Chapter 50 Pei Xuan's Test
Chapter Fifty: Pei Xuan's Test
Li Qianche returned to the imperial study with a somber face. The hall was brightly lit by candlelight, but it could not dispel the gloom in his heart. He irritably waved away the palace servants who wanted to serve him, and sat down alone in front of the dragon desk, his knuckles unconsciously tapping the smooth sandalwood surface.
The scene of the morning court session and Pei Xuan's confident smile kept replaying in his mind.
This morning at court, a senior official stepped forward and earnestly requested that Pei Yunxi, the younger sister of General Pei Xuan of Suiyuan, be made empress, arguing that "the empress's position should not remain vacant for long, and a virtuous woman should be chosen to rule the world." This request was met with widespread agreement.
His gaze swept towards Pei Xuan, the prince, only to see the other give him a barely perceptible wink and nod, a gesture that conveyed both reassurance and confidence—a signal that he should not refuse yet. Remembering that this was his childhood friend, who had fought alongside him on the battlefield to protect the empire, and that familiar hint in his eyes, he decided to temporarily suppress the matter by saying, "Establishing an empress is a matter of great importance to the nation and requires careful consideration."
Only now, after calming down, did he realize the consequences of his actions. After court, Pei Xuan sought him out to explain, saying that his younger sister, Pei Yunxi, and Su Jizhi seemed to have feelings for each other, but Su Jizhi had never made it clear. As her older brother, he felt sorry for his sister and wanted to use this controversy over the empress's appointment to test Su Jizhi's feelings. If Su Jizhi was truly responsible, he would definitely take action.
At the time, he felt that although this method was somewhat risky, if it could bring about a marriage and incidentally give a warning to the court officials who had recently become somewhat unsettled due to Su Su's ascension to the throne, it wouldn't be a bad idea. But no matter how much he planned, he completely overlooked Su Su!
He went to great lengths to use promotions, rewards, palace repairs, and his constant, devoted companionship to make the little woman who was full of thorns towards him and even wanted to leave the palace lower her guard a little.
He could feel the ice between them slowly melting away. She was no longer as indifferent as she had been at the beginning, looking at him as if he were a stranger. She was even starting to respond to him in bed. He even began to hope that one day she would open her heart to him again and love him as brightly and passionately as before.
But now... she must think that he tacitly agreed to the proposal to make someone else his empress in court!
Li Qianche could almost imagine Su Su's reaction when the news reached Changshou Palace. Would she think that all his previous actions were insincere? Would she feel that she was never his preferred choice for Empress? The little bit of affection that had finally blossomed would probably be instantly shattered, or even worse.
"Pei Xuan, Pei Xuan, what kind of terrible idea is this!" Li Qianche cursed under his breath, rubbing his temples in annoyance. It was also his own fault; he hadn't thought things through at the time, only thinking about preserving brotherhood and maintaining balance in the court, but neglecting the seemingly calm but actually sensitive and delicate person in the harem.
This is really bad; it's likely that even getting into Yongshou Palace will be even more difficult now.
He should have thought of this sooner! The matter of establishing an empress is extremely sensitive. Even if it is only "to be discussed later," it is enough to cause a huge uproar in the harem. Su Su has experienced being framed by Consort Zhuang, being demoted, and being overthrown. He also concealed some things about Mu Hanyan. Her emotions have not completely calmed down, and she does not seem to have reached the point of completely trusting him.
At this critical juncture, upon hearing the court officials propose making Pei Xuan's sister empress, and his lack of immediate opposition... what would she think? She would surely believe that he had changed his mind and was about to easily give away the glory that belonged to her and the empress position that she had once longed for but could not obtain to someone else!
He recalled how, just moments before, outside Yongshou Palace, a palace servant had nervously reported, "The Imperial Concubine is unwell and has already retired for the night," clearly a refusal to see him. She didn't even want to see him.
A wave of intense regret and self-reproach washed over him. He had been so focused on balancing the political situation and protecting his sibling relationship with Pei Xuan that he had neglected her, the one he should have cared for most!
Meanwhile, a somber atmosphere prevailed within the Su residence.
Su Jizhi had just returned from outside when he heard from his father that someone had proposed making Pei Yunxi empress during the morning court session. He was struck dumb, frozen in place, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.
"To...to make Miss Pei Empress?" His voice was hoarse, he could hardly believe his ears. The woman in his heart, gentle and intelligent, whose smile could light up his heart, was about to become the Empress, the mother of the nation? What would become of all those hazy and beautiful moments between them, those heart-fluttering moments he had carefully treasured?
Seeing his son's instantly distraught expression, Su Mufeng understood. He had long noticed that Ji Zhi's feelings for that Pei family girl were unusual; a young man's first stirrings of love don't lie in his eyes. He sighed and said, "The Emperor didn't object on the spot, only saying 'we'll discuss it later.'"
These words, to Su Jizhi, were practically tantamount to an admission. He felt a tremendous panic and helplessness grip his heart, making it almost impossible to breathe. The Emperor… if the Emperor had taken a liking to Yun Xi, what hope did he have? How could a mere bannerman like him possibly compete with the Emperor?
“Father…I…” Su Jizhi opened his mouth, his throat tightened, but he couldn’t utter the rest of the words. He loved Pei Yunxi. In their few interactions and brief conversations, he found her gentle, quiet, talented, and intelligent. They shared similar interests, and he had already deeply engraved her in his heart. She was the only woman in his life who had stirred his heart and whom he wanted to spend his life with.
