soon arrived.
From the outside, the entire palace appeared deathly quiet, wrapped in silence.
Yet it was precisely that silence that revealed the tense atmosphere.
There were more guards than usual at the palace entrance. When they saw Prince Liang, surprise flashed across their faces.
One of them hurriedly tried to report her arrival, but Pei Liang raised a hand and stopped her.
Another, somewhat quicker-witted, saw that things were going badly and tried to ignore Prince Liang’s order, attempting to call out a warning to the people inside.
But the moment she opened her mouth, something like a pebble struck a certain spot on her body, and she found herself unable to make a sound.
The others immediately fell silent as well, as meek as quails. By then, Prince Liang had already passed them.
Anyone could tell from her expression and stride alone that she had come with hostile intent.
The courtyard was equally quiet. Some palace attendants caught sight of the little attendant who had entered with Prince Liang and instantly understood what had happened. They glared at her.
But under Prince Liang’s imposing presence, none of them dared speak.
As they drew closer, intermittent sounds began to escape from inside.
Pei Liang heard a series of objects crashing to the ground, as though an antique display shelf had toppled over.
There were the sounds of various ornaments and furnishings shattering, followed by the heavy crash of a wooden frame collapsing. Yet there was something strange about that last sound.
Pei Liang had seen enough to recognize what was happening. Without hesitation, she vanished from where she stood.
Before Consort Yan or anyone in the palace could react, she appeared directly at the doorway.
“You cheap wretch! Weren’t you wagging your tail and fawning over the eldest? Weren’t you complaining that you’d been forced to marry a cripple like me?”
“Now this cripple can decide whether you live or die. Let’s see if the eldest will come back to save you!”
Consort Zhou’s mind was already beginning to grow hazy, and he was forcing himself not to pass out.
His face was covered in wounds, with blood staining both the corner of his mouth and his forehead.
He was only an ordinary man, with limited strength. No matter what else she might be, the Second Imperial Daughter possessed the natural physical advantage of a woman, and he could not fight her off.
Nor was he skilled with words. He had always been awkward and tongue-tied, even as a young unmarried man, and had no idea how to respond to the Second Imperial Daughter’s vile, shameless taunts.
Consort Zhou clenched his fists, but they soon went limp again.
He thought of what his Imperial Sister had told him. All these years, he had endured humiliation and yielded again and again for the sake of his family. Yet all his forbearance had done was encourage this vile woman to grow ever more brazen.
At last, Consort Zhou gave a cold laugh. “You’d better kill me today. Otherwise—”
“Otherwise what?” The Second Imperial Daughter stared at him with a frenzied gaze. “Do you really think the Zhou family will offend me for your sake?”
“I’ve made this palace as impenetrable as an iron barrel. How did the eldest learn about your situation? Obviously, someone from the Zhou family spoke out.”
“They know what you’re going through, yet they remain silent. In these troubled times, do you really think they’ll provoke me over a mere married-out man?”
The Second Imperial Daughter sneered. “I used to think the Zhou family was prudent and knew how to protect itself. Now it seems I was mistaken.”
“They aren’t protecting themselves. They’re simply cowering in fear. My consort’s position went to the Zhou family, and it turns out that was a mistake.”
At those words, the light in Consort Zhou’s eyes dimmed.
It was not that his family felt nothing for him. But he knew his own family better than anyone.
Even without much political insight, he understood that the imperial family was currently locked in conflict with Xianluo Mountain. At court that very morning, several ministers had even been stripped of their offices.
Given the Second Imperial Daughter’s habit of scheming, if the Zhou family made any move, she would likely accuse them first of maintaining close ties with Xianluo Mountain and make the Empress and the others wary of them.
The Zhou family had always been keenly alert to danger. They would never provoke the Second Imperial Daughter for the sake of one married-out man at a time like this.
By the time the dust settled, he would probably already be a withered corpse. Once all the evidence had vanished, there would be no way for him to clear his name.
Despair began to take root in Consort Zhou’s heart.
Seeing him become so unyielding yet so broken today, the Second Imperial Daughter grew even more pleased.
She stepped forward, seized Consort Zhou by his disheveled hair, and gave a vicious grin. “Of course, you still have one last option.”
“You can throw away your dignity and cry out for the eldest to save you. Let’s see whether she’ll come.”
“Hahaha. She’s with the Third Imperial Daughter right now. If you shout loudly enough for the entire palace to hear, perhaps you’ll have some hope.”
