Chapter 87.2: Li Hong Yuan’s Birth Mother

The Empress’s smile made Li Hong Yi shudder in fear. He knew his imperial mother was very impressive and was further aware that if not for his imperial mother scheming at his side, he completely wouldn’t be Li Hong Ming’s opponent. Having to admit that he wasn’t as good as the other was something that was very difficult. But Li Hong Yi wasn’t really arrogant and conceited to the point where he completely lacked self-awareness. For example, often times, he was just like a stringed puppet in his imperial mother’s hands. He didn’t know, if one day he were to ascend the throne, whether or not he’ll be that puppet governed from behind the curtains by the Empress Dowager.

Li Hong Yi’s erratic change in expression the Empress pretended not to see. “Before you entered the palace, this empress received news that your sixth brother played a match of qi with your imperial father in Yucui Palace. Despite him yielding two pieces, your imperial father ultimately suffered a crushing defeat.”

Li Hong Yi violently lifted his head and look towards the Empress in disbelief. When he and Le Cheng Emperor played, he’d never once won before.

“Your sixth brother has never been a foolish person. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. He’s always been very smart since childhood. He knows how to best protect himself. He’s very well aware, if he shows off his abilities, then he might die faster. You should rejoice. He appears to be standing on your third brother’s side, but in reality, he doesn’t stand on anyone’s side. If he really were to wholeheartedly help your third brother, the power in your hands right now will at least shrink by a third. That’s why, my son, when you have to endure, you must endure. Don’t force him to your opponent’s side, the one who’ll suffer greatly will only be yourself.”

“Imperial mother is saying, Li….sixth brother is concealing his strengths? He also has ambitions for the throne?”

“My son, must you make your imperial mother say those two words out loud? Foolish.”

Getting attacked by the Empress, Li Hong Yi’s complexion was dim and pale.

“Ambitions perhaps exist. As an imperial prince, not many won’t dream of that chair. Just, probably because of some reasons at birth, that ambition is split into big and small. Your sixth brother gave up on studying in his youth. Many things that he should’ve learned, he all didn’t learn. These aren’t things that can be made up for with just intelligence. This many years, he’s already gotten used to living extravagantly and wantonly. To let him work hard for the prosperity of the country and not have any outside assistance, how big of a possibility do you think he’ll have? At least, at the moment, he still hasn’t become anyone’s opponent. For the time being, you don’t need to know too much. Any situation of his, this empress will naturally send someone to keep watch. You just need to do the things you should do well.”

“This son knows.” Shortly after, Li Hong Yi wanted to say something but hesitated, seemingly having something difficult to say.

“For a man, when you speak or act, you need to be more firm and unwavering. If you have something to say, say it, what are you stammering for?”

“Was the deceased Imperial Noble Consort’s background not good? This many years, never once seen a single person from his maternal family.”

“Everyone, at least nine out of ten, all think this. However, this really isn’t the case. That woman, in reality, comes from Jiangnan’s number one influential family, Pei family, and moreover, was the di branch’s di daughter. As everyone all know, the Pei family is loyal to the previous dynasty’s imperial household. When the Li clan seized control of the land, changing the dynasty, the Pei family was unwilling to vow loyalty to the new master and all withdrew from the imperial court, returning to Jiangnan. Because at the time, the Pei family’s influence was no small matter, if we were to extinguish the entire Pei clan, then it very possibly might cause many people who’d casted themselves to our Great Ancestor[1] to turn, directly severing Great Ancestor’s possibility of ascending the throne as Emperor, or perhaps Great Ancestor, in order to manifest a benevolent heart, allowed the entire Pei clan to all leave. Furthermore, he issued a decree, unless the Pei clan commits a grave offense like rebelling, the Li clan Emperors are not allowed to make things difficult for the Pei family.”

“As such, the Pei clan naturally won’t allow their clansmen to have any relations with the Li clan imperial family. Over the last hundred years, there hasn’t been any leeway to alleviate the tension. Moreover, the Pei clan also has the family rule of not allowing their di branch di daughter to marry as a concubine. When the Pei family daughter and your imperial father fell in love, your imperial father was still a qinwang at the time and had just happened to have gone to Jiangnan for work. This matter got very ugly. Your imperial father almost got reduced to a commoner by the previous Emperor and have no fate with the imperial throne. In the end, the Pei family daughter got expelled from the Pei clan. They announced to the outside that the Pei family daughter died suddenly from illness. The Pei family daughter changed her name and surname, and followed your imperial father back to the capital alone. She hid for three years, then changed her identity and entered the palace as a consort. Your imperial father stood his ground against everyone’s objection, even not hesitating to go against the ancestor’s teachings, letting her, with no power, no influence, and no background, be conferred as the Imperial Noble Consort as soon as she entered the palace.”

