The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: The Secret Affairs of the Prince An Mansion

A cold autumn rain brought a chill, and with the downpour, the autumn atmosphere in the courtyard gradually faded, replaced by a piercing cold.

The chrysanthemums in the corner of the courtyard had long passed their peak season, their colors had dulled, and the air was filled with a chilly atmosphere, awaiting the arrival of winter snow.

Pei Lingyi’s small room had been warmed up with a charcoal stove, silver-bone charcoal that was smokeless and odorless, making the room warm and cozy, almost like a different weather outside.

Pei Lingyi hadn’t gone out for days, as the humidity after the rain and the change of seasons made her bones feel weak, and she naturally didn’t want to go out and catch a chill.

Now, she was enjoying a rare moment of leisure, eating tea fruits and reading a storybook in her room.

Luoxu pushed open the door, bringing in a chill with her, but the warmth of the room relaxed her considerably.

“The weather really changes quickly,” she said as she added charcoal to the stove in the corner.
“Just a few days ago, the sun was still high, and now it looks like it’s going to snow.”

Pei Lingyi didn’t bother with much makeup or dressing up at home, prioritizing comfort. However, even without much adornment, her natural beauty shone through. She wore a simple, elegant long gown with a few subtle plum blossoms embroidered on it, and her black hair was tied up with a jade hairpin. Her skin was as white as snow, and her lips were naturally red without any makeup.

She opened a small part of the window, and the cold wind that rushed in helped clear her sleepy head.

“I’ve been too lazy these days,” she said. “But on a day like today, it’s really most comfortable to be at home.”

She looked at the storybook in her hand but couldn’t focus on reading a single word.

“Has there been any news from my brother?”

As the weather gradually gets colder now, it means that her brother, who is far away in the border, might be coming back soon. It’s been two years since they last saw each other, and he didn’t come back last year, so she’s naturally looking forward to it this year.

“I’m just about to tell you, Miss,” Luoxu said with a smile, putting down her work.
“The Madam just sent a message saying that the eldest young master has sent a letter back, and he’ll definitely be back before the New Year’s Eve, but we don’t know the exact date yet.”

“Is that so? Then it’s going to be lively this year,” she said, looking forward to the New Year’s Eve this year, now that she had news of her brother.

Two years ago, he was sent by the emperor to the border for training, and he didn’t come home for the New Year’s Eve the year before last. Last year, there was turmoil in the surrounding small countries, and he sent a letter saying he wouldn’t be coming back.

This year, he’ll finally be able to come home, and she thinks that after he comes back to the capital, he won’t have to go to that remote and cold place again. Even if he wants to, their father probably won’t agree.

Thinking about this, her mind became more active. She turned to Luoxu and asked, “What about the old affairs of the Prince An mansion that I asked you to investigate?”

When she’s lazy, she doesn’t want to think much, but now that she has news of her brother from the border, she’s feeling more enthusiastic. She’s preparing to start her next plan.

Seeing her Miss like this, Luoxu knew she was going to make a move on Heir Xiao, whom she used to dislike so much.

Thinking about the news she had gathered, even Luoxu couldn’t help but be amazed. People said the Heir Xiao was unusual in the capital, but they didn’t expect him to have such a past.

Luoxu said, “It’s really not easy. If it weren’t for an old maid who used to live in the Prince mansion knowing about it, these things might never have been known to outsiders.”

Hearing this, Pei Lingyi became curious about the secrets and sat up straight, ready to listen to the inside story.

“A long time ago, when Prince An didn’t compete for power and enjoyed the beauty of nature, he met a young girl by chance,” Luoxu said.

“That girl looked weak and sickly, but she would later cause a lot of trouble for the future Princess An.”

Pei Lingyi said, “I remember that Princess An passed away before I was born, didn’t she?”

Luoxu nodded. “Yes, Princess An passed away a few months before you were born, and the Heir Xiao was only four years old at that time.”

“Prince An fell in love with that young girl at first sight. Later, he found out that she was the daughter of a merchant family who had fallen on hard times and had come to the capital to seek refuge with relatives, but was rejected by them.”

“King An became more and more affectionate towards her, and over time, the two of them privately pledged to be together for life.”

“But at that time, King An already had a marriage engagement, one that was personally arranged by the current Empress Dowager. Even without this engagement, it would have been impossible for the two of them to be together.”

Pei Lingyi said, “Yes, the difference in their social status was so great that it would have been impossible for her to be his principal wife, let alone a concubine.”

Luoxu continued, “So, Prince An secretly kept her outside, and after Princess An entered the mansion, he casually gave her an identity and raised her to be a concubine in the mansion.”

“But I’ve lived in the capital for so many years, why have I never heard of Prince An having a beautiful lover that he privately pledged to be with?” It was really strange. Logically speaking, since this person was Prince An’s true love and he had brought her back to the mansion, he should have been quite open about it, but she had never heard a single thing about this person.

“This is where you don’t know, Miss. We were lucky to have an old maid who used to work in Prince An’s mansion, or we wouldn’t have known the inside story.”

“According to the old maid, Princess An was a true lady from a noble family, kind-hearted, and most importantly, deeply in love with Prince An. Even though Prince An brought in a concubine soon after she married into the family, she still treated him with the same love and devotion.”

Pei Lingyi listened with her chin resting on her hand, and after a while, she couldn’t help but be curious about what happened next.

Luoxu continued, “If it had been that simple, the two of them might have coexisted peacefully. But the fallen lady wasn’t a simple person. She was calculating and scheming. Since she had married Prince An, she didn’t want to just be a small concubine in his mansion.”

“So, she repeatedly plotted against Princess An at that time, and pretended to be weak and fragile in front of Prince An, acting pitiful. The more she did this, the more Prince An pitied her, and the more he disliked Princess An.”

“Even when the Heir was born, Prince An didn’t care about him, and instead focused all his attention on that concubine.”

Pei Lingyi took a sip of tea and said softly, “It seems that among all the noble families in the capital who favor their concubines over their wives, Prince An’s mansion is the most extreme example.”

“Indeed, the Empress Dowager specifically arranged for Prince An to marry his wife in the hope that his household would be peaceful. However, Princess An was too simple and couldn’t compete with the merchant’s daughter. As a result, even after the Heir was born, the two of them lived in the shadow of that concubine.”

“Princess An was already depressed because of this concubine, and after giving birth, her health deteriorated further. Within four years, she passed away.”

Pei Lingyi said, “So, Xiao Yan has hated women who play tricks and have ulterior motives since he was young, because it was precisely such a woman who indirectly caused his mother’s death.”

“What about the concubine later? Why didn’t the Prince An’s mansion appoint a new mistress?” Pei Lingyi asked.

“You wouldn’t know this, but it’s said that Prince An intended to make her his official wife. However, Heir Xiao Yan knelt outside the Shoukang Palace gate for a whole day when he was just a child, which moved the Empress Dowager to intervene and stop Prince An’s plan.”

“The Empress Dowager naturally wouldn’t agree. After hearing Xiao Yan’s plea, she immediately expelled the scheming woman from Prince An’s mansion.”

Luoxu smiled as she saw Pei Lingyi’s curious expression. “But even so, Prince An still brought her back and reinstated her as his mistress outside the mansion.”

“Not until Xiao Yan was ten years old did he personally go to her residence and kill her with his own hands, avenging his mother.”