Taoti, "???"

For a moment, she wondered if there was something wrong with her ears.

But the next moment, she realized that it was not her ears that had problems, but that the second princess had a brain problem.

Seeing that she didn't say anything, Pei Lingbi snorted coldly, "I didn't expect you to be such a fickle woman. You said before that you admired my brother and would not marry anyone else but him, but now you have been married to the prince for only one day and you have forgotten what you said."

Tao Ti's mouth twitched, and she was about to ask "Who is your brother?" The next moment, a tangled mess of memories flooded into her mind -

The brother Pei Lingbi mentioned was the third prince Pei Changzhou, who was born to the same mother as her.

To put it simply, the story of how the original owner and Pei Changzhou got to know each other is a story about a love-deprived little girl being manipulated by a scumbag into doing PUA.

Originally, the original owner had accepted her fate and planned to marry into the Eastern Palace peacefully, but Pei Changzhou had been brainwashing her with PUA rhetoric and manipulating her mental state.

Pei Changzhou said to the original owner, "I am actually fond of you, but my father favors the crown prince. How can I compete with him for a woman? You should blame the crown prince. He is the one who broke us up."

"Ati, if you marry him, you will no longer be the pure and innocent girl in my mind. If you love me, you must remain chaste for me!"

"You said you were willing to give everything for me, so are you willing for me to die? If you can do this for me, I will believe in your heart. Ati, go to hell."

The words "Go to hell" kept echoing in her mind, and Tao Ti couldn't help but clench her fists.

What kind of bastard is Pei Changzhou? !

The original owner and the prince had been engaged since childhood, and Pei Changzhou should have known that she was his future sister-in-law and should have kept some distance from her. But not only did he not keep his distance, he deliberately approached her, pua his future sister-in-law, uglified the prince's image, and instigated the original owner to commit suicide before the wedding... His intentions are terrifying when you think about it carefully!

"Hey, I'm talking to you, can you hear me?" Pei Lingbi shouted unhappily.

Tao Ti came back to her senses and stared at the second princess in front of her. She was just like her brother, not a good person.

Pei Lingbi had always been jealous of the original owner's appearance, so she had been verbally bullying the original owner for a long time. Every time she saw the original owner feeling inferior and frustrated, she would feel a mysterious sense of superiority.

This brother and sister are really toxic.

Tao Ti said indifferently, "I am now the Crown Princess and your sister-in-law in name. You speak to me in this manner. Have you learned all the etiquette and rules? If my second sister has a bad memory, I don't mind taking you to the Empress to have a discussion."

Pei Lingbi's expression froze, and she said in disbelief, "How dare you threaten me!?"

In the past, no matter how she scolded or how fierce she was, Tao Ti had no choice but to endure it obediently. But now she actually dared to talk back?

Tao Ti sneered and said leisurely, "I threaten you? If I tell the Queen what you and your sister did to me, oh no, the Queen is your mother, she will inevitably be partial to you and cover up for you. Then I will tell His Majesty, what do you think His Majesty will do if he knows?"

As expected, when the emperor was mentioned, Pei Lingbi became obviously flustered, but she still said stubbornly, "How dare you! If you tell others, you will be too ashamed to face anyone! Besides, it is obviously you who is the one who is being shameless, pestering my brother..."

Tao Ti glanced at her coldly.

This look was full of power, and it made Pei Lingbi feel a chill down her spine.

Tao Ti thought that the emperor and the prince were still waiting for her, so she didn't bother with her any more. She said "take care of yourself" and left.

Looking at the smoky pink figure going away, Pei Lingbi's face turned pale and blue.

It was really strange, how come Tao Ti had become a completely different person? Could it be that the poison didn't kill her, but made her smarter?

No, I have to discuss this with my brother right away. I can't let this woman spread rumors outside.

——

The Qinzheng Hall is magnificent and grand.

As soon as Tao Ti arrived at the door, she saw the chubby eunuch standing on the side holding a whisk. When he saw her coming, he smiled and said respectfully, "Princess, please come in. His Majesty and His Royal Highness are talking inside."

