Chapter 54: The love of parents for their children.

"...Is that so?"

Wei Yihua was initially surprised, but after considering Xie Qingyu's past identity, she found it understandable. She thought Xie Qingyu only intended to repay Yue Yining's life-saving grace and wouldn't have much private interaction with her, but now it seemed that Xie Qingyu valued Yue Yining highly, and this valuing was far more profound than she had imagined.

For some reason, Wei Yihua felt uneasy after realizing this.

However, she still instructed Su Yue: "Don't mention this to others. Tell everyone that Master Yue went there because he was invited by the Prime Minister's residence."

Given Yue Yining and Xie Qingyu's current status and position, their close interactions are bound to arouse suspicion and scrutiny.

Since the emperor relented, Qiu Yuebai has been sending Wei Yihua so many secret reports every day that they can't all fit on the desk. They are all about the latest developments of various forces: which ones are secretly gathering like crazy, which ones are suddenly getting closer, and which ones have publicly praised or criticized each other... The drums of the struggle for the throne have barely sounded, and some people are already impatient.

The court is now showing signs of splitting into two factions. Those who have pledged allegiance to the Fourth Prince are mostly from aristocratic families, while those who have sided with the Third Prince are more likely to be from humble backgrounds. Among the officials that Yue Yining and Wei Yihua have met and visited over the past three months, those who have expressed a strong interest in negotiating with them are all from humble backgrounds.

Unbeknownst to them, the forces of both sides had already begun to take shape.

However, neither the faction led by Zuo Yingfeng, the Grand Secretary, representing the most humble background, nor the faction led by the Xie family, representing the most aristocratic families, have yet made a clear statement.

If this struggle continues to evolve in this manner, it will undoubtedly become a conflict between the powerful and the lesser-known families. Now that the Wang family has fallen and the power of the powerful families has been greatly weakened, it is truly difficult to predict who will ultimately prevail.

but--

"Today, an official submitted a secret memorial to His Majesty, proposing that the Seventh Prince, Wei Xueyu, be included in the list of candidates for Crown Prince."

Half of the hinged window in the East Warm Pavilion was open, and the morning light was faint. The blue and green of the sandalwood screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl and depicting landscapes floated and flowed in the morning sun and purple smoke.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yihua was stunned and looked up at Consort Li in astonishment.

In the light of dawn, the golden peonies on Consort Li's dress appeared lifelike, blooming freely on the fiery red gown.

Princess Wei Yihua wondered if she had misheard: "Is Mother referring to the son of Consort Duan?"

Consort Li lowered her eyes and looked at her. "Not bad."

Wei Yihua exclaimed incredulously, "...Has that official gone mad? Consort Duan is the daughter of a disgraced official from the Wang clan. The fact that she was only demoted one rank is already an extra favor from Father Emperor, considering her many years in the palace, her service to the imperial family, her filial piety, and her lack of worldly ambition. The thunder of the Wang case has barely subsided, and now they actually want the Seventh Prince to compete for the position of Crown Prince? What makes them think Father Emperor would approve this?"

Consort Li remained silent. The blue-throated robin outside the window fluttered away, causing the water droplets on the pomegranate leaves to splash onto the swastika-patterned window frame.

She reached out and plucked a petal from the half-wilted gardenia in the colorful porcelain plum vase. The sap seeped from under her fingernails, staining her red satin cuff with a crescent-shaped pale yellow mark.

Consort Li said, "Your father has given his permission."

"He summoned me over; this is the first time he has allowed me into the Imperial Study." Consort Li did not look up at Wei Yihua's blank expression, but instead played with the delicate flower petals in her hand, seemingly not caring much as she tossed them into the mud basin under the railing. The color of the rouge at the corners of her eyes was even more vibrant than the myriad colors in the garden.

Since the loss of his beloved son and a serious illness, the emperor has lost his vigor and always appears with downcast eyes and an unreadable expression.

The emperor repeated the officials' praise of the seventh prince in the secret memorial, word by word, before finally raising his eyes to look at her: "What does my beloved consort think?"

