【Question: Why would a man suddenly show deep affection toward a woman?】
This was the question Qi Daiyu had typed but never posted on Zhihu.
If no one could answer, it didn’t matter—she could analyze it from every angle herself.
The key word here was "suddenly," meaning the emperor’s attitude had shifted abruptly, likely due to a specific reason.
So, identifying that "reason" was crucial.
Qi Daiyu carefully reviewed her recent interactions with the emperor and recent events.
A terrifying thought suddenly struck her—could it be that after that drunken incident, the emperor had fallen for her???
She immediately shook her head, dismissing this overly "Mary Sue" notion. She wasn’t that delusional.
Was it because she had saved the eldest princess?
But was the emperor really that devoted to the princess?
Even if he was, wouldn’t the normal response be to promote her rank or reward her generously? Why behave so… intimately toward her?
Qi Daiyu was stumped.
Her concern about the emperor’s attitude wasn’t baseless. From a workplace perspective, the emperor was her top boss, while she was just an obscure team leader. Suddenly, the big boss bypassed all the department heads and managers to show kindness to a lowly team leader—how could that be a good thing?
The suspicion and hostility from the managers alone would be enough to crush her.
The only reason Qi Daiyu was still sitting comfortably was that she had recently earned the empress’s favor. No matter what, the empress, as her "department head," would shield her for now.
With that in mind, Qi Daiyu relaxed slightly.
But before she could figure out the emperor’s sudden change in demeanor, a major scandal erupted outside the palace.
Noble Lady Qin was the one who brought the gossip to Qi Daiyu.
She arrived with a batch of freshly made sweet potato chips, and the two women chatted over steaming cups of pearl milk tea.
The milk tea was Qi Daiyu’s creation—a simple yet delicious brew of high-quality tea leaves, fresh milk, and chewy tapioca pearls.
The warm, sweet drink was perfect for winter, and Noble Lady Qin clung to her cup like a treasure.
"Pearl milk tea? These little balls really do look like pearls. You must send some home with me later!"
"Of course, of course."
Noble Lady Qin had grown slightly rounder, her plump cheeks now dimpling when she smiled. But hers was a pleasant plumpness—soft and inviting, not at all unflattering.
Now that they were closer, Noble Lady Qin spoke more freely.
"Since you’re so generous, let me share some juicy news. Remember that girl who came with Dowager Princess Consort Xiang during the Double Ninth Festival?"
Qi Daiyu nodded. "Of course. Wasn’t her name Zhiyu? The dowager’s granddaughter."
Thanks to her nominal father, Qi Daiyu had done some research on Prince Xiang’s family.
The late Prince Xiang was the previous emperor’s uncle and had rendered great service to the court. Out of gratitude, the previous emperor allowed his son to inherit the princely title without downgrading it, as was customary.
The current Prince Xiang was, by blood, the emperor’s uncle as well—but their relationship was far less harmonious than that of the previous generation.
These days, the most valuable thing in Prince Xiang’s mansion was the imperial plaque above its gates.
Still, a starved camel was bigger than a horse. With ancestral glory and Prince Xiang’s position as head of the imperial clan, the family lived lavishly.
Prince Xiang indulged in pleasures—birds, beauties, and more.
His household boasted a full roster: one princess consort, two secondary consorts, four concubines, six lesser concubines, and countless maids without official status.
"You’ve probably heard that Princess Consort Xiang is in poor health, so the dowager still manages the household," Noble Lady Qin said, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes.
Poor health? More like a weak-willed woman crushed by her husband’s favoritism toward his concubines, losing even her authority over the household.
If not for her brother’s position as the Left Vice Minister of Works, she might have lost her title altogether.
Qi Daiyu recalled fragments of her predecessor’s memories. Among the nobility, Prince Xiang’s household was unusually "down-to-earth"—their scandals were common gossip, known even to street vendors.
"Princess Consort Xiang only bore one daughter—Zhiyu—who was raised by the dowager."
Prince Xiang had many children. In the Zhao Kingdom, legitimacy mattered less; even illegitimate sons could inherit family assets, though not as much as the eldest legitimate son, and they couldn’t claim their mother’s dowry.
So, while Zhiyu was the princess consort’s own daughter, she wasn’t inherently more privileged than her half-siblings. Being raised by the dowager was likely a calculated move by her mother.
A brilliant strategy.
Prince Xiang had few scruples but still revered filial piety. With the dowager’s favor, Zhiyu would naturally gain his attention. Moreover, the dowager’s wisdom and experience would shape Zhiyu into an exceptional woman.
A win-win.
Bringing Zhiyu to the palace during the festival, hoping for the empress dowager’s blessing in marriage, was proof of this plan.
From Noble Lady Qin’s tone, the scandal must involve Zhiyu.
"Go on, what happened?"
Noble Lady Qin took another sip of milk tea before continuing leisurely.
