Chapter 463

Chapter 463 The Eighth Prince caught sight of the silver strands among Consort Jingde's hair, and his heart suddenly ached. He said angrily, "Your son has taught Xiao Lian a lesson on Mother's behalf—he is not worthy of being Mother's son!" "If Mother truly isn't partial, then since Xiao Lian is unfilial, Mother should only allow herself to grieve half as much—the other half must be kept for your son!" Consort Jingde was caught between tears and laughter at the Eighth Prince's words. She punched the Eighth Prince, yet tears fell like water. Finally, she embraced the Eighth Prince in her arms. "Hu'er, has Mother truly been wrong?!" In truth, when Hu'er always said she was partial, he wasn't wrong. In the early years, because Xiao Lian had been raised by her first and registered under her name first, the bond had always been somewhat different. At the time, she had felt the Emperor would never let her keep raising both princes. Hu'er would eventually be raised by someone else, and fearing future heartbreak, she had inevitably kept some measure of distance. Though there was no difference in treatment, it would always show through in her words and mannerisms. Children are extraordinarily perceptive—having sensed that sliver of difference, he was perpetually dissatisfied. That was why the two children would quarrel and fight every few days. Later, when the Emperor never held an imperial beauty selection and no new women entered the harem, she grew attached to Hu'er through raising him and tried hard to make amends. But perhaps because of what had happened in childhood, Hu'er was especially prone to comparison, wanting to be first and have more in everything. He would always cry out, "Mother must not be partial—whatever Xiao Lian has, your son must have too." For this reason, she had even felt Hu'er's temperament was somewhat lacking—too sharp, prone to hurting both himself and others. Who could have imagined that the child she had favored would hurt her without restraint, while the child she had once treated with partiality would always revere and cherish her as his own mother? Consort Jingde's tears flowed like a spring. Embracing the Eighth Prince, she wept, "Wrong—I was wrong!" The Eighth Prince shed tears of heartache. "Mother, don't be upset. Your son will no longer contend with Xiao Lian—I only beg Mother to take care of her own health." "If Xiao Lian is unwilling to marry Sister Yinong, your son is willing!" "Sister Yinong is gentle and virtuous, intelligent and refined—your son has always admired her. It's only that she is Uncle's precious pearl, and I dared not presume to pluck her." "Now that Xiao Lian can marry her, then your son can too!" "Your son will treat Sister Yinong well and will greatly respect Uncle and Aunt... Mother, please stop crying—your son's heart aches!" At Fengyi Palace, Xie Run heard that the Eighth Prince and Consort Jingde had wept bitterly together, and that Consort Jingde's illness had improved considerably. He finally breathed a sigh of relief. But then, early the next morning, news arrived. "The Crown Prince has also beaten the Seventh Prince, and is making him kneel at the gates of Yongning Palace to apologize." Xie Run: "..." Sometimes, raising children is truly a great art—one that can never be fully fathomed in a lifetime. The Seventh Prince's affair had stirred up quite a commotion, yet in the end, it was left to fizzle out. He had already reached the age of taking a wife and having children. The Emperor could scold him, could beat him, but he could not truly have the Seventh Prince removed from Consort Jingde's name. After all, he was his own son. But after this incident, Consort Jingde's heart had grown cold. She specifically sought out the Emperor and asked him to select a princess consort for the Seventh Prince. Consort Jingde was a woman of resolute character. In the past, she had risen and fallen in the palace countless times, struck down again and again, yet she had always managed to straighten her back and stand again. This time, the Seventh Prince's affair had certainly wounded her heart, but fortunately the Eighth Prince was by her side, leaving her with half a breath of life. After regrouping, she no longer concerned herself with the Seventh Prince's affairs, treating him as if he didn't exist, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to selecting a wife for the Eighth Prince. "Your son wants to marry Sister Yinong!" Upon hearing the news, the Eighth Prince ran to Yongning Palace and shouted. Consort Jingde said calmly, "Mother knows that day you were merely speaking in anger, and also trying to comfort Mother." "Your Sister Yinong's marriage will be arranged by others. Mother feels guilty toward your Aunt and Uncle, and plans to select a good husband for her in the future." "Do not get involved—if your Imperial Father learns of this, he might mistakenly think she has been promised to two men, which would only harm her further." The Eighth Prince lowered his head. "Your son will obey Mother." Suddenly, the Eighth Prince looked up and said, "Xiao Lian thinks Mother had him marry Sister Yinong to elevate the Duke's Mansion's standing, and to strengthen the ties between the Duke's Mansion and the imperial family." "But your son knows that's not the case." "If Mother truly coveted such things, when Brother Crown Prince was selecting his Crown Princess, she would have had Sister Yinong participate. Even if she couldn't win the position of Principal Consort, a Side Consort would have been easily attainable." "If the goal were to support the Duke's Mansion and forge a marriage alliance with the imperial family, becoming Brother Crown Prince's Side Consort would be far more useful than becoming Xiao Lian's princess consort." "Uncle and Aunt may not have grand ambitions, but they deeply love their children. A family like that has good values and harmonious relations—they would never bring trouble." "Nor is the Duke's Mansion without backing—there are many talented individuals among the younger generation. Brother Wuyang, who serves