Lin'an Marquis Mansion

The Lin'an Marquis Mansion in Dingjing City was truly magnificent.

The late Marchioness was Princess Yuqing, the most beloved daughter of the former emperor. After becoming a son-in-law, the Lin'an Marquis should have had his military power taken away.

But Princess Yuqing's sweet talk made the former emperor turn a blind eye. This showed how important Princess Yuqing was to him.

Princess Yuqing was stunningly beautiful and gentle.

She was adored by the Lin'an Marquis after their marriage. Unfortunately, the Marquis still took in a concubine—Lady Fang.

If Princess Yuqing was a natural-born noblewoman, skilled in social graces, Lady Fang was a simple country girl.

Her father had done the Marquis a favor. When her family fell, her father used that favor to force the Marquis into marrying Lady Fang as a legitimate concubine.

A legitimate concubine was different from ordinary ones—they couldn't be beaten or killed at will.

Lady Fang stayed humble and didn't cause trouble. The Marquis didn't think much of it. Noble families were used to having multiple wives.

Having only one legitimate concubine like the Marquis was rare. He saw no problem with it.

But men and women viewed concubines differently. The Marquis thought taking a concubine was no big deal.

To him, concubines were just playthings; his heart belonged to Princess Yuqing. But Princess Yuqing didn't see it that way.

Princess Yuqing grew up pampered by the former emperor.

After marrying into the Marquis family, she lived a life of luxury. Her husband only had her as his wife.

Then suddenly, a concubine appeared. Around that time, Princess Yuqing had just given birth to Xiao Jingxing and was still recovering. The news hit her hard.

Every day, Lady Fang came to pay respects to Princess Yuqing, dressed and behaved perfectly.

Without her visits, Princess Yuqing might have been fine. But every visit made her feel miserable.

If Princess Yuqing were an ordinary princess, she could have easily found a way to get rid of Lady Fang. But Princess Yuqing had always been protected and naive. She wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics.

One of the princess's maids came up with a plan. Without telling the princess, she tried to drive Lady Fang out secretly. Somehow, it failed, and the Marquis found out.

Though the Marquis acted carefree, he hated women using sneaky tricks. He scolded Princess Yuqing harshly.

This was the first time Princess Yuqing had argued with the Marquis since their marriage.

She couldn't bear grievance, so she didn't reveal the maid's involvement. She argued fiercely with the Marquis, who stormed off in anger.

She thought he'd come back in a few days. But a month passed, and the Marquis stayed with Lady Fang. Women in confinement shouldn't be upset. Princess Yuqing got angry and fell severely ill.

The Marquis still loved his wife deeply and wanted to visit her. But he received an urgent imperial order to go to war. He left without even saying goodbye.

Not long after he left, Lady Fang discovered she was pregnant.

As the main wife, Princess Yuqing couldn't harm Lady Fang while the Marquis was away. She even had to protect Lady Fang's unborn child.

Otherwise, rumors would spread that she harmed the concubine while her husband was gone.

Over time, Princess Yuqing's health deteriorated. Her maid was anxious, but Princess Yuqing refused to report to the royal family.

She wrote a letter to the Marquis, asking him to return and see her.

She waited and waited, but he never came.

Princess Yuqing passed away. Three days after her burial, the Marquis returned victorious but couldn't even see his beloved wife's body. He grieved deeply.

Alas, the beauty was gone, leaving only a handful of yellow earth.

The former emperor was furious and stripped the Marquis of his position.

When the new emperor ascended the throne, he pitied the Marquis's talent and reinstated him. But the fairytale romance was over.

The Marquis never remarried. In the Lin'an Marquis Mansion, only Lady Fang remained. She stayed humble as always. The children she bore received some attention from the Marquis, but most of his focus was on his legitimate son, Xiao Jingxing.

But Xiao Jingxing didn't appreciate it. As he grew older, he distanced himself from the Marquis.

The love-hate entanglement between Princess Yuqing and the Marquis was well-known in Dingjing City. Anyone curious enough could find out about it.

The Marquis felt guilty toward his son and tried to fulfill his wishes. But Xiao Jingxing seemed to enjoy opposing his father, often making him furious.

Still, he inherited Princess Yuqing's beauty and talent. Despite his mischievous nature, he was an extraordinary young man, a dream for many noble daughters.

Today was no different.

Xiao Jingxing strode into his study.

His courtyard was where Princess Yuqing once recuperated, far from the main house. It was quiet. Xiao Ding once suggested he move closer to the main house, but Xiao Jingxing refused.

His reason? He didn't want to see certain people.

He always kept a cold attitude toward the Marquis Mansion.

A servant walked in, carrying a snow-white ceramic bowl with flower patterns. He said, "Lady Fang made crystal lotus seed porridge. She said it took hours to cook. Master, warm yourself."

He disliked being called "Young Master" or "Crown Prince." He preferred "Master," as if to distance himself from the mansion.

Xiao Jingxing glanced at the bowl. The porridge was shiny, the broth thick and fragrant, clearly cooked for hours. It looked appetizing.

He coldly said, "Throw it away."

The servant, used to this, replied, "Yes," and left.

Just as he stepped out, a figure appeared behind the door, head slightly bowed, whispering, "Master, we've confirmed it. The third miss from the General's Mansion, Ye Xin's legitimate daughter, Ye Lily."

"Ye Xin?" Xiao Jingxing frowned.

Ye Xin and Xiao Ding had disagreed politically for years. The Ye and Lin'an families disliked each other. Their military powers balanced each other, involving many interests.

The Lin'an family and the Su family were friends. The Ye family warning the Su family might also be a warning to the Xiao family. But why would enemies suddenly warn them?

And what did a young girl like Ye Lily know? Perhaps the Ye family sent her intentionally. Ye Xin was far in the northwest. Could it be the second or third house?

Ye Gui and Ye Wan were ambitious. With political storms rising again, they might want to stir the waters.

"The Ye and Xiao families are clearly divided. The Ye girl suddenly showing goodwill is obviously not well-intentioned." He raised an eyebrow, his tone as cold as iron: "Keep investigating!"