"His Highness the Seventh Prince, Wei Xueyu, is of noble birth and possesses the bearing of a dragon and the qualities of a phoenix. His wisdom is well-established from a young age. In the past, when discussing policies in the Wenhua Hall, he analyzed the current problems as clearly as if they were reflected in a mirror. He once conducted military exercises in the Wuying Hall, and his command of the formations was as if he were observing the lines on the palm of his hand."

"With generations of officials holding high office, they are well-suited to shoulder the heavy responsibility of governing the nation; their inner brilliance is sufficient to continue the ancestral temple's worship."

Consort Li said calmly, "He brought me a secret memorial asking for my opinion, but I have been with him for decades. How could I not see his true thoughts? How could I not see that your father had already made up his mind?"

Consort Li then responded in front of the palace: "Your Majesty's wisdom is as clear as day, and the loyalty of all your ministers is evident. Your Majesty only wishes that Your Majesty will follow the will of Heaven and establish a stable foundation for the nation as soon as possible."

Wei Yihua was speechless and could only stare blankly at Consort Li.

She never considered that the existence of the seventh prince, Wei Xueyu, would pose a threat to the struggle for the throne.

Because she had been reborn, she knew exactly what kind of person Wei Xueyu was in her previous life.

Wei Xueyu, the son of the unfavored Consort Duan, was not yet twenty years old. He was aloof and taciturn, and remained a marginal figure in the court struggles from beginning to end, never getting involved in the competition between any faction.

Not long after the struggle for the throne began in his previous life, Wei Xueyu requested to leave the capital and return to his fiefdom to live a leisurely life as a prince. His ability to withdraw in time and retire gracefully shows that he was not completely detached from worldly affairs, but rather genuinely had no interest in power.

Wei Yihua didn't understand. How could someone who had escaped the center of the vortex in his previous life suddenly have to get involved in it in this life?

A thought flashed through his mind. In his previous life, Wei Xueyu's maternal family, the Wang family, had always been well, but in this life, the Wang family's fate was completely different. Could this also be a chain reaction caused by the "Down with the Wang Family Case"?

Consort Li: "Your father was the first person in the history of the Eastern Xi Dynasty to break the 'primogeniture' rule. He was born out of wedlock and was the fifth among all the princes. He was neither the eldest nor the youngest, and at the time, no one was willing to bet on him. However, when the turmoil came, he was the one who performed the best among all the princes. His Majesty after ascending the throne proved this point. He was a wise ruler who could win battles on horseback and bring peace to the world in the court."

“Your father believed in governing the country by virtue of his ability. Now that the Wang family has fallen, the worry of powerful relatives of the empress no longer exists. Therefore, he will indeed favor the seventh prince the most.”

Wei Xueyu is currently the best performing of the three princes. Although he is not well-known due to his personality and behavior, if the studies in Chonghua Palace were also recorded in the current dynasty's annals, then the first place would definitely be the deceased Crown Prince Wei Changqiong, the second would be the Eldest Princess Wei Yihua, and the third would be Wei Xueyu.

Wei Yihua frowned. "But Father and Seventh Prince are completely different, so we can't generalize. First of all, their personalities are different. Seventh Prince's temperament may not be suitable to be the Crown Prince."

Consort Li gave Wei Yihua a meaningful look, and Wei Yihua, who was holding the cup in her hand, suddenly trembled slightly because of that look.

Wei Yihua understood, and was even more astonished: "...Could it be that this was orchestrated by the Seventh Prince?"

Consort Li: "Nobody knows. But do you think his men would dare to take the lead without the Seventh Prince's prior consent?"

It could anger the Emperor, and then not get any favors from the Seventh Prince. Who would be willing to be the one to be attacked by both sides?

Consort Li: "Consort Duan must have overstated it. As the eldest daughter of the Wang family, she must have given all her connections and close advisors to the Seventh Prince. Among them were quite a few high-ranking officials of the court."

"After the downfall of the Wang family, Consort Duan went completely mad. I heard the other day that a lot of valuable junk was swept out of her palace, all of which she smashed. She is a pitiful person, but the victor is king and the loser is villain, and this has always been the case. If she continues to act like this, sooner or later she will ruin her peaceful life. At that time, she will not be pitiful, but foolish."

Seeing that Wei Yihua was still lost in thought, Consort Li sighed softly and said, "The reason I suddenly summoned you to the palace today is because of this matter. Your mother just hopes that you will be aware of the situation and not be caught off guard."

