"How much do you know about the affairs of the Yanbei Palace?" Looking at the scenery outside the window, Ren Yaoqi asked Dongsheng.
She didn't know much about the Yanbei Palace in her previous life, and she didn't deliberately inquire about it in this life. All she knew was what everyone knew.
However, Dongsheng was trained as Li You's personal attendant. His master was Zheng Guoliang, the powerful follower of his grandfather, who was also the steward of the Li family.
She always thought that Butler Zheng's voice was a little strange, but later she realized that Butler Zheng must have come from the palace and was a eunuch.
Li You's servants didn't need to know too much about social interactions, but they had to know how to help their master seek benefits and avoid harm. Therefore, Dongsheng should have a clear understanding of the situations of the various families in Yunyang City.
"The late King of Yanbei's wife was the late emperor's second daughter, born to the former Concubine Zhang. At the age of fifteen, the late emperor bestowed upon her the title of Princess Changde and married her into the Yanbei Palace. However, before this marriage, the old King of Yanbei was betrothed to Yun Yao, the eldest daughter of the Yun family. At the time, the King of Yanbei's grandfather, the fourth King of Yanbei, Xiao Qishan, was still alive, and he had petitioned the late emperor for permission to intervene."
"After much deliberation, the late emperor, in order to silence the public and appease Xiao Qishan, allowed the Yanbei Palace to allow Xiao Yan to marry Yun Yao, the eldest daughter of the Yun family, as a concubine at the same time as the princess's marriage. He also promised that after Xiao Yan inherited the throne of Yanbei, if Yun Yao had a son, she would be given the position of concubine. In this way, Xiao Yan's principal wife, Princess Changde, and his concubine, Princess Yun, were married one day apart."
"However, Princess Changde only gave birth to a daughter, Xiao Wei, after entering the Xiao family, and there has been no further news since then. Madam Yun gave birth to the old Yanbei King's eldest son, Xiao Yan. Later, the princess took a concubine from a branch of the Su family for the old Yanbei King. The old prince's second son, Xiao Heng, was born to this concubine. However, Concubine Su was in poor health and passed away shortly after Xiao Heng was born. Xiao Heng was raised by Princess Changde from a young age."
Dongsheng really knew all about the twists and turns of these aristocratic families, and he told them in detail, as if they were his own treasures.
"The fourth Yanbei King, Xiao Qishan, lived to be in his sixties, so the old Yanbei King was already thirty-five when he ascended the throne. At that time, there was a commotion in the Yanbei Palace over the issue of establishing a crown prince."
"Princess Changde wanted to establish her adopted illegitimate son, Xiao Heng. Meanwhile, the old Prince of Yanbei preferred his eldest son, Xiao Yan. I heard that Princess Changde even secretly wrote a memorial to the late Emperor without the knowledge of the old Prince of Yanbei, asking him to make the decision for her."
"It just so happened that the late Crown Prince had passed away, the late Emperor was ill, and the battle for the throne between Prince Kang and Prince Rong was at its most intense. The letter the princess secretly sent to the capital fell on deaf ears. The old Prince of Yanbei, however, personally came to the capital to request an imperial decree for his eldest son, citing Xiao Qishan's will. At the time, the regents, Prince Kang and Prince Rong, were locked in a close fight, and neither wanted to offend the Yanbei Palace. Therefore, Xiao Yan naturally became the Crown Prince. Two years later, the late Emperor suddenly recovered, and Prince Kang and Prince Rong were successively executed for their crimes of disobedience. Not long after, the old Prince of Yanbei also died suddenly, and Xiao Yan succeeded to the throne. He also requested that his eldest son, Xiao Jingkang, be named Crown Prince."
"Because of the 'Rebellion Between the Two Princes', the late emperor initially had no energy to attend to Yanbei affairs after his recovery. Therefore, Xiao Yan's succession to the throne and his request for a title for his eldest son went smoothly. However, the late emperor required the Crown Prince of Yanbei to study at the Imperial Academy in Beijing, essentially serving as a hostage. Therefore, the Crown Prince of Yanbei grew up in Beijing and was betrothed to Zhao Ying'e, the daughter of Princess Chang'an, by order of the late emperor. I heard that the Crown Prince was an excellent writer and painter, but his riding and archery skills were neglected."
Ren Yaoqi listened silently. She knew some of Dongsheng's things, but not others.
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