Chapter 152: A Consort's Heart is Like a Fortified City, Impregnable (Part Four) (Volume Four, End)

Having spent a peaceful Lunar New Year at the Flowing Cloud Manor, right after the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Chuxiu began executing her original plan to cultivate relationships with various noble clans. Coming to Jingzhou in person this time, she had brought along a multitude of rare treasures and curiosities. She had also instructed the Jingzhou branch of the Yun family's financial firm to keep an eye out for even rarer valuables for her use.

Among all the prominent families in Jingzhou City, the very first place Chuxiu visited was the Left Prime Minister's residence, the home of Prince Mu Nie Peihan’s father-in-law. Because of the unpleasant fallout with Nie Peixiao on New Year's Eve, Chuxiu had declared that she would no longer let him interfere in Shen Yu’s affairs. Left with no other choice, she had to retreat to a secondary option, hoping to persuade the Left Prime Minister to act as a mediator and speak up for Shen Yu at court.

To her surprise, the visit to the Left Prime Minister's residence went far more smoothly than Chuxiu had anticipated. Upon hearing about Shen Yu's situation, the Left Prime Minister merely pondered for a moment before readily agreeing, acting with a clarity and promptness that far surpassed Nie Peixiao's initial attitude.

This was practically an unexpected windfall, and Chuxiu hardly knew how to express her gratitude. Yet given the Left Prime Minister's lofty demeanor, noble character, power, and high status, any amount of gold, silver, jewelry, or antique rarities she might offer would likely fail to catch his eye. Chuxiu had no choice but to accept this monumental debt of gratitude.

What she did not know, however, was that the moment she stepped out of the Left Prime Minister's gate, someone hurried off to the Prince Cheng's Mansion to report back to Nie Peixiao, delivering just a single sentence: "The Left Prime Minister has not failed the entrusted mission."

***

Throughout the entire first month of the year, Chuxiu was occupied with socializing across Jingzhou City, while Nie Peixiao did not show his face again. He seemed as though he had truly given up, remaining entirely inactive.

This allowed Chuxiu to heave a great sigh of relief and temporarily cast the matters concerning Nie Peixiao to the back of her mind. At the very beginning of the second month, after handling a few business affairs, Chuxiu unexpectedly received a confidential letter from Prince Mu: "Within three days, leave Jingzhou posthaste."

Chuxiu did not ask too many questions. She could sense that Prince Mu was about to make his move. After all, he was now to remain in Jingzhou indefinitely, gradually taking over the state affairs of the Southern Xi dynasty as the Prince Regent. Before that, he would inevitably have to purge his political opponents to ensure his future ascension to the throne would be free of worries.

Chuxiu boldly guessed that the person Prince Mu intended to deal with was bound to be connected either to herself or to the Yun family—specifically the Ming clan—otherwise, Prince Mu would not have specifically urged her to leave Jingzhou quickly. Fearing that Helian Qi and Ming Ying might be driven to desperation and stir up further trouble that would drag her into the fray, Chuxiu hurriedly wrapped up the mundane affairs at hand. She instructed Yun Xian to practice self-preservation and discretion, then led the entire household entourage of the Yun family in a grand departure, returning in a majestic procession to Yanlan City.

Because her departure was rushed and she had not discussed it much with others, by the time Nie Peixiao learned of the matter, Chuxiu had already been out of the city for a full day.

For over a month, Nie Peixiao had been locked in a cold war with Prince Mu while simultaneously pondering how to handle his relationship with Chuxiu. Some decisions were hovering between clarity and obscurity; he could feel that the situation was far too intricate, and this romance was no longer something he could decide upon all by himself.

Chuxiu's identity as the matriarch of the Yun family, the resistance from his seventh brother and imperial mother, the sting of malicious gossip... and most importantly of all, the fact that Chuxiu currently felt no romantic inclination toward him at all.

The road ahead was fraught with hardships and covered in thorns; every time he thought of it, Nie Peixiao felt a headache coming on. As someone unversed in the ways of romantic love, coming up with a foolproof strategy in a short span of time was simply beyond him...

Whether it was because Nie Peixiao and Prince Mu's cold war was too obvious, or because he failed to properly conceal his worried expression, his heavy heart was eventually discovered by Imperial Noble Consort Ye.