Wei Yihua was taken aback: "...So that's how it is. I thought Mother missed me."

These days, she has been busy with official duties and has indeed been going to the palace less and less to pay her respects to Consort Li. She is preoccupied with her own worries and cannot confide in anyone else. Only when she is by Yue Yining's side, planning for the future, does she feel a little more at ease.

She was also afraid of running into her fourth brother, Wei Jing, when she went to the palace to see Consort Li. She wasn't afraid of being teased or humiliated by him, but she was afraid of him staring at her with red eyes and tears streaming down his face.

If it were the Consort Li of the past, upon hearing this, she would have put her arm around her shoulder, looked at her with her bright and beautiful eyes and smiled, coaxing her, "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, your mother misses Hua'er every moment. Hua'er is your mother's darling."

However, Consort Li remained silent today, her phoenix eyes slightly lowered.

“...Of course your mother misses you very much,” wisps of smoke from the incense burner piled up on the roof, blurring the sunlight streaming into the room. Consort Li gazed at her quietly, her eyes as unfathomable as smoke. “But I’m not sure if you would still be willing to let me be your ‘mother’.”

A loud "buzz" went through my head.

Wei Yihua felt as if her heart had been suddenly frozen, but at the same time, her whole body finally went limp and turned into a puddle of mud.

She knew everything. Wei Yihua felt both sad and truly relieved.

Although she told Wei Jing the truth about her origins, she wasn't sure if he would tell Consort Li. Normally, given Wei Jing's personality, he would definitely confront Consort Li, his birth mother, who was most likely to know the whole story. However, after returning to the palace and seeing Consort Li several times, Wei Yihua didn't sense any change in her attitude. She treated her as always, still so kind and close.

When Wei Yihua returned to the palace for the New Year, she was summoned to the Noble Consort's palace almost every day to talk with Noble Consort Li. However, during those long conversations, they tacitly avoided mentioning anything about Wei Yihua's background.

The eldest princess thought to herself that perhaps her mother already knew. But she was also afraid that if she told her, she would lose her.

Thinking about this, Wei Yihua's eyes welled up with tears.

She stepped forward and took Consort Li's hand, her long, golden-scaled armor pressed against the girl's fair forehead.

Wei Yihua's voice trembled: "...What are you saying, Mother? How could I not want to acknowledge you?"

Fragments of memory are like a long knife, cutting through my tearful eyes.

When she was seven, she argued with Wei Jing and accidentally pushed him, unexpectedly causing him to fall to the ground. Hearing the commotion, Consort Li rushed over and immediately saw her frozen in place and Wei Jing sitting on the ground, wailing. Wei Yihua expected Consort Li to scold her, but instead, she bypassed Wei Jing on the ground and embraced the trembling, helpless Wei Yihua.

Wei Yihua remembers clearly that the pearl on her mother's earring was stained with her tears, and a warm dampness seeped into her neck.

That was the first time she realized the love that Consort Li had for her.

What is true love? As the most noble and unparalleled princess, Wei Yihua always had an answer in her heart. It's not just about giving honor and wealth, but about giving children treasures whose value cannot be measured by worldly things: such as courage, wisdom, confidence, resilience, and kindness... Things that can be bought with power and money ultimately have a price, but only those things that can be cultivated day after day with painstaking effort are the most precious.

It's not about ensuring she has enough to eat and wear and a peaceful life, but about teaching her the skills to protect herself and compete with others in chaotic times.

If parents love their child, they will not let her become a lamb to the slaughter, but will sharpen her claws like a tiger or leopard, so that even if she leaves the place of protection, she can make a name for herself.

The Emperor treated the Crown Prince this way, and so did Consort Li.

Therefore, from childhood to adulthood, Wei Yihua has always been the one who works harder, is less likely to slack off, and is expected to have higher expectations.

While Wei Jing slept soundly in bed, she would get up early to practice martial arts and swordsmanship. When Wei Jing neglected his studies, Consort Li neither worried nor blamed him. However, if Wei Yihua's studies declined, Consort Li would go to the old tutor at Chonghua Palace to find out what was going on, and then come back to help her study.