This eunuch should be the chief eunuch in front of the emperor, right? Tao Ti's dark eyes moved slightly, and he asked politely, "What is your name, eunuch?"

The eunuch obviously didn't expect that she would take the initiative to talk to him. The smile on his face remained unchanged, but his tone became more respectful, "Replying to the Crown Princess, I am Li Gui, the former chief steward of the Yu."

"Hello, Manager Li." Tao Ti smiled and nodded, having guessed correctly.

The hall was very empty. Tao Ti lowered her head and followed Li Gui steadily.

She was not very nervous when she met the Empress, but now that she was about to meet the Emperor, she became inexplicably nervous. Perhaps it was because the hall was too quiet, which made her feel awe for no reason.

I heard that the prince was raised by the emperor himself. The prince is so gentle and polite, so the emperor shouldn’t have a bad personality, right?

Not long after, Li Gui stopped walking, "Crown Princess, we're here."

Tao Ti came back to her senses from a trance and raised her eyes slightly, only to see the emperor and the prince sitting opposite each other on the couch near the window, their postures as relaxed as those of ordinary father and son.

She did not dare to look closely, but only walked forward with her head lowered, and bowed respectfully, "Your Majesty, your daughter-in-law Tao greets you, may your Majesty be blessed with good health."

Emperor Zhaokang put down the teacup in his hand, glanced at the little girl with her legs bent, and said in a loud voice, "Get up."

Tao Ti nodded, stood up straight, and subconsciously looked at Crown Prince Pei Yan.

The bright sunlight filtered through the latticed windows and sprinkled on his angular face, as if it was coated with a layer of holy light. He smiled at her gently, indicating that she should not worry.

At the signal of Emperor Zhaokang, Li Gui moved a crescent stool and invited Tao Ti to sit on it.

Tao Ti sat down properly and raised her eyes slightly, just in time to meet Emperor Zhaokang's sharp gaze.

Emperor Zhaokang is 49 years old this year. He has sharp eyebrows and long cheeks. Although he is no longer young, his handsome face can still be seen from his regular features. He wears a golden crown and a long yellow robe, sitting casually. Although his eyebrows are relaxed, he exudes a kind of pressure from a superior that makes people dare not underestimate him.

Tao Ti withdrew her gaze at the right time, looking like a good and obedient little wife.

Emperor Zhaokang looked at his daughter-in-law dimly. In his opinion, the girl from the Tao family was not worthy of his prince in terms of either status or appearance. Moreover, she was so ignorant that she even dared to commit suicide by taking poison.

If it weren't for Yan'er's repeated pleas, the more than 200 people in the Yongwei Marquis' Mansion would have been on the way to exile by now.

Emperor Zhaokang had a calm expression on his face, and said in a deep voice, "Since you have married Yan'er, you should take good care of his food and daily life in the future, and don't cause any more trouble, otherwise..."

Before he could say anything harsh, Pei Yan called out softly, with a hint of pleading, "Father."

Emperor Zhaokang's cheeks twitched, and he suppressed his dissatisfaction. His tone softened a little, "Anyway, you and Yan'er should live a good life. Got it?"

Tao Ti's scalp was numb from his sharp gaze, and she said dryly, "Yes, your daughter-in-law will remember your majesty's teachings and will serve the crown prince diligently."

Seeing that her attitude was quite obedient, Emperor Zhaokang hummed a low “hmm” and turned to Li Gui and said, “Go and bring me all the gifts I prepared for the meeting.”

Li Gui hurried away, and soon came out with six young eunuchs, each holding a heavy tray in his hand.

Gold, silver, jade, jewels, jewelry, silks and satins were dazzling to the eyes.

Tao Ti hurriedly stood up to thank him, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your gift, my daughter-in-law."

Then, Emperor Zhaokang kindly gave the prince some advice, simply asking him to take care of his health.

Tao Tian sat quietly beside her and listened. She knew very well that the emperor was ostensibly admonishing the prince, but in reality he was warning her. The subtext was: If you dare to displease my precious son, then you can just stretch your neck and wait for death.