"The dowager wanted to secure a good match for her granddaughter. Bringing her to the palace was ideal—if the empress dowager arranged the marriage, wonderful. Even just a few words of praise would elevate Zhiyu’s prospects. And it worked. After the festival, matchmakers flooded Prince Xiang’s mansion."
"Eventually, she was betrothed to the second son of Minister Ning, the Minister of Revenue."
Here, Noble Lady Qin paused, giving Qi Daiyu a meaningful look.
Qi Daiyu blinked, a thought dawning. "Has Minister Ning’s eldest son married yet?"
Noble Lady Qin grinned. "No!"
Ah. The six ministers were all senior officials, either loyalists to the emperor’s reforms or neutral factions.
Minister Ning belonged to the latter.
Thus, he could arrange a marriage between his son and an old aristocratic family’s daughter. But to avoid the emperor’s displeasure, he chose his second son—since convention dictated the eldest inherited the family’s main legacy.
A second son marrying a well-bred girl from Prince Xiang’s household, one even praised by the empress dowager? A fine match for the Nings.
And for Prince Xiang’s family, tying knots with the Minister of Revenue’s household was no small feat.
Qi Daiyu nodded. "A very good match indeed."
"I thought so too. But now, this marriage might fall through."
Qi Daiyu was taken aback—how could there be changes after the betrothal letters had already been exchanged?
Noble Lady Qin lowered her voice mysteriously. "Just three days ago, the sister-in-law of Princess Consort Xiang—that is, Madam Nie, the wife of Vice Minister Nie of the Ministry of Works—went to Prince Xiang’s residence and publicly declared that their daughters had been switched at birth."
Wait, that statement carried too much information. Qi Daiyu couldn’t process it immediately.
After a long pause, she widened her eyes. "Switched? How is that possible?!"
This wasn’t some cheap theater script!
When noblewomen, especially those from aristocratic families, gave birth, they were attended by at least seven or eight servants, sometimes even more. With so many people watching, how could a mix-up even happen?
Noble Lady Qin had a storyteller’s flair. Though she had only heard this secondhand, she recounted it as if she had witnessed it herself.
"Exactly! Princess Consort Xiang didn’t believe it either. So Madam Nie asked her three questions: Did you give birth at the Nie residence back then? Were our children born on the same day? I break out in rashes when I eat shrimp or crab, but you don’t. Yet Zhiyu gets the same reaction—how could she inherit that from me, her aunt, instead of you, her mother?"
"They say Princess Consort Xiang fell silent after that. It seems she must have had doubts before. Honestly, Miss Zhiyu does resemble Minister Nie. People used to say she took after her uncle, but now we know—she actually takes after her father!"
Qi Daiyu clicked her tongue. Now this was a juicy scandal.
"But from Madam Nie’s words, it sounds like she’s known who her real daughter was all along. Why speak up only now?"
Noble Lady Qin shrugged. "How would I know such private matters?"
You already know plenty, Qi Daiyu thought wryly, though she was also startled by Noble Lady Qin’s extensive network outside the palace.
Such explosive gossip might circulate, but never in such detail—down to the exact words spoken. How could Noble Lady Qin, deep inside the palace, know so much?
After all, her family was from Sichuan, over a thousand miles from the capital. Logically, she shouldn’t have such well-connected informants outside.
Setting aside her doubts, Qi Daiyu returned to the scandal. "So, are the two families going to switch the girls back?"
An aunt becoming a birth mother, a cousin becoming a birth mother—with their existing bonds, this mix-up might be easier to accept. Besides, the two families weren’t too far apart in status, so the adjustment wouldn’t be too harsh for the girls… right?
Noble Lady Qin said, "The Dowager Princess Consort values bloodline above all. She’s already summoned the imperial clan elders to arrange the switch. Prince Xiang has probably reported it to His Majesty as well."
"Honestly…" Qi Daiyu couldn’t help shaking her head. No era was free of melodrama!
No wonder the engagement between Prince Xiang’s household and the Ning family was in question—the bride-to-be had changed. Unless they kept the marriage arrangement despite the switch, or the Ning family redirected the betrothal to the Nie family instead.
"What a shame for such a good match," Qi Daiyu sighed, thinking of that gentle girl she had met that day.
Noble Lady Qin studied her for a long moment before suddenly shaking her head.
"You really are naive. Here you are feeling sorry for Nie Zhiyu, but have you considered? Before, she and His Majesty were cousins—now, they share no relation. With her engagement dissolved, by custom, she must join the imperial selection next year. With her talent and beauty, do you think she’ll be rejected?"
"Who knows? Next year at this time, she might be sitting right here, drinking tea and chatting with you."
Noble Lady Qin’s eyes darkened. Those who thought eliminating Miss Lin and Miss Zhang would clear the path for next year’s selection—did they ever imagine the real threats were Zhaorong and Nie Zhiyu?
Wasn’t this a case of man proposing, but Heaven disposing?
Qi Daiyu: "…"
Honestly, that possibility was all too real.
A sudden frustration rose in her chest. Why must every beautiful girl in the world end up in the palace?
That emperor—what right did he have?!