Su Mufeng understood his son's thoughts perfectly. He stepped forward, patted Su Jizhi's tense shoulder, and said in a calm tone, "I know your feelings for Miss Pei. But Jizhi, even if you were to ask the Emperor for permission to marry her right now, the Emperor... might not agree."
Su Jizhi suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of stubbornness.
Su Mufeng continued his analysis: "Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has been most wary of powerful maternal relatives and has always emphasized checks and balances. Your sister, Susu, is currently a Noble Consort in the palace, enjoying great favor. Our Su family is already considered a maternal relative. As for Pei Xuan, he is the newly promoted General of Suiyuan, with outstanding military achievements and commanding a large army. If you were to marry his sister, Pei Yunxi, what kind of power would the Su and Pei families wield in the eyes of outsiders? Would His Majesty feel comfortable allowing such a marriage to exist? Would this be a blessing or a curse for Susu's situation in the palace?"
His father's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly jolting Su Jizhi awake from his emotional turmoil. He had been so preoccupied with his own romantic feelings that he had forgotten the complex political maneuvering behind it all, and the potential impact this might have on his sister, who was already walking on thin ice in the palace!
Yes, if he insists on marrying Yunxi, what will the Emperor think? What will the court officials say? Will my sister be suspected, made things difficult for, or neglected by the Emperor because of this?
Seeing the color drain from his son's face, the light in his eyes gradually extinguished, replaced by pain and struggle, Su Mufeng felt a pang of pity. He knew his son was a composed man; he would never lose his composure like this unless he truly loved him. He remained silent for a moment, a resolute glint in his eyes, and patted Su Jizhi's shoulder again, this time with greater force, carrying a sense of support.
“If,” Su Mufeng’s voice was not loud, but unusually firm, “you truly cannot live without her, and she is the only one you would never want in this life, then do not hesitate, go and fight for her!”
Su Jizhi looked at his father in astonishment.
Su Mufeng revealed a broad-minded and even somewhat relieved smile: "At worst, your father will resign from his post with the Emperor and go into seclusion! Originally, your father was not someone who clung to power. These years, I have been living in fear and trepidation, as if walking on thin ice. All I ask for is for my family to be safe and well. If it can bring my son a happy marriage, what is the harm in giving up this official robe?"
"Father!" Su Jizhi's throat tightened, and his eyes instantly reddened. He never expected that his father would go to such lengths for his life's most important matter! This profound fatherly love moved him beyond measure and filled him with immense guilt.
Su Mufeng's gaze was gentle and encouraging: "Tomorrow morning, I will accompany you to the palace to petition the Emperor! Whether it succeeds or not, we have to try to know the outcome. Don't let yourself have any regrets for the rest of your life."
………………
Meanwhile, inside the Pei residence.
In Pei Yunxi's boudoir, the sound of low sobbing continued for an entire afternoon.
The maids stood guard outside the door, exchanging glances, none daring to go in and disturb them. Ever since their young mistress returned from hearing the news of the morning court session, she had locked herself in her room, her sobs coming in fits and starts, a sound that broke their hearts.
When Pei Xuan returned from the palace, travel-worn and weary, upon hearing that his younger sister had been crying for a long time, he immediately frowned and strode towards Pei Yunxi's courtyard.
"Yunxi! Open the door! Who bullied you? Tell your brother, was it Su Jizhi? Brother will go beat him up!" Pei Xuan pounded on the door, his voice carrying the ruggedness unique to a military general and the anxious concern for his sister.
The door creaked open, revealing Pei Yunxi's eyes, red and swollen like peaches from crying. She was sobbing, tears still clinging to her long eyelashes, a pitiful sight.
“Brother… Waaah… I don’t want to be Empress… I love Young Master Su… Please beg the Emperor not to agree…” She grabbed Pei Xuan’s sleeve as if grasping at a lifeline, crying incoherently.
Pei Xuan was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what it was about! Looking at his sister's heartbroken expression, he felt both heartache and amusement, and quickly explained, "Silly girl, don't cry! Oh, so that's what it is. Listen to your brother..."
He revealed his "goading" plan in detail, and added smugly at the end: "I just wanted to test that boy's sincerity for you! Let's see if he has the guts to speak to the Emperor for you! If he doesn't even have that much courage and backs down at the slightest sign of trouble, then he doesn't deserve my sister's sincerity, and we'd rather not have him!"
Upon hearing this, Pei Yunxi stopped crying, but her beautiful eyes widened in fury. She angrily raised her fist and pounded on Pei Xuan: "Pei Xuan! You bastard! You scared me to death! Do you know how heartbroken I was! What if... what if Young Master Su misunderstood, or what if he gave up? I hate you so much!"
She hit and cursed him at the same time, with considerable force. Pei Xuan grimaced from the blows and begged for mercy repeatedly: "Ouch, good sister, be gentle! I'm only doing this for your own good!" His sister hadn't hit him like this in a long time since she grew up, so she must have been really angry.
"Does 'it's for my own good' mean you can scare me like this? That's a stupid idea!" Pei Yunxi was furious. She pushed Pei Xuan out of the room, slammed the door shut with a bang, and even bolted it from the inside. "You're not allowed in my yard!"
Pei Xuan stood outside the tightly closed door, rubbing his arm that had been pounded, listening to his sister's angry footsteps inside. He helplessly rubbed his nose. Well, now he'dn't appease his sister, and he'd been kicked out. If Su Jizhi didn't behave tomorrow, he'd have to… he'd have to think of another way!
As night deepens, several courtyards hold countless unspoken thoughts. What storms and choices will tomorrow's sunrise bring?
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