After half a cup of tea, Emperor Zhaokang looked at Pei Yan and said, "Yan'er, take your wife to burn incense for your mother. This marriage was arranged by your mother when she was alive. If she knew that you were married, she would definitely be happy."

After mentioning the late emperor, Emperor Zhao Kang's tone became exceptionally gentle.

Pei Yan stood up and bowed to Emperor Zhaokang, "Father, I will take my leave now."

Tao Ti also hurriedly followed suit and bowed, "My daughter-in-law also takes her leave."

Emperor Zhaokang waved his hands and said, "Go ahead."

After the young couple left, Emperor Zhaokang stroked the warm wall of the cup, his eyes showing a hint of old age, "Time flies so fast, in a blink of an eye, Yan'er has also married."

Li Gui had been with Emperor Zhaokang since he was eight years old. After more than forty years of getting along with him, he could tell at a glance that His Majesty missed the late Empress.

After pondering for a moment, he said, "Your Majesty, please be at ease. I think the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess get along well. Moreover, Qin Tianjian said that the Crown Princess is a lucky charm for her husband. With her by his side, the Crown Prince's health will surely get better."

Emperor Zhao Kang snorted, "I hope so."

He did not expect that young woman to be of much use. If Yan'er really could not live past the age of twenty-three, he would let the woman be buried alive with him. It would be a worthy death to be able to have Yan'er accompany her on the road to the underworld.

——

Fengyi Palace was the permanent residence of empresses of all dynasties.

After Empress Gu passed away, Emperor Zhaokang was deeply saddened and ordered that the tablet be enshrined in Fengyi Palace. Even if Zhou became the empress, she was not qualified to move into Fengyi Palace, but lived in Ganquan Palace.

Just from this point, we can see which of the two empresses is more important in Emperor Zhaokang's mind.

When the sedan chair stopped in front of Fengyi Palace, Tao Ti could not help but look up at the plaque with a picture of a flying dragon and a dancing phoenix hanging at the palace gate.

Pei Yan stopped beside her and said softly, "This was written by my father, the Emperor."

Tao Ti was slightly startled, and Pei Yan said calmly, "Go in."

Fengyi Palace is very large and magnificent. Even though the owner of the palace has passed away for 16 years, the palace is still clean and tidy. Even the flowers, plants and trees in the courtyard are lush and green, as if the owner of the palace had never left.

Pei Yan explained, "Father would stay here for two days every month, so the palace servants dared not slack off and would come to clean up every day."

"It seems that Your Majesty loved the late Empress very much." Tao Ti said. Even though she has been gone for so many years, he still misses her so much. Perhaps for Emperor Zhaokang, Empress Gu is the white moonlight in his heart.

Love? Pei Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, not making any comment.

When the palace maids of Fengyi Palace saw them coming, they hurriedly saluted.

After a while, an old lady in her fifties came out of the palace. She was dressed in a dark blue palace dress. When she saw Pei Yan, she smiled. When she saw Tao Ti beside Pei Yan, she was a little surprised, but quickly came to her senses and said with a smile, "Your Highness, this is the Crown Princess, right?"

Pei Yan nodded and smiled gently, "Madam Lan, my father asked me to bring her to burn incense for my mother."

Tao Ti guessed that this Nanny Lan should be an old servant of the late emperor, so she straightened her attitude, smiled and greeted her, "Hello, Nanny Lan."

"The Crown Princess is so polite. I am really embarrassed by this." Nanny Lan looked Tao Ti up and down and smiled. "When the master and the wife of the Marquis of Yongwei decided on this marriage, you were only half a year old. The master even held you in his arms at that time... Sixteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. I didn't expect the Crown Princess to be so beautiful."

Speaking of this, Nanny Lan sighed, "If the master were still here..."

Pei Yan lowered her long eyelashes and called softly, "Mother Lan,"

"Look at my mouth. Your Highness's marriage is a great joyous event. Let's not talk about that." Nanny Lan forced a smile and stepped aside. "Your Highness, Crown Princess, please go in."

