The Gu family was a true aristocratic family, with a profound heritage, especially now, basking in great glory.

 

The Gu family produced an Empress Dowager, an Empress, and palace concubines.

 

Empress Dowager Gu Mingzhu was Xiao Sheng's mother, and she was the eldest legitimate daughter of the old master, Gu Xian. In those days, besides the Empress Dowager, Gu Xian had two legitimate sons, Gu Xuan and Gu Yan, and a younger daughter, Gu Mingxi.

 

The relationships among them were excellent, and they supported each other significantly.

 

The Empress Dowager never became an Empress during her lifetime, but in the end, her son became the Emperor, making her the most esteemed woman in the world.

 

The Empress Dowager passed away five years ago. During her life, she never interfered in state affairs, and her relationship with Xiao Sheng was relatively harmonious.

 

The Empress Dowager was wise in major matters, but like everyone, she had her own selfish desires. She wanted the Gu family to enjoy everlasting prosperity, so she intervened in the Emperor's marriage, ensuring that her niece, the current Empress Gu Ruya, entered the palace. However, Gu Ruya did not conceive for several years after entering the palace. After the birth of the First Prince, Xiao Rong, both the Gu family and the Empress became somewhat anxious.

 

As the flowers in the palace bloomed one after another, each more vibrant than the last, the Empress's belly showed no signs of movement. The Empress Dowager could no longer hold back and summoned Gu Rulan into the palace.

 

Gu Ruya's father was Gu Xuan, the eldest legitimate son of the old master, Gu Xian, while Gu Rulan's father was Gu Yan, the second legitimate son.

 

Unexpectedly, Gu Rulan seemed to bring good fortune with her. A little over a year after entering the palace, the Empress became pregnant, and not long after, Gu Rulan was also found to be expecting. Not only did they both become pregnant one after the other, but under the Empress Dowager's care, they gave birth to sons on the same day.

 

For the Empress Dowager, the Gu family, and even the Emperor, this was considered a joyous event.

 

Shortly after the Empress Dowager's death, Xiao Sheng appointed Xiao Jin as the Crown Prince.

 

The timing of the Emperor's decision to appoint the Crown Prince was somewhat delicate. Some said the Emperor resented the Empress Dowager's interference in the harem; otherwise, he wouldn't have waited until after her death to appoint the Crown Prince.

 

Others said the Emperor was a person of utmost filial piety. During the Empress Dowager's illness, his only wish was for her health and well-being, leaving him no time to think about appointing a Crown Prince. Appointing the Crown Prince afterward was not only to give the Empress Dowager peace in the afterlife but also to show that he valued Xiao Jin as an individual.

 

Regardless of the rumors outside, Xiao Jin ascended to the position of Crown Prince and has held it steadily over the years. This stability was due not only to the Emperor's support but also to the backing of the Gu family.

 

As a result, Xiao Jin's relationship with the Gu family was very close, and various connections necessitated this closeness.

 

In contrast, Xiao Shan's relationship with the Gu family was not as intimate. Xiao Shan had less frequent interactions with the Gu family, and his temperament was such that even the Emperor sometimes found him difficult to handle, let alone the Gu family, who were his subjects.

 

Even so, there were still those who, relying on their connection to the Gu family, failed to recognize their place in front of Xiao Shan.

 

This person was none other than Gu Mingxi, the concubine-born daughter of the old master Gu Xian, and the sister of Gu Xuan and Gu Yan, now known as Old Madam An.

 

Old Madam An had recently returned to the capital from Xunan with her family. Since their house in the capital was not yet ready, they were temporarily staying at the Gu residence.

 

At home, Old Madam An was quite favored, and after her marriage, she remained strong-willed due to her family background. The An family produced military generals, and as a noblewoman, she looked down on those who did not appreciate poetry and the arts. Given her status, if it weren't for helping the Empress Dowager and Xiao Sheng secure military power, she would never have married into the An family, who were solely focused on warfare.

 

Fortunately, Old Master An indulged her throughout her life, and now that she had become Old Madam An, she was even more authoritative in the An family.

 

This time, she returned to the capital with her favored grandchildren, intending to find suitable matches for them.

 

However, her standards were high, and most families did not meet her expectations.

 

Old Madam An had been accustomed to being domineering over the years, so even upon returning to the capital, she hadn't changed her ways.