Wei Yihua knew that although she and Wei Jing seemed to receive the same amount of material things and love from their mother, their mother actually devoted more of her energy to them.

She was insightful from a young age, and after realizing this, she was filled with gratitude and always studied diligently.

Consort Li did not train her according to the standards of a princess. Whether it was literary and military strategy, or military tactics and swordsmanship, these were things that ordinary princesses would not learn.

What was her mother's purpose? Young Wei Yihua didn't know, but she had read the Four Books and Five Classics and eighteen volumes of history books. She knew that what she was learning was not useless, and that the moon waxes and wanes in its time, and the pine and cypress stand straight even when covered in snow. So, without asking why, she continued to study diligently.

On the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, as the sun rose, Consort Li personally styled her hair. The ivory comb cut through the morning light like a white knife slicing through long strands of gold silk. She raised her head, her crown heavy with pearls and jade, and saw Consort Li's gentle and focused eyes reflected in the toad-patterned mirror.

Wei Yihua remembered the blessing that Consort Li had given her at her coming-of-age ceremony.

"In the past, young swallows nested in the palace; now, colorful phoenixes sing in the nine heavens."

"No matter what, Mother Consort will always be Hua'er's mother consort, and that will never change."

When Wei Yihua looked up earnestly at Consort Li, she noticed that her eyes seemed to be misty as well.

But Consort Li simply smiled, letting the smile slowly dissipate the mist, and said "good" three times in a row, each time softer than the last.

“Hua’er will always be her mother’s Hua’er.” Consort Li said, squeezing Wei Yihua’s hand tightly. “Don’t cry.”

"You must remember that you are the eldest princess bestowed by the Emperor himself, the most honored woman in the world besides the Empress Dowager. Save your tears for things that are worthwhile, and do not shed tears lightly."

Wei Yihua nodded, her eyes red as she looked at Consort Li: "And what about Mother Consort?"

Consort Li was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "I am merely a Consort. If I were not the Empress, the women in this palace would only be the Emperor's concubines."

Looking at Consort Li, Wei Yihua felt her heart tighten, and panic and confusion surged up, forcing her to voice the questions that had been buried deep in her heart for two lifetimes.

She pursed her lips, "...Mother."

"Why did my father give me to my mother's family in the first place?"

Despite being the eldest prince, Wei Changqiong, who was clearly the elder brother, he was never adopted by any of the concubines.

The Third Prince, Wei Ye, was in the same situation, but for different reasons. The Crown Prince was a child who truly received the Emperor's fatherly love; he did not need to be fostered by any concubine. The Third Prince, on the other hand, was forgotten by the Emperor. He was neither the most tragic nor the most unruly; he was ordinary and insignificant.

Wei Yihua was also a favored eldest princess, but that was the kind of "favored" in the world's definition. In Wei Yihua's eyes, the emperor treated her like Consort Li treated Wei Jing—with affection but no expectations, and no heartfelt devotion.

Not only was she adopted by the Imperial Concubine when she was very young and had no memory of it, but all the palace maids who knew about her background also kept silent about it. It was said that there was no intention to hide it, but the fact that no one who knew about it ever told her was itself a form of concealment.

In her previous life, Wei Yihua was kept in the dark until her deathbed when she learned the truth.

Why?

Perhaps knowing she would ask these questions, Consort Li showed no surprise. She stroked her daughter's hand in her palm and said softly, "It's not the right time yet."

"On your eighteenth birthday, your mother promises to answer all your questions."

A few rays of spring sunlight peeked through the carved window sill, transforming into the smooth, jade-like brilliance on the celadon vase on the table. The lingering chill deep within the crackled ice patterns was slowly dampened by the obliquely inserted apricot blossom branch, like a spring stream flowing over old stones that had endured winter.

After the mother and daughter finally opened up to each other, Consort Li seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, her brows relaxing: "Today, I also summoned Jing'er, and I will tell him about this matter so that he can be prepared. But you don't need to worry, you won't run into each other."

Wei Yihua's heart tightened: "Will my mother blame me?"

Consort Li: "What's it to blame you for?"

Wei Yihua: "It's my fault for not choosing my own fourth brother, but instead choosing my third brother, who has no connection to me."