As soon as you enter the main hall, you will see the mourning hall which is decorated in a simple and elegant style.

On the long table made of golden nanmu wood, there were two tablets placed in front and back.

Tao Ti looked up at Pei Yan in confusion.

Pei Yan seemed to be able to read minds and answered, "One piece is my mother, and the other piece is my brother."

Tao Ti was stunned for a moment. Pei Yan has a brother?

Pei Yan looked straight ahead and said calmly, "My brother is the eldest son of my father and mother, but he suddenly fell ill when he was five years old and died. The year after his death, my mother gave birth to me."

So that's the case, Taoti said softly, "Your Highness, I'm sorry for your condolences."

Pei Yan didn't say anything, but took the incense handed to him by Nanny Lan and gave three sticks to Tao Ti.

He looked extremely pious while burning incense, with his eyes closed and silent.

Tao Ti stood one step behind, looking at the thin moon-white figure in front of her, and sighed in her heart: The prince is such a pretty little poor thing.

He lost his mother at a young age, and he himself was frail and sickly, and his life was coming to an end. His father, the only one who loved him, married a stepmother whose character was currently unknown. He also had a younger brother who wished he would die as soon as possible, and a sister who was mean and mean.

This is definitely a Cinderella, but a sickly one at that. It's a pity that I'm not a fairy godmother, nor a prince...

Tao Ti was a little frustrated. Why was she only good at cooking and not medicine?

After paying homage to Empress Gu and the eldest prince, the two prepared to leave.

Just before leaving, Nanny Lan suddenly called Tao Ti and carefully took out an exquisite huanghuali wood carved box.

"This was left by the late Queen Mother. She said it was a token of love from the mother-in-law to her daughter-in-law after Your Highness got married."

"This..." Tao Ti was stunned and didn't answer immediately.

Pei Yan walked up to her and nodded at her, "Please accept it."

After hearing him say this, Tao Ti took it and thanked Nanny Lan.

Nanny Lan's cloudy eyes were watery, as if a worry had been relieved. She was very happy and personally saw them off to the door.

Just after leaving Fengyi Palace for a while, Tao Ti stopped and called softly, "Your Highness."

"Huh?" Pei Yan also stopped and looked at her in confusion.

Taoti walked up to him and stuffed the carved box into his arms, "I'll give it back to you."

Pei Yan lowered his eyes and looked at the little girl who was just reaching his chest.

She raised her pink and tender little round face and looked at him with sparkling dark eyes. There was a clarity in her eyes, like the melting snow on the top of a mountain.

"This is what my mother gave to the Crown Princess. You should accept it." Pei Yan said in a light voice.

"But I, I... I am not a proper princess after all, I really don't deserve this title."

Pei Yan's brows twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything and just opened the box.

Inside the box was a white jade bracelet, the jade was delicate and soft, the luster was lively and warm. Although Tao Ti didn't know much about jade jewelry, she could tell that this jade bracelet was not an ordinary one.

Just as she was staring in a trance, Pei Yan suddenly held her hand.

He, he held her hand!

Tao Ti looked at Pei Yan in a daze, her mind in a mess.

Pei Yan's face still had his usual gentle expression. He picked up the jade bracelet and gently put it around her wrist.

This bracelet seemed to be specially made for Tao Ti, and she put it on immediately. Her wrist was slender and fair, and after putting on this jade bracelet, she added a bit of gentleness.

Pei Yan sized it up and said, "It's just right."

Tao Ti's cheeks flushed slightly, and she wanted to refuse, but Pei Yan said calmly, "Take it. If I am gone, this bracelet will be buried with me in the dark, which is a pity. It looks good on you, but if you don't like it, you can sell it later and get some money."

He said this casually, but it made Tao Ti feel heartbroken.

She touched the jade bracelet in her hand, looked at him with clear eyes, and said softly, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I will keep it well and will not sell it."

Seeing her serious promise, Pei Yan curled his lips, and the faint smile on his lips made him look particularly gentle, "Well, I believe you."