beside Brother Crown Prince, has a future of boundless promise." "These are things your son knows—only Xiao Lian, foolish and arrogant, could wound Mother's heart." "Your son truly wishes to marry Sister Yinong, because I envy the Duke's Mansion's family values, and I also want Mother to have no worries for the future." In a daze, Consort Jingde seemed to see the image of Lady of Handsome Fairness Xi in her maiden days, chatting and laughing with her. They say sons resemble their mothers, and she had to admit it was true. Xiao Lian was the spitting image of Wu Baolin, and Hu'er was the very likeness of Noble Lady Xi. Consort Jingshu wept silently, "It's fate, it's all fate!" But Consort Jingde had also forgotten—when she looked in the mirror, the Eighth Prince resembled her to the fullest degree. Although the Eighth Prince had spoken sweet words to coax Consort Jingde, she still did not approve of that marriage. She chose a new consort for the Eighth Prince and threw herself wholeheartedly into the wedding preparations. As for the Emperor, busy with state affairs, he delayed for over half a year before assigning the Seventh Prince the granddaughter of the Minister of Revenue. The Seventh Prince was not very satisfied with this marriage, but dared not plead with the Emperor. Since being reprimanded at Zichen Hall last time, he had not seen the Emperor for half a year. Those around him urged him to soften toward Consort Jingde—if she could plead on his behalf, there might still be a chance to turn things around. But whenever the Seventh Prince thought of yielding to Consort Jingde, his heart felt blocked with resentment. "Mother Consort killed my birth mother—she is inherently my enemy. Now you want me to bow my head to her? What kind of reasoning is that?!" Those around him could tell that the Seventh Prince was tempted but couldn't save face, unwilling to bend his back—he likely wanted Consort Jingde to bring it up on her own initiative. Even the palace attendants felt their own master was asking too much and dared not advise further. The Seventh Prince had fully inherited Wu Baolin's stubbornness. Even though he was displeased, he gritted his teeth and married the Minister of Revenue's granddaughter. Only after the marriage did he discover that the Minister of Revenue's granddaughter was willful, headstrong, and extremely domineering. The two escalated from shouting matches to physical fights, and in the end, the Seventh Prince was actually subdued. Not only did he suffer daily indignities in the prince's mansion, but he was also looked down upon in the palace. Consort Jingde later made inquiries about this matter. It turned out that the Emperor had originally found the Seventh Prince weak and cold-hearted, and fearing he would cause more trouble in the future, had deliberately sought out a consort with a fiery temper for him. After searching far and wide, he settled on the Minister of Revenue's granddaughter. Who would have thought that the Minister of Revenue's granddaughter was not merely spirited—she was utterly ferocious. When she fought with the Seventh Prince, she could beat him until he was bloody and bruised. But since this marriage was specially arranged by the Emperor, it was hard to say too much; they could only have the Empress and Consort Jingde offer some guidance. But the Seventh Prince had already become the most detested person in the palace. Consort Jingde didn't want to get involved, and the Empress only mentioned it a couple of times without taking it to heart. The Crown Prince, however, took it seriously, going every few days to "instruct" his younger brother. Because of this, the Seventh Prince's hatred for Consort Jingde only deepened. After the Emperor passed away, the Crown Prince ascended the throne. Later, when the Seventh Prince showed disrespect to Grand Consort Jing, the Emperor held a trial on the spot, rebuking the Seventh Prince for unfilial conduct, demoting his princely rank to that of a commandery prince, and sending him off to a remote fief. The Emperor graciously fulfilled the Seventh Prince's filial piety by having him re-registered under Wu Baolin's name, fully acknowledging his birth mother. Traveling all the way to his fief, the local prefect hosted a banquet in celebration. In the haze of drunkenness, he suddenly heard people whispering nearby. "What background does this commandery prince have? Why haven't we heard of him before?" "They say he's the current Emperor's seventh brother." "If he's the Emperor's brother, shouldn't he be a prince?! Why is he a commandery prince?!" "I hear he's a gravely unfilial person. His birth mother was a lowly, insignificant Baolin, and at her death she was only a Lady of Beauty. He was raised by Grand Consort Jing's side from birth, but after growing up, he refused to acknowledge Grand Consort Jing, repeatedly showing disrespect and unfilial conduct. That's why the Emperor demoted him to commandery prince and had him re-registered under his Lady of Beauty birth mother's name." "He's still a commandery prince, after all. The prefect wouldn't dare offend the current Emperor's face, so he reluctantly dragged the two of us into this banquet." "Can such a fool really exist in this world?! I hear Grand Consort Jing was the late Emperor's Consort De, from a distinguished family, always known for her virtue. He was raised by Grand Consort Jing, and not only does he refuse to acknowledge his foster mother, but he insists on claiming a lowly Lady of Beauty as his birth mother?!" "Exactly so." "From what you say, this commandery prince must have taken after his lowly birth mother—an utterly ungrateful sort. The prefect still thinks too highly of him. A son of a Baolin, of low and insignificant standing—hardly worth mentioning!" In his dazed state, the Seventh Prince's chest burned with rage, his blood boiling. He clenched his fists, wanting to slam the table and rise, but he never found that courage. Resentment and regret piled up within him like a river. He couldn't tell which was greater—his hatred or his remorse. (The End)