Chapter Forty-Eight: The Winter Porridge Festival Feast

"The Emperor's mind is as unfathomable as the sea. How could I possibly know?" Pei Fei sighed and said, "We must prepare for two contingencies. If His Majesty is unconcerned, we will press our advantage and ensure the He family is dealt a fatal blow—at the very least, stripping them of their iron-certificate privilege against the death penalty."

"Yet, beyond that, we can do no more."

Even Pei Fei dared not play any tricks under Emperor Jiacheng's watchful eye.

Though the Duke of Ningguo's estate and the Marquis of Wuning's estate were already locked in a bitter, irreconcilable feud, Pei Fei had never thought of giving up on destroying the He family. Not right now, however; he had to wait for the storm to pass.

"And if His Majesty's heart does not lie with our family, then—"

"Then what?" Pei Zhao could not help asking.

"What else could it happen? It will be nothing more than whatever thunder or rain falls upon us, all is imperial grace." Pei Xuan's expression was exceedingly grim. He had never imagined that such a minor incident could spiral to such massive proportions.

"Would His Majesty truly be so ruthless?" Pei Zhao was greatly shocked. "Are false charges easily fabricated against He Chong'an?"

"And is our family not suffering from the exact same thing?" Pei Xuan said with extreme fury.

Political struggles—were they not all the same? Fabricating charges to strike down political rivals.

Pei Xuan held little hatred for He Chong'an; he only resented his own carelessness for falling into the trap He Chong'an had laid. But he harbored deep hatred for Pei Zhao.

It was Pei Zhao's arrogant and aggressive demeanor that had blown what could have been a manageable negotiation with the He family into a scandal that had the entire city talking, driving them to a point of no return.

It had backed the Pei family into an awkward, trapped predicament.

Had this incident not been provoked by Pei Zhao, such a private discussion would never have included him—nor would inviting him have served any purpose.

In recent years, the Emperor had been living in seclusion within the inner palace, playing the role of a benevolent gentleman.

Yet, people across the realm had not forgotten the terrifying majesty he wielded in the first thirty years of his reign. To mention only one thing: executing multiple sons in a single day. Such methods were not within the grasp of just anyone.

Now that the tiger was dozing, others might forget, but the Pei family—one of the families that had personally experienced the Rebellion of the Crown Prince—would never forget. Only Pei Zhao, being young at the time and clueless, lacked a deep impression.

Pei Fei said, "Second, tell me honestly now. Have you concealed anything in all of this? Rest assured, no matter what you say today, I will not blame you."

Seeing Pei Fei's solemn expression, Pei Zhao felt a twinge of anxiety. Words that reached his lips were forcefully swallowed back.

If his earlier state was ignorance, his current state was fear.

He could not gauge the true magnitude of this matter, but his father's grave expression silenced him. He now faintly sensed that the Fengyu Firm was becoming a hot potato. The brother who had so readily handed it over to him had likely done so precisely to cut ties.

Yet, seeing the stern faces of his father and elder brother, he truly dared not speak the truth.

"There is nothing more."

Pei Fei and Pei Xuan proceeded to discuss in detail how to prepare for both contingencies, remaining awake almost through the entire night.

********

Imperial Noble Consort Ye was a noblewoman in her thirties.

Born to an impoverished family with nowhere else to turn, Lady Ye had entered the palace as a palace maid. However, possessing extraordinary beauty that transcended the mortal realm, she caught the eye of the Emperor. After a night of intimacy, she became pregnant and gave birth to Princess Changle.

Only then was she bestowed the title of Noble Lady.

The subsequent political upheavals need not be recounted.

The reason the Emperor was able to stage a comeback against the wind when everyone else favored the Crown Prince owed much to the assistance of the Imperial Noble Consort.

Yet, Lady Ye's elevation to Imperial Noble Consort and master of the six palaces was a result not merely of her merits, but of her genuine capability.

