After leaving Mo Qian's place, Pei Shangxuan went straight to the study.
Upon entering the study, his face immediately turned grim.
He truly hadn't expected that in just a few days, the princess would change so drastically, losing her previous tenderness towards him.
He became somewhat hard-hearted.
They even went so far as to ask the Emperor to dismiss him!
That's absolutely outrageous!
Doesn't the princess know that he studied diligently for eighteen years in order to pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom? Now she has so easily dragged him down, which he finds very hard to accept.
Judging from the princess's attitude just now, she probably won't let him return to the court, but he won't admit defeat so easily.
Fortunately, he had made many friends among his colleagues, and he could ask them to help him submit memorials and plead on his behalf.
Thinking of this, Pei Shangxuan couldn't sit still any longer and called in the servant who was standing next to him outside the door.
"Mr. Hu, come in!"
"Coming, sir." Hu Sheng, who was waiting outside the door, responded quickly after hearing Pei Shangxuan's summons.
He then pushed open the door and came in.
"What are your orders, sir?"
"Deliver these letters to the respective residences." Pei Shangxuan then handed the letters he had just written to Hu Sheng.
"Yes, sir, I'll take care of it right away." After receiving the letter, Hu Sheng left the study.
Previously, Pei Shangxuan wrote in a letter that they would meet at Hongyun Restaurant at 5 PM the next day, and attached his signature.
The next day
Hongyun Restaurant
"Please, everyone, put in a good word for me before the Emperor. I'd like to offer you a toast first."
As he spoke, Pei Shangxuan raised his wine glass to the others present and then downed it in one gulp.
"Your Highness, you're too kind. It's no trouble at all."
"It is a great blessing to have someone like the Prince Consort who is willing to serve the court. With his talent and learning, he should be helping the people in distress."
"The princess is just a woman, so naturally she doesn't understand the lofty ambitions of us men. She dares to interfere in the appointment and removal of officials at will, which is simply disrupting the established order. Rest assured, Prince Consort, we will petition the Emperor."
"It is a real pity that a man of such talent as the imperial son-in-law and the top scholar is confined to his home."
...
"Then I'll have to trouble you all. Let's drink." After hearing everyone's words, Pei Shangxuan's face showed a hint of satisfaction.
Then, he invited everyone to drink and eat.
The atmosphere became quite lively for a while.
After several rounds of drinks, Pei Shangxuan, having drunk too much, got up from his seat and went to the outhouse.
When he returned, the words coming from the room were different from those spoken before him.
“Pei Shangxuan, a mere top scholar, if it weren’t for the princess taking a liking to him and making him her husband, how could he possibly be sitting at the same table with us today?”
"Yes, if it weren't for the fact that he is the eldest princess's husband, I wouldn't bother with him at all. I only play with him because of the eldest princess."
“We’ve seen plenty of top scholars, nothing special. If it weren’t for the Princess, Pei Shangxuan wouldn’t even be able to afford a one-courtyard house in the capital.”
"Even this Hongyun Restaurant is too expensive. After all, a bottle of Zuihua Bai costs a hundred taels of silver. If we calculate based on the monthly salary of a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, it would take a year without eating or drinking."
"That's right. I used to be on good terms with him because of the Princess, hoping to use him to establish a connection with the Princess's residence. But now it seems that the Princess is somewhat dissatisfied with him."
"There has never been a precedent in the history of dynasties where a princess petitioned the emperor to dismiss her husband. It seems there must be some hidden reason behind this."
“Pei Shangxuan is also cunning. The eldest princess is deeply favored by the emperor. If we go against the eldest princess, we might be disliked by the emperor.”
“That makes sense. We only gave Pei Shangxuan some face because of the Princess. Now it seems there’s no need for that.”
"Shh, stop talking. He'll probably be back soon. After all, he's still the prince consort."
"Absolutely, absolutely, let's drink!"
"Let's drink! Let's drink to our hearts' content today."
...
Pei Shangxuan stood outside the door, his expression a mixture of light and shadow.
A flash of annoyance crossed his eyes.
He never imagined that the person who used to call him brother would think of him like this behind his back!
In the past, when they praised his knowledge and shared his opinions in court, they thought they had met kindred spirits.
It turns out they were just playing him; they didn't value him as a person, but rather the princess behind him.
I am absolutely furious!
However, now that he has been dismissed from his post, and given the princess's ambiguous attitude, he can only pretend not to know and cannot act on his whims.
Thinking of this, Pei Shangxuan's hatred intensified.
After standing outside for a while, Pei Shangxuan went back inside.
He even had a fake smile on his face.
"The Prince Consort is back! Make way, let him pass."
"Your Highness, come here quickly, everyone is waiting for you to have a drink."
"Today, with the Prince Consort hosting, we are truly fortunate to have such a delicious meal."
...
Afterwards, Pei Shangxuan began to feign politeness with these people.
When the banquet ended and Pei Shangxuan got into the carriage to return home, his face darkened.
The original intention of inviting these people was to ask them to plead for him before the Emperor out of consideration for their past relationship, but they never expected to hear such remarks.
Now it seems these people can't be relied on either.
It also made him realize clearly that his past prosperity was all due to the princess's mansion, not his own talent.
The courtesy they showed him and the drinks they shared with him were all to curry favor with the princess.
This also frustrated him greatly.
The suppressed drunkenness surged up again, and for a moment, he didn't know where to go or what to do.
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