The Second Imperial Daughter said this knowing full well that Consort Zhou’s pride would never allow him to expose his humiliation before others.
Tears slid from Consort Zhou’s eyes as he remembered what his Imperial Sister had said to him on the night of her wedding several days earlier.
He was probably never going to have the chance to live with his head held high again. He could only die in humiliation here, and perhaps after his death the Second Imperial Daughter would even fabricate some false explanation for it.
He was useless. He had failed his Imperial Sister’s hopes.
In the end, only resentment remained in Consort Zhou’s heart. Two words escaped his lips.
“Imperial Sister.”
The fact that this wretch was still thinking of the eldest even now sent the Second Imperial Daughter’s murderous intent surging. Her face twisted into a savage, contorted expression.
She was just about to act when a voice came from above her.
“I’m here.”
The two people in the hall both widened their eyes.
One looked as though she had seen a ghost. In the other’s lifeless eyes, light gradually returned.
With one hand, Pei Liang lifted the antique display shelf and helped Consort Zhou crawl out from underneath it. Then she carefully seated him in a nearby chair.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Consort Zhou had no idea why his Imperial Sister had suddenly appeared here. Even now, it felt unreal, and he could only nod dazedly.
Pei Liang took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and his forehead. Taking advantage of the contact, she used a pressure-point technique to staunch the bleeding temporarily.
But his injuries were too severe. Even the touch of the soft handkerchief made Consort Zhou wince in pain.
Pei Liang said gently, “The imperial physicians are already on their way. Rest for a while.”
Seeing the intimate behavior of that shameless pair, acting as though no one else was present, the Second Imperial Daughter’s fury at being humiliated in public momentarily overwhelmed even the shock of the Eldest Imperial Daughter’s sudden appearance.
Her face twisted into an ugly smile. “I’m afraid I’ve made a spectacle of myself before Imperial Sister. My consort was careless and knocked over the antique shelf, only to be crushed beneath it and seriously injured.”
“I was just trying to pull him out. Unfortunately, Imperial Sister arrived. As I’m rather occupied at the moment, I won’t be able to entertain you.”
She was trying to force Pei Liang to leave and salvage what little dignity she had left.
Pei Liang rose and turned to face the Second Imperial Daughter.
Her expression was utterly blank, which made the Second Imperial Daughter uneasy, though she still held on to a sliver of hope.
The eldest had been acting insane lately, but she was not truly mad. Now that she had fallen from power and was struggling to keep herself afloat, surely she wouldn’t be foolish enough to provoke further trouble, would she?
The moment she had managed to convince herself of this, the Eldest Imperial Daughter spoke. Two crisp words escaped her lips—
“Worthless trash.”
The Second Imperial Daughter’s pupils contracted. She, who had always been too intimidated by her dazzling elder sister to confront her directly, suddenly let her killing intent show.
But the other woman merely gave her a mocking smile, looking at her as though she were a clown.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Worthless trash.”
The Second Imperial Daughter held herself back again and again, finally grinding out through clenched teeth, “Imperial Sister, don’t push me too far. Don’t think that just because I, your younger sister, have repeatedly tolerated you—”
“I never asked you to tolerate me.” Pei Liang tugged at her court robes and looked at her. “Do you think I need a worthless piece of trash to tolerate me?”
“Pei Liang!” the Second Imperial Daughter shouted. “Don’t forget, you’re only an imperial daughter now, while I am a prince of the realm.”
“There is a distinction between superior and inferior. Even if this matter is brought before Mother Empress—”
Before she could finish, the Second Imperial Daughter was sent flying. She crashed through several display stands, but Pei Liang had controlled her strength and did not let her go too far.
When Consort Yan and the people from the Second Imperial Daughter’s residence came rushing in, this was the scene they encountered.
The Second Imperial Daughter’s guards immediately assumed defensive positions. “Prince Liang, if you show such disrespect to our Highness here, don’t blame us for committing the offense of challenging one above our station.”
But the moment Consort Yan entered and saw Consort Zhou in that state, his brows drew tightly together.
He had always despised useless women who beat their husbands.
He had known that the Second Imperial Daughter’s gentle and mild persona was entirely false, but even he had never imagined that she could be so despicable.
Thus, Consort Yan’s people immediately drew their blades and pointed them at the guards from the Second Imperial Daughter’s residence.
