The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: The Past

Hearing these things, the woman sitting on the couch was slightly stunned, as if she hadn’t expected that the arrogant Xiao Yan, who seemed invincible in front of her, had such a past.

She looked at Luoxu and said, “Why didn’t anyone in the capital know about these things? I once asked my mother about Princess An, and she said that she was a beautiful woman like a flower, but unfortunately, she had a weak body and was envied by the heavens. It seemed that she didn’t know about the existence of such a concubine at all.”

“Ah, you don’t know, Prince An is extremely cautious and fears that a single whisper will leak out. He protected that woman to the utmost.”

“When he welcomed that woman into the mansion, he also took in several other concubines to distract from her. As a Prince, who would pay attention to such things?”

“Only those who lived in the rear courtyard knew the hardships. If the Heir, Xiao Yan hadn’t gone to the palace to ask the Empress Dowager for help, the Prince An’s rear courtyard would probably have been completely controlled by that concubine.”

Pei Lingyi was surprised. “You’re saying that even the Empress Dowager didn’t know about the secrets if Xiao Yan hadn’t pleaded for help?”

“Yes, Princess An was the principal wife, but she was tortured by that concubine for so long and didn’t think of telling anyone. On the one hand, she was too soft-hearted, and on the other hand, she loved Prince An too much, so she pretended that nothing was wrong in front of others.”

“On the day Princess An passed away, the Heir Xiao Yan escaped from the mansion and went to the Empress Dowager, who then found out about the situation.”

“It’s a matter of Imperial face, so the Empress Dowager handled it discreetly, and no one outside knew about it. Everyone only knew that Princess An had been in poor health for a long time, so no one knew about the twists and turns.”

Luoxu had been searching for a long time and finally found someone who used to work in Prince An’s mansion, and from her, she learned about the series of events.

The room was warm and fragrant, and Pei Lingyi leaned against the golden silk pillow, thinking carefully about the secrets she had just heard.

But she couldn’t help being surprised. “You’re saying that he killed his enemy with his own hands when he was only ten years old?”

Hearing this, Luoxu’s expression was a bit strange, but she still answered truthfully. “Yes, I couldn’t believe it when I heard about it. A ten-year-old child had such courage.”

Pei Lingyi’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her porcelain-white fingers unconsciously rubbed the pages of the book in her hand, as if she had a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind.

Then she whispered softly, “It seems that I need to ask my mother some questions.”

Immediately, she put down the book in her hand and instructed Luoxu. “Help me change my clothes, I want to see my mother.”

Luoxu saw that her Miss had a plan and quickly brought the clothes.

It was already 3-5 pm, and Pei Lingyi had stayed there for two hours before returning to Lanyue Pavilion.

On the way back, the sky was already dark, and the weather was cold, so the night fell quickly. She wrapped her snow-white cloak around her, hiding most of her small face, and this blocked the invasion of the cold wind.

She thought about what her mother had told her earlier.

Princess An was simple and never caused trouble. She always dressed properly when attending banquets, and from such descriptions, one could vaguely see her personality.

However, her mother and the late princess didn’t know each other well, and it had been many years. Pei Lingyi asked her mother to think carefully about the princess’s appearance.

“She had an oval face, eyebrows like distant mountains, with a curved shape that seemed a bit childish. Under her eyebrows were a pair of clear and watery eyes. She wore a light pink jacket and skirt, and her hair was adorned with a few flowers that were about to bloom. Her figure was slender and petite, but there was always a hint of sadness between her eyebrows.”

This was her mother’s impression of Princess An when they first met.

From her words, Pei Lingyi could roughly deduce the princess’s appearance.

Combined with what Luoxu said, she could understand what kind of person Princess An was.

Thinking about it, it’s no wonder Xiao Yan treated Xue Yiran differently in his dreams. It seemed that he followed the characteristics of his deceased mother.

Perhaps Xue Yiran disguised herself too well, and even Xiao Yan saw the shadow of his mother in her, so he treated her with extra care. However, she had the same personality as the person who harmed her mother.

That’s why he had such a big opinion about her from the beginning.

Unfortunately, Princess An was really innocent, otherwise, she wouldn’t have met such an untimely death.

But Pei Lingyi would never become like her. If she really fought with men for favor, even a small concubine could rise above her and wield power. In that case, all the years she spent studying would be for nothing.

To be honest, Princess An was a bit too weak.

The concubine was indeed calculating and could defeat a noble lady with her humble background. Unfortunately, she still ended up dying at Xiao Yan’s hands.

However, Pei Lingyi didn’t like her either. She was too petty.

She wouldn’t comment on the disputes between the two women. It was ultimately a feud between the previous generation.

But Xiao Yan grew up in such an environment. After killing his enemy, he still hated anything that reminded him of the concubine. This showed how much the fallen merchant’s daughter had affected him.

Before, Pei Lingyi didn’t know about the grudges between them. She thought that Xiao Yan was angry with her because of her actions, that she had calculated her brothers and sisters and offended him.

Now it seemed that it was just a matter of association.

But she couldn’t be like Princess An, gentle and kind. She would never be like the concubine, relying on men like a parasite.

Pei Lingyi’s personality was different from both of theirs.

She, Pei Lingyi, wanted to be like the moon in the sky, unattainable yet unforgettable to those people.

This was the purpose of her visit today.

She wanted to understand more about Xiao Yan’s past, so as to know what kind of attitude to take when facing him.

When facing the Crown Prince, she knew he appeared benevolent but was actually indecisive. So she would present herself as weak and innocent, showing him her purest and kindest side, making him feel guilty and pained.

When facing the Fourth Prince, he seemed to be a playboy, but in reality, he was deep and didn’t open up to others. So she would tantalize him subtly, leaving a unique impression in his mind.

As for this Heir Xiao, Pei Lingyi’s eyes sparkled with intelligence.

Soon, an idea occurred to her.