Having risen from the lowest ranks, Lady Ye was well-versed in the fickleness of human relationships. Once she attained power, she did not act haughtily. Her manner in dealing with others was methodical. During the Emperor's massive purge of the palace, she protected many innocent palace servants, earning immense popularity—which laid the foundation for her current status as the supreme mistress of the inner court.

Though she was not the Empress, her authority surpassed that of one.

The imperial Laba banquet was fundamentally a family feast.

Attended only by the Emperor, his consorts, imperial princes, and princesses, it was entirely organized and managed by the Imperial Noble Consort.

Princess Changle appeared demure in front of outsiders, but in the presence of the Imperial Noble Consort, she was lively and unrestrained. Practically throwing herself into the Noble Consort's arms, she cried, "Mother, why haven't you come to see me lately?"

The Imperial Noble Consort was nearly knocked over by the impact. Their strikingly similar faces leaned close together, making them look less like mother and daughter and more like sisters.

"Huan'er, you know as well as I do that the end of the year in the palace is overwhelmingly busy. Accounts must be settled across the board. If I don't review everything carefully this year, the discrepancies next year will be utterly absurd."

"As for you, I haven't visited because I am busy, but you haven't come to see me every day either, not even attending the morning greetings!"

"Hehe—" Princess Changle said, "I'm afraid of the cold."

Speechless, the Imperial Noble Consort gently flicked Princess Changle's forehead and said, "You child."

As mother and daughter were talking, an attendant came forward to report on how the He and Pei families had been arranged.

After a moment of contemplation, the Imperial Noble Consort instructed, "Tidy up two rooms in the side hall and prepare a feast in each. Let them wait there. When His Majesty remembers them, summon them in."

"Understood," the eunuch acknowledged, retreating.

"Mother, it's the Laba Festival; why invite outsiders?" Princess Changle asked cautiously.

"What do you think?" The Imperial Noble Consort's gaze locked piercingly onto Princess Changle, who instantly lowered her head in guilty avoidance.

"You really are a handful. Still, you handled this matter well by informing Eunuch Zhao. In the future, if such a thing happens again, you must handle it the same way. But forget about this matter today. When you see your Imperial Father, do not utter a single word of it—not even a special look. Court affairs are not something you should meddle in."

"Do you understand?"

Princess Changle lowered her head and replied, "I understand."

"Let's go. The banquet will begin shortly. Remember what I said," the Imperial Noble Consort said.

Before long, the Weiyang Palace was brilliantly illuminated.

Emperor Jiacheng had a total of eighteen sons and seven daughters.

Six of the princesses had already been married off, leaving only Princess Changle remaining in the palace.

Among the eighteen sons:

The eldest had died in infancy.
The second was the rebellious former Crown Prince.
The third and fourth were implicated in the former Crown Prince's rebellion and executed alongside him.
The fifth and ninth had fallen ill and passed away successively.
The sixth imperial prince, Prince Jin, was the eldest among the survivors.
The seventh imperial prince, Prince Chu, and the eighth imperial prince, Prince Zhao—these three served as figures holding nominal princely titles.
The tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth imperial princes had all reached adulthood, while the remaining sons were still young.

At today's family banquet, the various imperial princes and inner court consorts arrived in succession.

The family exuded an atmosphere of paternal benevolence and filial piety, brimming with joy. The princes vied to flatter the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort, creating a picture of quintessential imperial familial bliss.

After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Emperor Jiacheng sighed, set down his wine cup, and said, "A lifetime of toil. There is no peace even on holidays. You must have all heard about the affair concerning the Duke of Ningguo's estate and the Marquis of Wuning's estate."

Led by Prince Jin, the imperial princes bowed in unison and replied, "Your sons have all heard of it."

"In the future, you will all enter the court to govern and handle affairs of state. The nobility are the pillars of the nation and cannot be treated lightly. Look into today's matter as well, and consider how it should be handled."

"When you encounter such situations hereafter, you will know how to deal with them."