“Since imperial father cares that much about the Pei family daughter, then according to reason, he should have the throne passed on to sixth brother, and have sixth brother kept at his side to properly teach him, and not give to Noble Consort Su to raise. If at the time, he started paving the way for sixth brother, with imperial father’s all out support, believe many people will all be willing to support Li Hong Yuan, and not this current state of affairs. This son believes, there must be another secret.”

“If the Pei family daughter’s identity is the imperial family’s inside secret, then this matter you speak of is the secret among secrets. Imperial mother doesn’t know either.”

“Imperial mother, how about investigating it, perhaps it’ll be greatly beneficial to us.”

“My son, if this can be investigated, then imperial mother would’ve long investigated clearly already. Would imperial mother wait until now? The former Imperial Noble Consort died from excess bleeding after childbirth. All the people serving her were all punished by your imperial father and all beaten to death with the rod. Quite a few other people also got implicated and lost their lives. Right now, of those that still know the truth, aside from your imperial father, probably just Su-shi remained. From then on out, that woman, for your imperial father, became a taboo-like existence. If you don’t want to die, then don’t carelessly get involved. ——-Did you enter the palace for something?” After rambling for quite some time, the Empress finally got down to ‘proper business’. It was clear that she didn’t want to continue being tangled in this matter.

“Learned that sixth brother entered the palace and thought that he more or less wants to dissolve his engagement with younger cousin. This son just wanted to know the results.”

“This empress sure didn’t know that you’re actually this idle?”

“Imperial mother thinks this matter isn’t important?” Because of this matter, he’d been very restless these days. Yet, imperial mother completely didn’t care?

“Then let this empress ask you, just what exactly is important about this matter? Your younger cousin’s disfigurement has already become an established fact. Her original worth was still there, but after getting bestowed to your sixth brother, she has thoroughly become an abandoned chess piece. No matter who she marries, it’s all the same. Regardless whether your sixth brother compromises, or rebels to the end, what difference is there? Or did you think, if he breaks the engagement, your younger cousin can still, as your maternal uncle desires, find a good marriage match to add another support for you?”

Li Hong Yi opened his mouth, but was unable to respond. “……Did sixth brother compromise, or imperial father compromise? This son wanted to know so that one can prepare a good congratulatory gift for sixth brother in advance, no?”

“Su-shi, that kind of good consort mother, has long hoped for her son to be able to have a fitting person to take care of him. Yi Jia although has ruined her beauty, but apart from this, for the most part, there was nothing else to nitpick. Even if your sixth brother disdains, just let her cover her face and order her around like a servant. She can still take care of Jin Qinwang Manor, take care of the social relations and dealings outside.”

Li Hong Yi finally understood. With Noble Consort Su present, that good sixth brother of his will compromise. “Sixth brother has always only ever allowed good things to enter his eyes. His wedding gift is really going to be quite troublesome.”

“Alright, imperial mother will prepare for you, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Since that’s the case, this son thanks imperial mother.”

Empress Sun waved her hand, letting him spend more time handling proper affairs, study more in places he didn’t understand, ask more, and don’t always think that once that little bit of matter at hand was done, he’ll have nothing to do.

Not long after Kang Qinwang left Kunyi Palace, he encountered Rui Qinwang, who similarly was preparing to leave the palace.

The two sworn enemies mutually exchanged perfunctory greetings. They harshly opposed one another, yet also displayed an appearance of ‘friendly brothers’. Just a few days ago, they’d both wanted to rope in old four to join hands with them in order to get rid of the other party first. However, when the two had thought that they’d prevailed and was feeling content with themselves, they learned that they both got cheated by old four at the same time.

Afterwards, just as they exited the palace gates, the separately received news. That good sixth brother of theirs had violently charged around on horseback in the city, whipped several noble family’s young masters, damaged a large pile of things, letting those bodyguards of his all enter the capital magistrate’s prison, while he himself went to Ding Duke Manor alone. And that’s not all. Most important of all, he’d directly gone to look for Sun Yi Jia. Sun Yi Jia was in her own little courtyard, in the inner manor[2].

Li Hong Yuan was angry and thus directly directed his anger onto Sun Yi Jia? Heh, don’t joke around, it was merely because——–master, Miss Luo went to Ding Duke Manor

[1] Great Ancestor – Posthumous title for the founder of a dynasty

[2] The inner manor was where the womenfolk lived so no outside men were allowed to enter.

T/N: A lot of exposition from this novel is always told first from an outsider’s perspective through rumors and such. However, like this ML’s reputation, there’s always another side to every story, so you shouldn’t always believe the information you’re given.