In the winter of the second year of Tai'an, Blackwater City, already located at the northernmost tip of the empire, was even colder than usual. A howling north wind whipped through the air, and heavy snow fell in torrents.
When Pei Jiuyan heard that the new emperor had ascended the throne, she was so excited. But Her Majesty said that she needed time to balance the court situation and could not take him back immediately.
Pei Jiuyan's father, Wei, came over holding a baby in swaddling clothes.
Pei Jiuyan was originally standing by the window admiring the snow. When he turned around and saw his daughter, a smile immediately appeared in his eyes. "This child, judging by age, should be your majesty's fourth child. However, the prince born to Master Mei Rongze (Jiang He) in the palace is now ranked as the fourth prince. I wonder if your majesty will change the order of the princesses and princes when he brings me back to the palace." (Empress (limited to one) > Imperial Noble (limited to one) > Noble Lord (limited to one) > Madam (limited to two) > Six Ceremonies (Noble Ceremonies, Virtuous Ceremonies, Good Ceremonies, Good Ceremonies, Virtuous Ceremonies, Minor Ceremonies) (limited to six) > Rongze (limited to six) > Fanghua (limited to eight) > Beauty (limited to nine) > Talented Person > Chenghui > Lantai > Siyi > Changshi > Xiaoshi)
Wei smiled and said, "Even if the order is changed, this child is neither the eldest nor the heir, so it doesn't really matter whether it is changed or not."
Pei Jiuyan suddenly became angry. He disagreed and said, "Father, what you said is not right. Letting my precious daughter become the Fourth Emperor's daughter shows that His Majesty values us. This is related to my lifelong glory and wealth. How can it be indifferent?"
Seeing him like this, Wei opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but in the end, she said nothing.
After the Pei family was confiscated and exiled by the previous emperor, this spoiled son could not bear the hardships of the frontier. Even the current emperor and the then Princess Royal ordered to take good care of him and his son for Pei Jiusheng's sake, but Pei Jiusheng still could not accept the huge gap and was in a state of distress every day.
Later, Pei Jiuyan took advantage of the emperor's visit to Blackwater City on business and climbed into his bed, becoming pregnant as he had hoped. He no longer threatened suicide, but his personality was no longer as docile as before. Even though he had no official title yet, he already considered himself the master of the palace.
Wei finally couldn't hold back any longer. He earnestly advised, "Even if His Majesty takes you back to the palace in the future, you shouldn't be so arrogant. The high-ranking officials in the palace all have their families backing them, but our Pei family has been confiscated, and all the women in the family are dead. You have to know that you have no one to support you. You can only rely on yourself in everything, so you should be even more cautious..."
Before Wei could finish her words, Pei Jiuyan interrupted her impatiently, "Father, don't worry about it. His Majesty has been extremely kind to me, and I have a daughter by my side. My future will surely be prosperous. How can I be so cautious and depend on others for my livelihood?"
Pei Jiuyan said this with a look of pride in his eyes. He had always worried that his child would be deformed, but not only was his child healthy, but it was also a daughter. This showed that even God was helping him. How could he possibly live a hard life in the future?
Seeing Pei Jiuyan's expression, Wei knew that he hadn't taken her words to heart at all. She felt a tightness in her chest. "Why does His Majesty love you so much? Don't you know? His Majesty's willingness to accept you and to ask Taoist Chen to treat you is all due to your brother Pei Jiusheng. If it weren't for Pei Jiusheng, do you think anyone could climb into His Majesty's bed?"
Pei Jiuyan's expression suddenly turned into anger. He shouted at Wei, "Your Majesty loves me because I have this beautiful face. Like my brother, I have been taking Tianxian Baigu Powder since I was a child. I have suffered so much to get this beautiful face. Because I have this beautiful face, Your Majesty loves me. Do you understand what I said, father?"
Wei was so angry that her chest ached. Pei Jiuyan had already snatched his daughter from his arms, "Compared to my brother, am I any worse? My brother can get the love of His Majesty, the title of Princess Consort, and a life of wealth and glory. So why can't I?"
I want everything my brother has, and in the near future, I'll have even more than he does. With the exception of Empress Xigong (Lu Jinshu), who gave birth to Your Majesty's daughter, all the others have sons. A father's status rises with his daughter, so naturally, my status rises as well. So what if the other men in the harem have families? It's all because they can't bear daughters.
Wei couldn't convince him, so she could only sigh softly, "Father certainly hopes that you live a good life. He didn't say those things to upset you, but to remind you."
Pei Jiuyan still didn't care. At this moment, a servant stumbled in. Pei Jiuyan was about to lose his temper when he heard the servant excitedly say, "Someone is coming from the palace. Someone is coming from the palace. My lord, that's great! His Majesty has sent someone to pick you and the princess up."
At this time, Pei Jiuyan didn't bother to argue with his father. He ran out with the child in his arms.
Wei took out an oil-paper umbrella from the corner of the wall. "Jiu Yan, it's snowing heavily outside. Don't run so fast. At least bring an umbrella with you. Even if you're not afraid of the cold, there are still children. Children are very fragile. What if they catch a cold?"
Wei, umbrella in hand, hurried out, but he couldn't catch up to Pei Jiuyan, who was holding the child. When he finally made it through the narrow corridor, he saw several luxurious carriages parked at the gate of the dilapidated courtyard. Standing at the front was none other than Shi Qi, the emperor's most capable female official.
Despite Pei Jiu's current hatred, he couldn't help but be stunned when he saw Shi Qi's face clearly. Then came a look of ecstasy. Shi Qi accompanied His Majesty every day, handling countless state affairs. Now, His Majesty had stopped everything she was doing and sent her to bring him back to the palace. His Majesty valued him and his precious daughter even more than he had originally imagined.
When Shi Qi saw Pei Jiuyan, a bright smile appeared on his face. "I really want to congratulate Master Pei. His Majesty has decided to posthumously confer the title of First-Rank Junhou on your brother Pei Jiusheng, and he didn't even ask the Ministry of Rites to do it. His Majesty personally thought of several titles, but couldn't make a final decision. His Majesty said that when Master Ning returns to the palace, he and her will choose the best posthumous title for the late Junhou. Then he will let you manage the posthumous ceremony. His Majesty said that it must be done in a grand manner, and there is no need to be stingy with the money."
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