On an afternoon in mid-February, after the mother and son had finished lunch at the Yingyuan Palace, Imperial Noble Consort Ye pressed him step by step until, left with no alternative, Nie Peixiao poured out all his pent-up feelings in one breath. Of course, he omitted the past history of Chuxiu being Hanchu, merely claiming that he admired her zither playing to the point of being hopelessly and deeply entranced.

In any case, he had already anticipated the worst possible outcome, and thus he felt neither fear nor hesitation.

***

To his surprise, upon hearing her beloved son's turbulent love story, Imperial Noble Consort Ye did not fly into a rage and try to stop him as Nie Peixiao had expected. Instead, she burst into hearty laughter: "You rascal actually have some taste! Lady Chuxiu is drop-dead gorgeous and possesses a heart as clever as a sieve; even your mother here would be tempted upon seeing her!"

"Imperial Mother!" Nie Peixiao looked at Imperial Noble Consort Ye in astonishment, finding her attitude hard to believe.

Imperial Noble Consort Ye was roughly of the same age as Grand Madame Xie, but their temperaments and styling were poles apart. Perhaps because Grand Madame Xie was the ruling matriarch who labored and fretted over everything, she appeared older than Imperial Noble Consort Ye, and from her hairstyling to her attire, she was far more dignified and conservative.

Imperial Noble Consort Ye, on the other hand, had lived in the deep palace for a long time, enjoying unfading imperial favor with two sons who possessed boundless glory. This had forged a proud and haughty demeanor between her brows. Her clothes and ornaments were magnificent and opulent, making her look a full seven or eight years younger than Grand Madame Xie. And this was precisely what she took the most pride in—her immaculate maintenance of her youth.

Imperial Noble Consort Ye chuckled to herself for a long while, until the fine lines at the corners of her eyes could no longer be concealed, before she slapped the table and said, "Good boy, do you truly like Lady Chuxiu?"

Nie Peixiao nodded truthfully: "I like her sincerely."

"How much do you like her?"

Nie Peixiao thought for a moment and answered solemnly: "Probably, I will never meet anyone I like more."

Imperial Noble Consort Ye sighed: "If you speak thus now, there is no guarantee that ten or eight years from now, you won't take a new fancy."

Nie Peixiao gave a bitter smile: "That is different. If Imperial Mother had heard her zither playing, you would know why I cannot extricate myself."

"Just looking at her appearance and demeanor, I understand," Imperial Noble Consort Ye said with a smiling sigh. "What's more, you are infatuated with music; if her zither playing drew such unstinting praise from you, it must surely be exceptional."

Seeing his mother heap praise upon Chuxiu sentence after sentence, Nie Peixiao tentatively asked, half in doubt: "Why is Imperial Mother not scolding me? Nor do you seem angry? What are you..."

"What am I?" Imperial Noble Consort Ye raised her delicately painted delicate eyebrows. "You are my only son. You fancy a woman, growing infatuated and tormented over her—could I possibly have the heart to tear you two apart? Furthermore, who is Lady Chuxiu? She is the ruling matriarch of the Yun family! She is not some short-sighted young lady of a sheltered boudoir, and she is also your seventh brother's ally... If you can win her heart, I would be too happy for words!"

"Imperial Mother..." The more Nie Peixiao listened, the more incredible it sounded. "Do you mean to say you do not object?"

"What would I object to? What you are worrying about is hardly an issue at all, you silly boy. It takes two hands to clap; the most important thing is that Lady Chuxiu must be willing," Imperial Noble Consort Ye instructed with a smile. "What status and position? What chastity archway? Do you truly expect her to follow you under the name of a Yun family widow? By then, she will naturally change her name and surname, adopting a clean and untainted identity."

Imperial Noble Consort Ye slowly sipped her tea and continued, "When the time comes, we will simply announce to the outside world that Lady Chuxiu has passed away. I will then find a trustworthy person for her to be adopted as a daughter—wouldn't that do? It preserves the reputation of the Yun family while not delaying her remarriage... Later on, even if someone thinks she resembles someone else, as long as we stubbornly insist that Lady Chuxiu is dead, could they possibly go dig up a grave to verify it?"

"Imperial Mother! This is a brilliant idea!" Nie Peixiao was overjoyed, feeling as though the problem that had plagued his mind for days had finally been solved.

