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The Tenth Princess covered her flushed face with her hands, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Consort An, feeling wronged.
"Mother, it's Gu Qingning. She plotted against me. She's just a merchant's daughter, and she lost her mother. Plus, she has a blind sister. What’s so special about her?" The Tenth Princess said angrily, recalling how both her mother and Second Brother were so intent on getting Gu Qingning.
Although Gu Qingning was the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Loyal Distance, her noble lineage could not change the fact that she had a merchant mother and a sister with an eye ailment, which made others look down on her even more.
Countless noble young ladies in the capital aspired to marry into the royal family, yet Consort An and the Second Prince had their eyes set on Gu Qingning. It wasn't just because she was the legitimate daughter of the Duke; more importantly, her maternal family was the Shi family, one of the wealthiest merchants along the Huai River, second only to the royal merchants.
Acquiring Gu Qingning would not only provide support from the Gu family and their military forces for Pei Zhirui but also grant access to the endless wealth from her maternal family.
After the matron took the Tenth Princess away, Consort An finally spoke softly. "A merchant girl is unworthy of my son, yet she is his best choice. If we can gain her support, my son will have a powerful bargaining chip that will make others step aside."
Consort An's expression darkened, her gaze as venomous as a snake's. Half-sitting on a zitan wood chair, she squinted and explained, "If Pei Zhirui wants to ascend to the throne, he must eliminate any obstacles posed by the Gu family. If we cannot win them over, we must destroy them."
"Mother, what should we do next?" Pei Zhirui followed Consort An back to Yaohua Palace and had remained silent since entering. He coldly watched as Consort An slapped the Tenth Princess without acknowledging it.
The Tenth Princess was his closest sister; he usually brushed off their minor quarrels. But now she had foolishly plotted against Gu Qingning and ended up being outmaneuvered herself, leaving him unaware of the trap he was in.
Pei Zhirui had originally planned to use an aphrodisiac to ruin Gu Qingning's reputation but was interrupted when his subordinate reported that Baihua Tower had been raided by officials. He had no choice but to send his guards to handle it.
As he turned to return to his courtyard, he was suddenly struck on the shoulder and lost consciousness. When he came to, he found himself overwhelmed with desire and could only vent it on Gu Yan.
"Seeing how your father looks at us, he's already starting to be dissatisfied with you and me. We can only hold back for now," Consort An mused after a moment of contemplation. "You shouldn't focus too much on Gu Qingning; we don't want your father thinking you're neglecting your duties or lacking ambition. Besides, that sickly Pei Zhiqing won't live long. When that day comes, we can bring Gu Qingning over as a concubine."
As long as Pei Zhiqing couldn’t survive, she would find a way for her son to win over Gu Qingning.
The Empress had no legitimate son; the eldest prince had died young, leaving Pei Zhirui in second place according to ancestral rules—he was most likely to ascend to the throne among princes. Meanwhile, Pei Zhiqing was favored by the Emperor but was frail; even if given the title of Crown Prince, he might not live long enough to sit on it.
Thinking about how that wretched Concubine Chen had died while her son still had years left to compete for the throne against her beloved Rui'er filled her with jealousy and resentment that seeped into every part of her being.
Pei Zhirui nodded in agreement.
"Doesn't Mother think Father is too indulgent towards Aunt?" he asked in confusion.
No matter how outrageous the actions of the Duke of Qi's household were, once the Eldest Princess entered the palace, no one dared to speak against it.
"Is it merely because she is Emperor Jing's only biological sister?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Consort An felt a slight heaviness in her heart. After pondering for a long time, she finally advised him: "Just consider it your father's favoritism towards his only sister."
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