Consort Li smiled and said, "Hua'er, didn't you make this choice out of your own heart?"

Wei Yihua nodded: "Of course."

Consort Li gently patted the back of her hand: "That's enough. How you choose and do it is your business, and your mother will not interfere with your choice."

"Your mother only wishes for your safety and well-being," said Consort Li. "You probably don't know, but a few days ago, Jing'er tasted poison in his food while dining at home. The poison was colorless and odorless, yet it could kill people invisibly."

Wei Yihua asked in surprise, "Is Wei Jing alright?"

Consort Li: "Don't worry, he's physically fine, just frightened. This is probably the first time he's been poisoned. The household searched for a long time but couldn't find the culprit. They just sold off the servants who handled the poisoning."

Wei Yihua pondered: "But who would have done this? Most of the people under my third brother's command were given to me by me, and I know his character; he wouldn't poison someone."

Consort Li smiled meaningfully: "Who knows?"

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. I just heard that the Xie family seems to be interested in supporting the Seventh Prince," Consort Li said. "The eldest son of the Xie family, Xie Qingyu, has been in close contact with the Seventh Prince recently. It's hard to say whether he's representing Prime Minister Xie in negotiations."

Wei Yihua hadn't considered this either. The Seventh Prince, Wei Xueyu, rarely went out and almost never interacted with officials, so why was Xie Qingyu on good terms with him?

In a flash, the previously unseen darkness was illuminated.

Suddenly, everything became clear to her. If Xie Qingyu intended to support the Seventh Prince, then it would explain why he only took the initiative to contact Yue Yining more than three months after returning to the manor, and then went to great lengths to please her and curry favor with her.

The Xie family knew the stakes; if they were determined to get involved, they would certainly intend to win over a promising young Taoist master.

Xie Qingyu wanted to snatch him away from her. Her overtures these past few days were tantamount to trying to steal him away right in front of her, and she only realized it now!

The fire in Wei Yihua's heart rose with the wind, shooting upwards, and just as it was about to burn to her head, it suddenly stopped in its tracks.

—And what about Yue Yining? Was she aware of it?

Her frequent visits to Xie Qingyu these days—are they really just to check on her while she's sick? Or has she actually wavered and is considering seeking other opportunities?

Realizing that Yue Yining might have developed feelings for someone else, Wei Yihua was nearly devastated.

No, don't think like that. Yue Yining isn't that kind of person; she has to have faith in her.

That's what they say, but their worries started to grow like bamboo shoots sprouting new buds.

Wei Yihua suddenly realized that she had never really thought about why Yue Yining would choose to support the Third Prince Wei Ye. She only assumed that because she had been reborn and knew about Yue Yining's choice in her previous life, Yue Yining would definitely choose to assist the Third Prince in this life as well.

She understood Yue Yining; that person shared the same wish as her—to select a qualified ruler for the country and its people, not for personal wealth and glory.

In her previous life, the Seventh Prince didn't participate in the struggle for the throne, so Yue Yining could only choose between the Third and Fourth Princes. But the situation is different now. What if Yue Yining feels that the Seventh Prince, Wei Xueyu, is a more suitable candidate?

If that's the case, it seems she has no choice but to let her go.

But Wei Yihua realized that she didn't want Yue Yining to leave.

Uncontrollable thoughts transformed into a towering bamboo forest, gradually growing to the point of obscuring the sky and blocking out the sun.

Wei Yihua could no longer sit still. She stood up and said, "It's getting late. Mother, please rest. I'll take my leave."

Consort Li nodded, signaling the palace servants to escort the Princess out of the palace.

Outside the winding corridor, the waves of Taiye Pond shattered the willows' green hues, and shadows spread through the gaps between the water lilies.

“In the past, when discussing strategies in the Wenhua Hall, his analysis of current problems was as clear as a mirror reflecting one’s own image; when conducting military drills in the Wuying Hall, his command of formations was as precise as observing the lines on the palm of his hand.”

The stunningly beautiful imperial concubine chuckled, "You really dare to praise me like that."

"These words should be used to describe my Hua'er."

The princess's entourage had already gone far away. Their figures disappeared into the Forbidden City, merging into the fine drizzle of Qingming Festival.