"Look at you! You appear suave and astute in front of others, yet when you encounter matters of romance, can your brain not even make a single turn?" Imperial Noble Consort Ye scolded playfully, tinged with fondness. "As for your seventh brother's side, you need not worry. He himself is a loser in the arena of romance and cannot even win over Chen Xuan—what good advice or experience could he possibly have to lecture you with? I will handle persuading him. After all, having raised him for so many years, if even I agree, what right does he have to interfere? Besides, your seventh brother dotes on you the most. Go make your apologies to him, and everything will be settled."

***

Seeing that Imperial Noble Consort Ye had agreed so readily, Nie Peixiao felt it was still somewhat unusual: "Are you truly willing to let me marry Chuxiu?"

"Willing! Why wouldn't I be! Giving her the title of a secondary consort will do. She is a woman who has been married before and started out as a maidservant—does she truly harbor delusions of becoming your primary princess consort?" Imperial Noble Consort Ye effectively blocked any further extravagant hopes Nie Peixiao might harbor with a single sentence. "Once your seventh brother unifies the north and south, you will be the most noble person in this world apart from him, and the Yun family will have no choice but to bow their heads in submission to your seventh brother! By then, for her, a widow of the Yun family, to marry you as a secondary consort will be marrying up, never marrying down!"

To become a secondary consort... Nie Peixiao could not help frowning in hesitation, remembering how Chuxiu disdained even the position of his primary consort—how could she ever willingly humble herself to become a secondary consort? Yet he also understood that for Imperial Noble Consort Ye to nod in agreement now was already no small feat; as for matters of official status, they could only be handled slowly over time.

Even so, no matter how much Nie Peixiao turned it over in his mind, he still could not fathom why, given the relationship between his mother and Grand Madame Xie, she would endorse this match.

Seeing the bewildered expression on her beloved son's face and knowing what he was thinking, Imperial Noble Consort Ye covered her mouth and giggled, "That Xie Miaodan rode roughshod over my head for the better part of her life; now it is finally time for me to turn the tables. Isn't she the one who values Lady Chuxiu the most? I am simply going to snatch her away so that the Yun family loses its ruling matriarch! I would be even happier if their family status plummeted into the dust!"

The more Imperial Noble Consort Ye spoke, the more deeply gratified she felt inside, opening the floodgates of her chatter as she poured out her thoughts endlessly: "If I become the Empress Dowager hereafter, I will naturally be a notch above her. Since the Yun family takes your seventh brother as their leader, won't that Xie Miaodan be completely at my mercy? The mere thought of you marrying her most treasured daughter-in-law, making her nose twist in anger, fills my heart with utter comfort!"

"I want to make her understand that her son is a short-lived ghost, and her daughter-in-law is bound to become my daughter-in-law, abandoning her and walking away!" Imperial Noble Consort Ye patted Nie Peixiao's slender and exquisite right shoulder lightly by way of comfort, as if she had finally vented her pent-up grievance. "All you need to do now is win over Lady Chuxiu's heart. Everything else is no problem; I, your mother, will solve everything for you!"

Hearing this reasoning, Nie Peixiao was truly torn between laughter and tears; he genuinely could not fathom the workings of a woman's mind. Sometimes, principles and pride that seemed paramount in a man's eyes were utterly worthless in a woman's eyes; yet at other times, minor trifles that men treated as mere specks of dust were things women would fuss over for a long time.

Take his mother, for instance: just to win a petty breath of air against Grand Madame Xie, she could twist and accommodate herself to any circumstance... Though the reasoning and the process were truly absurd and ridiculous, the outcome was good nonetheless. He had successfully cleared the hurdle of his mother, and perhaps the hurdle of his seventh brother would not prove problematic either.

Yet, how was he to win Chuxiao's heart? Even though he possessed peerless weapons and eighteen different martial arts, she guarded herself like an impregnable city, her heart as unyielding as a fortress of bronze and an iron wall, leaving him utterly without an entry point.

By the time he emerged from the Yingyuan Palace, pitch-black night had already fallen. Nie Peixiao deliberately made a detour to the palace wall to take in the view, gazing out over the entire expanse of Jingzhou City inside and out, where he could faintly make out a corner of the Flowing Cloud Manor's nightscape.

When he turned his gaze back, the grand halls of the Yingyuan Palace gleamed radiantly in the night, as majestic and opulent as the nine-tiered heavenly palaces, watching with detached amusement over the joys and sorrows of the mortal world.

So what if he was a favored son of heaven and of imperial blood?

Living in this world, not a single person could ever escape that single word: "Love."

(End of Volume Four)