The Dayong Dynasty was a young dynasty established amidst turmoil and uncertainty.
The late emperor overcame numerous obstacles and personally killed the incompetent ruler of the previous dynasty. When he first ascended the throne, the patriarch of the Pei family had rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor and was therefore granted the title of Duke of Pei.
Unfortunately, after the Duke quelled the rebellion, he fell ill and passed away a few years later, leaving behind his wife and young son.
Therefore, although the Duke of Dingguo's mansion had the title, it had no real power whatsoever.
It wasn't until Pei Zhixuan didn't choose a hereditary official position and instead passed the imperial examination with top honors, and later took a position in the Censorate, that the Pei family slowly continued to rise along the original trajectory of the Duke's Mansion.
Pei Zhixuan also transformed into the most desirable young man for girls in the capital to marry.
Today is the birthday banquet of Lady Xu, the Duchess of the State, and the Second Master Pei and his wife are also at the banquet.
Unlike other prominent families, the Duke's mansion only had two branches. The eldest branch, Duke Pei, had passed away early, while the second branch, Master Pei, was a mediocre and incompetent man.
Therefore, the person in the Duke's mansion who could truly make a decision with a single word was Pei Zhixuan.
Originally, Shen Yunjiao was to become the matriarch of the Pei family after marrying into it, in charge of managing the household affairs.
However, she was frequently ill, and then she devoted all her energy to pleasing her mother-in-law, so she only had the empty title of housekeeper. The one who truly managed the backyard was still Madam Xu.
After Shen Yunjiao transmigrated, she learned about these things from Granny Lin.
Being a nominal matriarch is great; she has no interest in getting involved in the big or small affairs of the Pei family.
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As the Duchess of the State, Madam Xu held a noble status. According to past practice, many prominent families would send one or two people to attend the birthday banquet in order to maintain a superficial relationship.
But this year she specifically informed us in advance that the birthday banquet should be a simple family dinner.
Xu's maternal family also sent her sister's family.
Shen Yunjiao had only been in this world for a few days and had not yet met the Duchess.
But according to the novel, her mother-in-law is not a normal character either.
From the moment the female lead married into the family, Madam Xu looked down on Shen Yunjiao, but was wary of her noble status as the daughter of the prime minister. So she could only secretly devise ways to torment the female lead.
It can only be said that there isn't a single good person in the Duke's mansion.
Hearing Pei Zhixuan's powerful and composed footsteps behind her, Shen Yunjiao couldn't help but sigh.
This is not a good place; she needs to find a way to get a divorce as soon as possible.
Pei Zhixuan stared intently at the beautiful figure in front of him. After two years apart, Shen Yunjiao seemed to be somewhat different from before.
She seemed less attentive than before, and also more talkative.
At the end of the corridor, Pei Zhixuan's attendant was bowing respectfully, carrying a wooden brocade box. Upon seeing Shen Yunjiao, he immediately made a "please" gesture.
"Greetings, young mistress."
"Let's go."
Shen Yunjiao then had the attendant lead the way, passing through pavilions and waterside terraces, and entering the Duchess of Ci'an Hall from the long corridor.
Ci'an Hall is three to four times larger than Chunhe Hall, just in terms of its courtyard.
Busy servants carrying platters laden with delicacies moved about the mansion.
Before Shen Yunjiao even stepped into the flower hall, she heard loud women talking and laughing.
Once she went inside, she found that almost all of the Pei family's elders were present.
The Duchess sat upright, surrounded by many people, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
Her position was perfectly placed in the center of the large round mahogany table, which made her appear noble and dignified.
Upon seeing Shen Yunjiao walk in gracefully, her smiling face instantly darkened, stretching as long as a donkey's.
She sneered and slammed her hand on the table, saying, "What a big shot! Making the elders wait for you here. How precious do you think you are?"
The surroundings fell silent instantly.
Everyone quietly took their seats, all looking on with expressions of anticipation for a good show.
All eyes were on the Madam and the Young Madam.
The moment you walk in, they immediately get right up to you and start a big attack?
Shen Yunjiao snorted inwardly, but her face was full of smiles: "Mother, please calm down. Zhixuan just talked to me for a while, and he arrived later than me. According to you, he is much more precious than me!"
"Why don't you curse your son too?" Shen Yunjiao thought to herself.
Pei Zhixuan had just stepped into the house when he heard Shen Yunjiao's ill-intentioned words.
He looked up at the woman who was smiling brightly, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
Xu's lips twitched slightly, but seeing her beloved son walk in, she couldn't bring herself to say anything more.
