The Marquis Lin'an Manor in Fixed Capital was indeed magnificent. The late Marchioness was the beloved Princess Yuqing, Emperor's favorite. Normally, after becoming a consort, Lin'an Hou should have had his military power revoked. However, unable to resist Princess Yuqing's coquettish pleas, the Emperor turned a blind eye, which spoke volumes about her status in his heart.
Princess Yuqing was a peerless beauty with the gentlest temperament. After marrying into the Marquis Lin'an Manor, she was cherished dearly by Lin'an Hou. Unfortunately, Lin'an Hou still took in a concubine—the current Fang Shi.
If Princess Yuqing was the epitome of a noble lady, graceful and socially adept, Fang Shi was the very image of a modest, delicate maiden from a humble background. Originally, Fang Shi's father had done Lin'an Hou a favor. Later, when the Fang family fell into decline, Fang's father leveraged this debt to pressure Lin'an Hou into taking Fang Shi as a liangqie —a respectable concubine.
A liangqie was different from an ordinary concubine—she could not be casually beaten or killed. Moreover, Fang Shi truly behaved meekly, never competing for favor, so Lin'an Hou paid her little mind. Among noble families, it was common for men to have multiple wives and concubines, so Lin'an Hou, who had only taken one liangqie , was already an exception. He saw nothing wrong with it.
Unfortunately, men and women viewed matters—especially those concerning concubines—from entirely different perspectives. Lin'an Hou believed taking a liangqie was no great issue; concubines were mere playthings, and Princess Yuqing remained the one in his heart. But Princess Yuqing did not see it that way.
Princess Yuqing had grown up under the Emperor's doting care, and after marrying into the marquisate, she lived a pampered life with her husband devoted solely to her. She had grown accustomed to such days. Who could have expected the sudden arrival of a concubine? At the time, Princess Yuqing had just given birth to Xie Jingxing and was still in confinement when this blow struck her.
Fang Shi came daily to pay respects to Princess Yuqing, her attire and manners impeccably proper. Her very presence filled Princess Yuqing with unbearable irritation. Had Princess Yuqing been an ordinary princess, she might have found some underhanded means to drive Fang Shi away. But Princess Yuqing had always been sheltered, her nature innocent and artless—she had no skill for such schemes.
It was the princess's dowry maid who devised a plan, secretly seeking a pretext to expel Fang Shi without informing the princess. Yet somehow, the attempt failed and was even discovered by Lin'an Hou.
Though Lin'an Hou was usually unrestrained in conduct, he was upright at heart and despised petty schemes among women. He immediately reprimanded Princess Yuqing harshly.
This was the first time Princess Yuqing had quarreled with Lin'an Hou since their marriage. Unable to endure the injustice, she did not explain the maid's involvement and instead clashed fiercely with Lin'an Hou, who eventually stormed off in anger.
She had expected him to return to her in a few days, but a full month passed with Lin'an Hou staying only at Fang Shi's quarters. A woman in confinement must not grieve, yet Princess Yuqing, consumed by resentment, fell gravely ill.
Lin'an Hou, who still deeply loved his wife, intended to visit her, but that very night, he received an imperial decree to depart for battle. He left without even having the chance to bid her farewell.
Not long after Lin'an Hou's departure, Fang Shi discovered she was with child.As the legitimate wife, with the Marquis Lin'an away, Princess Yuqing could not afford to set traps for Fang Shi. On the contrary, she had to protect the child in Fang Shi's womb. Otherwise, if anything untoward happened, the rumors in Fixed Capital would surely accuse her of harming the concubine in her husband's absence.
Over time, the strain took its toll, and Princess Yuqing's health gradually deteriorated until she was on the brink of death. The old nurse, seeing this, grew anxious, but Princess Yuqing forbade her from reporting to the royal family. Instead, she mustered her strength to write a letter to the Marquis Lin'an, asking him to return and see her one last time.
She waited and waited, but the Marquis Lin'an never came.
Princess Yuqing passed away. Three days after her burial, the Marquis Lin'an returned victorious, only to find he could not even see his beloved wife's remains. Overcome with grief, he lamented that the beauty was gone, leaving behind only a handful of yellow earth.
At that time, the previous emperor was furious and stripped the Marquis Lin'an of his official position. It wasn't until the new emperor ascended the throne, moved by his talent, that the Marquis Lin'an was reinstated. But alas, the tale of the perfect couple was never to be repeated.
The Marquis Lin'an never remarried, and Fang Shi remained the only woman in Marquis Lin'an Manor. For decades, Fang Shi continued to play the humble concubine. The children she bore received some care from the Marquis Lin'an, but all his attention was lavished on his legitimate son, Xie Jingxing.
Yet Xie Jingxing did not appreciate it. From the moment he began to understand the world, he distanced himself from the Marquis Lin'an—the love-hate entanglement between Princess Yuqing and the Marquis Lin'an was almost a household story in Fixed Capital, and if one wanted to know, they could always find out.
The Marquis Lin'an, feeling guilty toward his son, tried his best to satisfy him. But Xie Jingxing seemed to take great pleasure in opposing his father, often driving him to headaches with anger. Nevertheless, he inherited Princess Yuqing's beauty and brilliance. Despite his rebellious nature, he was an outstanding young man, naturally becoming the dream of many noble daughters in Ming Qi.
Today was no different.
Xie Jingxing strode into his study.
His courtyard was the one where Princess Yuqing had once stayed during her illness, far removed from the main residence, prized for its tranquility. Xie Ding had repeatedly tried to persuade him to move closer to the main residence, but Xie Jingxing always refused, citing that he "really didn’t want to see certain people."
His attitude toward the marquis's household had always been this cold.
A servant entered, carrying a snow-white porcelain bowl with floral patterns, and said, "Aunt Fang made crystal lotus seed porridge, saying she simmered it for hours. Master, have some to warm yourself."
Xie Jingxing disliked being called "young master" or "Heir Apparent" by his subordinates, insisting on "master," as if this could sever his ties to the marquis's household.
He glanced at the bowl. The porridge shimmered, the broth thick and bright, clearly simmered for a long time, exuding a fragrant aroma that whetted the appetite.
"Throw it away," he said coldly.
The servant, accustomed to such orders, bowed and retreated.
As soon as he left, another figure appeared at the door, bowing slightly and whispering, "Master, we’ve confirmed. The eldest daughter of the third branch of the General’s household, Shen Xin’s legitimate daughter—Shen Miao."
"Shen Xin?" Xie Jingxing frowned.
Shen Xin and Xie Ding had been at odds politically for years, and the Shen Mansion and Marquis Lin'an Manor had always viewed each other with disdain. Moreover, their military power balanced each other, involving many intertwined interests.The Marquis Lin'an Manor and the Su family were also close friends. If the Shen family warned the Su family, it might well be a warning to the Xie family. But why would their adversaries suddenly offer such a warning? Moreover, what could a young girl like Shen Miao possibly know? It must have been the Shen family deliberately sending her to deliver the message. With Shen Xin currently far away in the northwest, could it be the second or third branch of the family? Shen Gui and Shen Wan were both highly ambitious individuals. With the court in turmoil once more, they were likely trying to fish in troubled waters.
"The Shen and Xie families are as distinct as the waters of the Jing and Wei rivers. For a girl from the Shen family to suddenly show goodwill is clearly ill-intentioned." He raised an eyebrow, his tone as cold as iron: "Keep investigating!"
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
The male and female leads always seem to have at least one missing parent╮（╯▽╰）╭
...
OpenNovel