 

The main reason was that her father, Gu Xian, was still alive, and both Gu Xuan and Gu Yan, out of consideration for their sibling relationship, indulged her, while others flattered her.

 

Over the years, Old Madam An had always felt somewhat unbalanced. While other members of the Gu family enjoyed a comfortable life in the capital, she endured the harsh conditions at the border. Her two brothers' daughters had entered the palace, with one becoming the Empress and the other a consort, both holding esteemed positions. In contrast, she was merely a Hóu's wife, and her son was just a minor noble, the Bó of Le'an. Her daughter had also married locally in Xunan, likely never to return to the capital.

 

This sense of imbalance reached its peak when the Emperor bestowed Xie Zhui upon Xiao Shan.

 

Back then, besides the An family, she also had the option of marrying into the Xie family, and she originally favored the Xie family. However, the Xie family rejected her.

 

This became a thorn in her heart, occasionally pricking her over the years. It wasn't until five years ago, when Old Master Xie died on the battlefield and his son Xie Sui went missing, that this thorn was finally removed.

 

She had a large family with many descendants, while the Xie family had dwindled.

 

But before she could enjoy her satisfaction for long, another Xie family member, Xie Chen, emerged. Xie Chen stabilized the Northern Army, completely overshadowing the An family.

 

Fortunately, this Xie Chen turned out to be a fake, just a young man. But instead of punishing Xie Zhui, the Emperor, in an effort to win people's hearts, bestowed Xie Zhui upon Xiao Shan, making him a royal consort.

 

Old Madam An felt deeply troubled upon hearing this news. She couldn't understand why, after all she had sacrificed for Xiao Sheng's throne, she wasn't given the same respect. It was especially painful because Xie Zhui was from the Xie family.

 

This time, it wasn't just a thorn in her heart; it was a knife directly stabbing into it.

 

The entanglements of several generations continued to this day, but Xiao Shan's generation naturally knew nothing of these matters.

 

When Xiao Shan brought Xie Zhui to pay respects to the elders of the Gu family, Old Madam An claimed to be unwell and rested in her own courtyard. Out of courtesy, Xiao Shan brought Xie Zhui to her courtyard. Old Madam An did not like Xie Zhui and made no effort to hide it.

 

As Xie Zhui performed the formal greeting as a junior, she scrutinized him with a haughty gaze, her expression full of dissatisfaction. She finally allowed Xie Zhui to rise, deliberately timing it to show her displeasure.

 

Seeing this, Xiao Shan's face immediately darkened.

 

When she presented the meeting gifts to Xie Zhui, a trace of hostility appeared in Xiao Shan's eyes, his handsome face openly displaying displeasure and disdain. The gifts were nothing special: one was a set of high-quality hair ornaments meant for women, and the other was a jade pendant suitable for a ger, of rather mediocre quality.

 

Old Madam An looked at Xie Zhui and said indifferently, "I always thought that when the Emperor bestowed a marriage upon the Prince, it would be to a virtuous woman. I never expected it to be a burly ger. In our Gu family, there has never been an instance of marrying a ger, so I never considered this possibility. The gifts I prepared were rather hasty. Fortunately, the hair ornaments are of excellent quality. You can keep them; if you don't use them yourself, you can give them to Prince Li's concubines in the future."

 

Upon hearing these words, Xie Zhui immediately understood that Old Madam An was not well-intentioned and naturally did not plan to accept the gift. He tightened his expression, about to say something, when Xiao Shan spoke first with a forced smile, "Great Aunt, what you said is quite something. Whether the Gu family has examples of marrying gers has nothing to do with you. If you don't want the younger generation in your family to marry gers, you should be cautious in the An family, not bring up the Gu family. Besides, This prince is a Xiao, and whether this prince takes concubines is my business. What kind of idle concern is Great Aunt showing here?"

 

The implication was that Old Madam An was overstepping her bounds.

 

After saying this, Xiao Shan glanced sideways at the set of hair ornaments and the jade pendant, his expression full of mocking and sarcasm. "These things are of no use to Xie Zhui. Great Aunt, you have been in the capital for some time now, staying at the Gu residence. If you hadn't heard about Xie Zhui marrying me, it would be the Gu family's fault for not informing you. But if you had heard and still brought out these things, then it was intentional. Out of respect for you as an elder and for the sake of my maternal grandfather and the others, This prince won't argue with you even if you look down on me and my consort. Since we find each other disagreeable, let's just avoid meeting in the future."