He gave a cold laugh. “Strictly speaking, Prince You is a prince of the realm, and what happens behind closed doors in his chambers should not be any concern of mine.”
“But since you have yet to move out of the imperial palace, you must abide by the palace rules.”
“I was unaware that, under my governance, a prince’s consort could be beaten until seriously injured without anyone even asking after him. I would very much like to see who could be so brazen.”
Consort Yan’s people held the Second Imperial Daughter’s guards at bay, and no one dared to act rashly.
Prince Liang, however, appeared entirely unmoved by the situation.
She strolled over to the Second Imperial Daughter and nudged her with her foot. “You’re not dead from that, are you? Worthless trash, as expected.”
The Second Imperial Daughter, whose face had been twisted with pain, raised her head. Everyone saw that her face was covered in blood. Clearly, the Eldest Imperial Daughter had not held back.
The Second Imperial Daughter glared furiously. “Guards, are you dead? Hurry and drive her out—”
Before she could finish, Pei Liang stepped on her hand and ground it beneath her foot.
Prince Liang smiled. “We’re sisters. It’s only natural for us to bicker and roughhouse behind closed doors. What does it have to do with outsiders? However you put it, that’s the truth. Don’t you agree?”
The Second Imperial Daughter felt as though her fingers had been crushed. She already suffered from a disability in one leg and was particularly sensitive to injuries involving bones.
Her voice had become completely distorted. “You’re talking nonsense! Quickly, send someone to inform Mother Empress. I’m going to tell Mother Empress!”
No one stopped her. Neither Pei Liang’s people nor Consort Yan’s obstructed her.
The Second Imperial Daughter breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that at least the Empress could restrain these two.
Then she heard the Eldest Imperial Daughter say something that sent chills down her spine.
“Mother Empress should be eating at this hour. Unless the sky is falling, she’ll finish her meal and take her medicine before hearing any reports.”
“If Mother Empress learns of this and sends someone over, with all the delays and the time needed to get here, it probably won’t take less than half an hour, would you say?”
The smile on her face held several unsettling traces of something almost eerie.
“Second Sister, we have half an hour.”
What followed was a one-sided beating at the hands of Prince Liang.
How intimately Pei Liang understood the human body was beyond imagination. Apart from the first blow, the attacks she inflicted on the Second Imperial Daughter produced little to see.
But the Second Imperial Daughter’s screams of unbearable agony rang out one after another.
Prince Liang said lazily, “Why are you screaming so loudly? Are you even a woman?”
“Your consort is a frail man, yet he endured the pain without making a sound. You’re a woman who has practiced martial arts since childhood, and this is how disgracefully you behave? Can you manage anything at all?”
“Oh, I forgot. You’re worthless. My mistake. I shouldn’t expect too much from trash.”
“Get up. Why are you pretending to be dead and trying to frighten your elder sister? We’re sisters. We’re only roughhousing. Surely you’re not going to put on airs and pretend this is something serious just to extort compensation from me?”
“Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if word got out? You’re a grown imperial daughter, a prince of the realm, and yet you were beaten by your elder sister at home because you did something wrong. Isn’t that humiliating?”
“You can’t produce a child, but you certainly know how to put on a melodramatic performance. Other women can take a couple of hits without batting an eye, yet you can’t even endure this?”
“And you’re still planning to complain to Mother Empress? Mother Empress is already bedridden and gravely ill. If you had even the slightest filial devotion, you wouldn’t burden her at a time like this.”
As the Second Imperial Daughter endured pain that felt worse than anything human, the corner of her eye caught sight of Consort Yan and the others.
Every one of them was looking at her with bewilderment, as though she were a complete incompetent.
Their faces seemed to say the same thing—
Is that all?
To onlookers, the Eldest Imperial Daughter’s beating appeared measured and restrained. To the Second Imperial Daughter herself, however, it felt like being flayed alive by a thousand blades.
She wept until her face was covered in tears and mucus, utterly lacking the dignity and bearing expected of a prince.
The words the Eldest Imperial Daughter had used to mock her were clearly the very words she had once used to mock Consort Zhou.
And now, as Consort Zhou looked at the woman who, over the several months since their marriage, had swaggered about with arrogance, tyranny, and violence, casting a shadow as heavy as a mountain over his life—
he suddenly found it all ridiculous.
Ridiculous and comical.
He had long known that her character was rotten, but even he had never imagined she could make such an utter spectacle of herself.
