Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Gossip spreads quickly in the capital.

The most popular topic was the tale of the true and false young misses of Marquis Changxing’s Mansion: the fake daughter had framed the real one, and the eldest son of the Marquis Manor had actually taken the fake daughter’s side without bothering to distinguish right from wrong. Fortunately, the Princess had a keen eye for talent and took the real daughter back to the Princess Manor to serve as a female official. Otherwise, there was no telling how the real daughter would have been tormented by the Marquis Manor.

Su Yunwei’s reputation was ruined. The stigma of mistreating his own biological sister caused many noble young ladies to keep him at arm’s length.

After all, if he wouldn’t even look after his own sister and insisted on protecting Su Mengyao at all costs, he surely wouldn’t protect his future wife either. No respectable family was willing to marry off a daughter they had raised with care only for her to suffer such mistreatment.

As for Su Mengyao, her reputation was utterly destroyed, and with the injury to her buttocks, she had no desire to show her face in public for the rest of her life. She was currently throwing fits and making a scene in the Marquis Manor.

The Marchioness was naturally frantic with worry, but the Marquis, driven to a fit of rage, simply let her be. The most pressing matter on his mind was how to give an account to my Imperial Father.

This was because an imperial censor had already submitted a memorial impeaching him for failing to manage his household, citing a lack of moral character. It just so happened that my Imperial Father was planning to strip away some military power, and the Marquis had walked right into the trap.

Regarding this matter, my Imperial Father summoned me for questioning.

He didn’t care about the rights and wrongs of the situation; he was only interested in one thing.

“Why did you help the daughter of the Marquis of Changxing?”

It was a very ordinary question, but I suddenly realized that Imperial Father might have guessed something.

He was the one my Empress Mother had been tasked to ‘capture.’ He must have enjoyed the benefits brought by the plotlines she provided. He likely suspected that I knew something about future events in advance, believing I wouldn’t act without a personal gain in sight.

I furrowed my brows and said, “Empress Mother taught me to draw my sword and help when I see injustice. I am merely following her example. Years ago, if Empress Mother hadn’t been kind enough to save you, you would have long since…”

“Enough!” he abruptly interrupted me. “Never mention the past again!”

I fell silent, feeling a pang of bitterness in my heart.

A single meal’s kindness is easy to repay, but a debt of a thousand meals can only be repaid by killing the benefactor.

Imperial Father was no gentleman; Empress Mother had been deceived by him.

He spoke coldly again: “Su Qianyu cannot be a female official in the Princess Manor.”

“Why?”

“I intend to take her as a consort.”

Blood rushed to my head in an instant.

Su Qianyu was only fifteen, and he was already a decrepit old man.

He was despicable, shameless, and vile!

But I couldn’t say that. Suppressing the fury in my heart, I said with a beaming smile:

“Does she resemble Empress Mother in some way? Or perhaps the Princess Consort of Anyang?”

“You wretched child! Do you really think I wouldn’t dare kill you?”

Enraged, Imperial Father slammed his hand on the desk and stood up.

I curled my lip. “It’s not as if you’ve only just started looking for substitutes. No one in the world mocks you for it; they all praise your deep devotion. Isn’t that the effect you wanted? Though, speaking of which, Su Qianyu’s eyes really do look a bit like Gu Qinglan’s. Could they be long-lost siblings? Why don’t you take Su Qianyu into your harem while I marry Gu Qinglan? That way, you can enjoy the Marquis’s daughter, and I can keep an eye on the Princess Consort of Anyang for you every day.”

“Get out! Get out of my sight!!!”

I was kicked out by Imperial Father, and the imperial physicians were summoned inside. Maidservants and eunuchs hurried in and out to attend to him.

The Head Eunuch sighed, “Your Highness, you should try to anger His Majesty a little less. His Majesty is diligent in state affairs and loves the people; he works day and night and cannot withstand such anger from you.”

I sneered. “He still has the strength to take a new consort. You should worry more about yourself. Hurry up and recognize a few more godsons; that’s the proper path. Your judgment of people isn’t exactly great, so you’d better cast a wide net and fish diligently. Maybe one or two of them will have a conscience and be willing to provide for you in your old age.”

The Head Eunuch shook his head with a faint smile.

Just as I was about to leave, I caught a glimpse of a suspicious figure out of the corner of my eye-the Eldest Prince, Song Zeqian.

He was fourteen this year.

His age revealed one thing: although Consort Wan only entered the palace three years after my parents’ marriage, the two of them had actually hooked up while Empress Mother was pregnant with me. At that time, Imperial Father probably still had a shred of conscience left, so he waited two years before bringing Consort Wan into the palace.

However, the character ‘Qian’ in the Eldest Prince’s name, meaning ‘hidden,’ suggested that Consort Wan harbored resentment over her son being forced into hiding. Yet, she also placed great hopes on him-a ‘hidden dragon in the depths.’ She was waiting for the Eldest Prince to make her the Empress Dowager.

I looked toward Song Zeqian.

He jolted and stopped in his tracks. Unable to pretend he hadn’t seen me, he forced a smile and bowed respectfully. “Imperial Sister.”

I smiled slightly and beckoned him over. Leaning in close, I whispered, “Do you want to rescue your mother from the Cold Palace?”