 

Old Madam An had heard of Xiao Shan's notorious reputation, but having only met him once and not having truly interacted with him, she hadn't taken it seriously. Moreover, during their previous encounter, Xiao Shan had only shown some impatience without being overly rude. Therefore, she hadn't paid much attention to the rumors about his reputation.

 

Moreover, upon her return to the capital, the Emperor summoned her to the palace and spoke with her for quite some time, both of them tearful. She knew the Emperor remembered her past contributions, so he treated her with considerable respect, and even the Crown Prince, Xiao Jin, honored her. Naturally, she did not take Xiao Shan seriously.

 

Unexpectedly, Xiao Shan responded with such direct mockery and sarcasm.

 

Old Madam An had lived a smooth and privileged life for many years, and no one had ever dared to speak to her in such a manner. She looked at Xiao Shan with utter shock, as if he had grown two horns on his head.

 

The other younger members of the An family couldn't help but look at Xiao Shan, never expecting that there was someone in this world who dared to challenge Old Madam An's authority.

 

"Well, well, well. My An family has guarded the border for generations, loyal and righteous. The Emperor calls me 'Yimu,' and the Empress and Consort Lan call me 'Gumu.' They have never spoken to me in such a manner. Today, this old woman has received a lesson from Prince Li," Old Madam An said, laughing in her anger.

 

She was trying to use her status as an elder and the principle of filial piety to pressure him. However, she might not realize that Xiao Shan never cared for such tactics.

 

"If Great Aunt wants to hear them say it, you can ask them to satisfy you. I always speak the truth, and if Great Aunt can't stand it, there's nothing I can do. I speak this way even in front of Emperor Father, and he has never said a word against me. Does Great Aunt intend to overstep Emperor Father and reprimand me?" Xiao Shan retorted unceremoniously.

 

Then, without waiting for Old Madam An to say anything further, he took Xie Zhui's hand and said, "Let's go, let's go. They don't welcome us here, so let's leave quickly. Why stand here and be criticized?"

 

Saying this, he took Xie Zhui and left directly. Old Madam An watched his back, and after a long while, she trembled and said, "I... I want to enter the palace to see the Emperor and the Empress."

 

After such an incident, Xiao Shan instantly lost any interest in staying at the Gu residence.

 

He called for Ji An and instructed him to explain the situation to Old Master Gu and the other elders, then left with Xie Zhui in a grand manner.

 

Xie Zhui never expected him to act so decisively. While shocked, he also felt an indescribable joy in his heart.

 

On the way back to Prince Li's residence, Xiao Shan suddenly leaned lazily on Xie Zhui's shoulder and said, "I originally wanted to take you to see the peach blossoms, but we didn't get to. Are you upset?"

 

Xie Zhui replied, "The Prince has defended me so much; any anger I had is long gone. As for the peach blossoms, what does it matter if we see them or not?"

 

Xiao Shan's eyes curved into a smile, and the sunlight streaming through the gaps in the curtains fell on his face, making his flawless and handsome features appear even more divine.

 

Xie Zhui, not used to being so close to someone, and finding it easy to get distracted by Xiao Shan's face, tried to move aside.

 

Xiao Shan reached out to stop him, smiling as he said, "If you move back any further, you'll end up outside the carriage."

 

Xie Zhui's heart skipped a beat. Not knowing what to say, he mumbled, "Your Highness."

 

Seeing how tense Xie Zhui was, Xiao Shan didn't continue to tease him. He let go and then said, "You were wronged today. This prince will make it up to you."

 

Xie Zhui wanted to say that he hadn't felt wronged at all. He had heard far worse things before, and Old Madam An's words meant nothing to him.

 

However, just as he was about to speak, Xiao Shan extended his fair, slender fingers and placed them on Xie Zhui's thin lips, stopping him from speaking. "You can't refuse, but you can look forward to it."

 

Xie Zhui opened his mouth to say something, but his tongue accidentally brushed against Xiao Shan's fingers.

 

Xie Zhui's eyes widened, a hint of confusion rising within them. Xiao Shan narrowed his eyes, feeling a slight warmth where his fingers had touched.

 

That night, Xiao Shan made good on his promise to compensate Xie Zhui.

 

In the dim light, with the bed curtains gently swaying, Xiao Shan caressed and bit Xie Zhui, whispering continuously in his ear, "Xie Zhui, tell me what you want. Hm…?”