At last, the Second Imperial Daughter could endure no more. She dropped to her knees and pleaded, “Imperial Sister, Imperial Sister, I was wrong.”
“Today, I only had an argument with my consort and lost my temper for a moment. I swear I’ll never do it again, Imperial Sister.”
Pei Liang sneered. “Second Sister, sunlight is actually rather nice.”
“It may be a little glaring at first, but you’ll get used to it.”
For a moment, the Second Imperial Daughter did not understand what she meant.
Just then, people from the Empress’s side arrived.
When they saw the wreckage, the Second Imperial Daughter herself actually looked relatively fine apart from the punch to her face. Consort Zhou, by contrast, was in a miserable state.
An imperial physician had already stopped his bleeding and bandaged him, making him look even more wretched.
The people serving the Empress were naturally all shrewd and experienced. One glance at the situation was enough for them to realize that the Second Imperial Daughter’s report—that Prince Liang had barged in without cause and beaten her—contained a great deal of exaggeration.
But for now, all she could do was calm the two princesses down.
The Eldest Imperial Daughter, however, needed no soothing. The moment someone arrived on her side, she stopped—
Then again, after fighting for so long, it was no wonder the Second Imperial Daughter was now gasping for breath, barely able to take any in.
When she saw the Empress's people arrive, the Second Imperial Daughter hurriedly tried to lodge a complaint. But one glance from her elder sister swept over her, and she couldn't force out a single word.
Seeing this, the Empress's attendant made a few more attempts to smooth things over before ordering Prince Liang to leave the palace at once and stop causing trouble here—in the Empress's own words.
Pei Liang could only shrug. “Fine, I'm leaving.”
At that, Consort Zhou's face fell.
He had not yet had the chance to thank his imperial sister-in-law and was just about to speak when she gestured to him.
“Come on. We're leaving.”
Not only the Second Imperial Daughter—even the Empress's attendant was stunned.
“Prince Liang—Your Highness, where do you intend to take Prince You's Consort?”
Pei Liang replied, “That useless sister of mine broke her own leg, became twisted and self-destructive, and refused to mend her ways. Instead of doing anything worthwhile, she spends all day beating her husband at home. It's a disgrace to the imperial family.”
“My brother-in-law is a distinguished young gentleman of noble birth, a virtuous consort whom Mother Empress went to great lengths to find for my sister. Was he brought into the family only to be humiliated like this?”
“She alone is responsible for this disgusting abuse. Don't drag the entire imperial family down with her. He can't stay here any longer. Can't you see that she nearly beat him to death?”
The Empress's attendant broke into a cold sweat. Could a husband who married into the imperial family simply return to his birth family whenever something happened?
“Your Highness, this… this is against the rules. Other than being granted permission to visit his family, an imperial son-in-law cannot return to his father's household because of a domestic dispute.”
Pei Liang stared at her in bewilderment. “Who said he was returning to his father's household? Wouldn't that damage the imperial family's reputation?”
The other woman breathed a sigh of relief. At least the Eldest Imperial Daughter understood that much.
Then she heard Pei Liang continue, “I'm taking my brother-in-law to Prince Liang's residence.”
Hiss—
The Empress's attendant sucked in a sharp breath. Something about this sounded terribly wrong. The Eldest Imperial Daughter had beaten her own sister and was now stealing her husband away to her own estate. Perhaps she ought to reflect on whether this looked proper at all.
She hurriedly tried to negotiate. “Your Highness, Your Highness, you absolutely cannot do that.”
“Would this work instead? If you're worried that the Second Imperial Daughter might lose control again, I'll report the matter to the Empress at once and have Prince You's Consort stay with the Imperial Consort or another noble consort for a few days. What do you say?”
The Second Imperial Daughter also knew that once Consort Zhou left the palace, the reputation she had spent years building would likely be ruined beyond repair.
She quickly promised, “Imperial Sister, please believe me just this once. For the consort to appear outside the palace in this condition would damage his reputation.”
Pei Liang sneered. “A useless wife who beats her husband isn't ashamed of herself, yet you think he has anything to be ashamed of?”
She then turned to the Empress's attendant. “Your own daughter beat someone and expects her husband to bear the consequences for her. Go back and ask Mother Empress whether she can afford to lose face over this.”
“Besides, my consort—no, my eldest brother-in-law—was taken care of by him on the day of our wedding, and the two of them hit it off at once. Before I went to court this morning, my consort specifically told me that if I happened to see him, I was to invite him back to our residence for a few days.”