This Shen Yunjiao is truly despicable for using her own son as a shield!
In such situations, no matter how dissatisfied Xu Shi was with Shen Yunjiao, she still had to put on a magnanimous appearance.
She pointed stiffly to an empty seat in the distance and said, "Sit down!"
But when she faced Pei Zhixuan, her tone was one of genuine affection: "Xuan'er, sit down next to your mother. You haven't seen your cousin in a long time, have you?"
Sitting next to Madam Xu was a pretty and charming girl who looked about seventeen or eighteen. As soon as Madam Xu mentioned her, she stood up shyly and bowed to Pei Zhixuan, saying, "Greetings, cousin."
He also glanced at Shen Yunjiao.
Shen Yunjiao accepted the provocation and glared back without hesitation. Her cousin was taken aback when she saw her glare back and sat down angrily.
Pei Zhixuan nodded, ignoring Shen Yunjiao, and sat down directly next to Madam Xu.
When Xu saw her son, she was overjoyed, beaming from ear to ear.
Shen Yunjiao remembered that the novel described Pei Zhixuan as a filial son from a young age, who valued etiquette and rules and never disobeyed his parents.
Therefore, even though the Duchess of the original text made things difficult for the female protagonist many times, Pei Zhixuan felt that the female protagonist, as a daughter-in-law, should endure it.
Later, when the male protagonist saved the crown prince by chance and became the crown prince's right-hand man, and rose rapidly in his official career, Xu was no longer afraid of the Shen family, which was gradually declining.
She then became even more blatant in making things difficult for the female lead, causing her to worry about all sorts of trivial matters at home, and secretly and slowly wearing down the female lead's health.
When Shen Yunjiao watched it, she felt that the female lead was so pitiful.
Of course, she wouldn't follow the same painful path as the original owner.
But Shen Yunjiao always felt that she had forgotten some important information.
As she picked up a piece of emerald green bamboo shoot, fragments from a novel suddenly flashed through her mind.
Shen Yunjiao remembered—the opportunity that enabled Pei Zhixuan to rise rapidly in rank and make a fortune was that he saved the Crown Prince.
The day Pei Zhixuan saved the crown prince seems to have been the night of Xu's birthday banquet—which is today.
Shen Yunjiao glanced at the male lead silently; that scumbag was still sitting there like an immortal.
Should we seize his opportunity? A voice in Shen Yunjiao's heart asked herself.
After Pei Zhixuan saved the crown prince, he chose to join his ranks.
When the Crown Prince ascended the throne, Pei Zhixuan was promoted from Inspector of the Censorate to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, a second-rank official.
The first thing he did after taking office was to settle scores with Prime Minister Shen and the Shen family.
The original text states that Pei Zhixuan harbored resentment towards the Shen family.
He remained silent until he gathered evidence of Prime Minister Shen's crimes—colluding with rebels and attempting to murder the Crown Prince, among other things.
He later vented his anger in a satisfying way—Shen's father was beheaded, the entire Shen clan was exiled, and Shen Yunjiao was stripped of her title as the Crown Prince's consort, becoming a lonely woman wandering the streets, suffering all kinds of humiliation.
Although Pei Zhixuan later regretted it and ordered people to find Shen Yunjiao.
However, by then the female protagonist had already experienced all the hardships of life.
Thinking of this, Shen Yunjiao felt a chill run down her spine. If things continued as the plot would unfold, she probably wouldn't have many good days ahead.
In the original text, the Crown Prince's injury was the work of remnants of the White Lotus Sect, but when Pei Zhixuan later thoroughly investigated Prime Minister Shen, he discovered that Shen was also involved in the assassination attempt.
Shen Yunjiao thought that if she saved the Crown Prince, this matter might become a get-out-of-jail-free card for the Shen family in the future.
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As night deepened, the servants placed plates of delicious food on the table.
Seeing the table full of delicious food, Shen Yunjiao belatedly realized that she was starving.
Food is the most important thing for people; fill your stomach first before making any plans.
With this thought in mind, Shen Yunjiao set her sights on a plate of crystal-clear sashimi. Just as she was about to pick up her chopsticks, she heard the woman opposite her laugh and say, "Yunjiao has become even more skilled at dressing up lately. When will you teach your second aunt?"
At this moment, all eyes fell on Shen Yunjiao.
Everyone then realized that Shen Yunjiao was not only beautiful, but also dressed and possessed items that were far beyond what ordinary people could compare to.
The three-colored jade bracelet on her wrist alone is a priceless and rare item.
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