“My sister is a prince by rank. She should have moved into Prince You's residence several days ago. It's only because she refuses to leave that she is still here. If she won't go, is the entire household of Prince You's residence supposed to stop receiving guests and conducting its affairs?”
“Out of the way. My consort is still waiting for him.”
No one had ever seen anything like this.
The Empress's attendant wanted to stop her, but there was nothing she could do.
Not only did Consort Yan intervene, but the Crown Princess, who had rushed over after hearing the news, also kept cheering for the Eldest Imperial Daughter.
The Crown Princess had an innocent, gentle appearance. The moment she saw the miserable state of Prince You's Consort, tears immediately welled in her eyes. She acted as though preventing her brother-in-law from leaving this murderous imperial palace would amount to conspiring to take his life.
The Empress was taking her midday rest and could not be disturbed. Those beneath her command were forced back step by step.
In the end, Prince Liang forcibly took the man away. No one knew how long he would remain there.
Consort Zhou could not walk easily, so Pei Liang had him carried to the carriage first.
Only then did Consort Yan find an opportunity to speak with her.
Pei Liang asked, “Father Consort, what was it you wanted to tell me earlier?”
Consort Yan shot her a seductive, soul-stealing glance. “I wonder why, you shameless wretch, you've suddenly taken to calling me ‘Father Consort.’”
What else could it be? Naturally, it was because of the rules.
Consort Yan sighed. “I had intended to advise you to stop while you were ahead and not push Xianluo Mountain into a corner. A cornered dog will leap over the wall. But now…”
“Forget it. You obviously wouldn't listen to me anyway.”
She clearly wasn't anxious or tense about the imminent confrontation with Xianluo Mountain. Otherwise, she would not have guessed that he had come over because of this matter, only to prioritize going after Consort Zhou.
Consort Yan gave her a half-smile. “I had no idea you cared so much about your brother-in-law.”
Pei Liang answered shamelessly, “My sister is a disgrace. As her elder sister, it's only natural that I show her husband a little compassion.”
Consort Yan had never met anyone so brazen. In the past, the former Eldest Imperial Daughter would at least find some grand and righteous excuse for her misdeeds. This woman did not bother to hide anything at all.
She was not ashamed in the slightest. If anything, she was proud of it.
He tapped Pei Liang on the forehead. “You shameless rogue.”
Then his expression turned serious. “Xianluo Mountain is not as easy to deal with as you think.”
Pei Liang smiled. “I know.”
“No, you don't.” Consort Yan said, “Do you know how my Yan family died?”
Pei Liang glanced at Consort Yan, her expression still calm. “I can make a rough guess. The Emperor's anger had nowhere to go.”
“Her most trusted ministers throughout her life turned out to be tentacles that someone else had extended into the court to consolidate their power.”
Consort Yan abruptly raised his head and stared at Prince Liang in disbelief.
She merely smiled and gave no indication of her position regarding the Yan family's true allegiance.
“Over the several hundred years since the founding of Great Liang, there have been nearly a hundred emperors. Surely more than one of them tried to challenge Xianluo Mountain.”
“But they all failed. It simply cannot be true, as the common rumors claim, that Xianluo Mountain possesses the power to summon wind and rain or turn beans into soldiers.”
Pei Liang lowered her head and leaned closer to Consort Yan, looking directly into his eyes.
“They are only human. And if they are human, they cannot control everything out of thin air.”
“Back then, Mother Empress abruptly called off her investigation and hastily ended the matter by exterminating the Yan family for embezzlement. She must have lost heart and realized that Xianluo Mountain was far more deeply hidden than she had imagined.”
Consort Yan's eyes began to redden. “If you already knew all that, then why would you still—”
“It wasn't only emperors who have tried to challenge them. Among the records erased by the imperial family, there are many people whom Xianluo Mountain deliberately eliminated. Every one of them had achieved extraordinary things and possessed the power to change the course of history.”
“Just like you,” Consort Yan said. “And yet all those people still died without a sound.”
“Do you understand now why the imperial family fears them so deeply? If Xianluo Mountain truly becomes desperate, then even you…”
“It won't,” Pei Liang assured him.
Then the smile on her face deepened.
“Thank you for providing me with such valuable information.”
Consort Yan stared at her in confusion.
But the suspicions in Pei Liang's heart had just gained powerful confirmation.
At the same time, the events of that morning's court session were already reaching someone's ears at astonishing speed.
