Chapter 342: with translation of chapter title

Pei Shangyan did not speak.

How could he not have advised his father before?

It was utterly useless; his father stubbornly went his own way, what could he do? As the eldest son, he could only accompany his father through fire and water!

Even if he had to expend everything, including this life, it would not be spared; after all, this life was given to him by his parents.

He remained silent; Pei Shangjue knew that saying anything more would be useless, he rose and declared his stance: "Since neither of us can convince the other, let us pretend we never met today."

The Deposed Emperor could not believe it, looking at him: "Jue'er, do you truly intend to abandon your father and elder brother?"

Now it was Pei Shangjue's turn to stay silent; he silently turned and walked away.

The Deposed Emperor had always found it hard to fathom what this son was thinking, but he had not paid much attention before, after all his crown prince was exceptionally outstanding, and unlike typical royal siblings who openly and covertly schemed against each other, even to the point of fratricide, so he had always indulged this son.

He never expected that the boomerang would return now; he could not control his second son, and if the second son were merely mediocre like the third and fifth, it would be fine, but the second son is, aside from the eldest, the most excellent child, indispensable to them now.

"Jue'er, if you step out this door, it means you no longer acknowledge me as your father?"

Those words weighed heavily, landing in Pei Shangjue's ears, causing him to halt his steps.

Pei Shangyan looked at the Deposed Emperor, and he too was stunned by those weighty words.

Although the second brother had walked out that door, they were indeed now strangers, yet to lay it out like this truly makes one's heart ache.

Pei Shangjue paused only briefly, then continued walking toward the door.

"Good, good! Today we sever all bonds of grace and righteousness between father and son! You are no longer my son!" the Deposed Emperor shouted sternly.

Pei Shangjue paid no heed, flung open the door and strode out without looking back.

The Deposed Emperor laughed aloud: "My education has truly gone awry; both of them are unfilial!"

"Father, please do not be agitated; I will think of another way to persuade the second brother." Pei Shangyan said.

"No need; let him remain his complacent, withdrawn turtle; I can manage without him just as well." the Deposed Emperor said.

Pei Shangyan outwardly ceased urging, but inwardly he had another plan: he intended to locate the second brother's birth mother, Lady Fan, and ask her to help persuade him.

Lady Fan was a noble lady from an aristocratic clan, formerly a consort of the Father Emperor; her family had long been a prominent gate in Jingcheng, and with their support they would indeed gain considerable advantage.

At that moment, Lady Fan was meeting with Lady Deng in the Prince Zhuang's mansion.

"Sister, this favor, I fear I cannot help." Lady Fan blew on the hot tea in her cup, speaking slowly: "If the Princess Guardian becomes angry with us because of this, it would not be good."

"It won't be, sister; even if discovered, Princess Zhiyan would at most direct her ire at me, not at you; besides, it's merely a gift, not a matter of heart?" Lady Deng, upon hearing Lady Fan's refusal, became anxious.

The gift she intended to give Princess Zhiyan could not even pass the gates of the Grand General's manor, whereas Lady Fan's gift could enter; however, sending it under the Prince Zhuang's name would not work, so she devised this scheme: to mingle her gift with Lady Fan's and send them together to Princess Zhiyan.

Lady Fan: "But why should I risk being disliked to help you, sister?"

She asked it directly.

"Little sister, what would it take for you to agree to my request?" Lady Deng pleaded.

Lady Fan lifted her eyes, her smile full and bright.

Who would have thought that the once-favored Virtuous Consort, who had dominated the six palaces, now reduced to a commoner, having to humbly beg her, would feel a sense of relief.

Though she had been granted the title of Commandery Lady at best, the Virtuous Consort whom all of Jingcheng once envied now possesses nothing; one could say it's a matter of fate's turning wheel!

Thinking of this, Lady Fan's mood improved, and she said: "Since you have put it that way, sister, if I refuse to help now I would seem unfeeling; very well, but only this once—if the princess truly becomes angry, it would be troublesome."

That little ancestor, however, does not even want the gift her family's Jue sent; she is quite difficult to deal with.

Upon hearing it could work, Lady Deng immediately beamed with joy: "Thank you, sister!"

"What do you wish to send, sister?" Lady Fan asked curiously.

Lady Deng had her attending maid bring forth the gifts in her hands; Lady Fan saw they were ordinary infant clothing and articles, nothing precious, thus they seemed incongruous with what she herself had intended to send.

"Why are you sending these, sister?" Lady Fan asked with a hint of disdain.

"To be frank, I had considered sending precious tonics like ginseng and deer antler, but I felt it lacked sincerity, so I personally bought these infant supplies; they are practical."

Lady Fan could not help but laugh: "Sister, you are truly unadorned nowadays."

Had she known today would come, why bother in the first place?

Having spent so many years in the palace, Lady Deng certainly knew what sort of person Lady Fan was; she merely pretended ignorance, after all she was the one seeking a favor.

"Thank you for the trouble, sister."

"No problem; your gift will be delivered to the Grand General's manor shortly, and I will certainly help you with this."

"Then I shall take my leave; I will not disturb you further."

Not long after Lady Deng departed, a servant entered saying the applicant for the position of manor physician had arrived; Lady Fan asked him to come in.

Upon seeing him, Lady Fan sprang to her feet, eyes wide: "Is it you?! How did you come here?"

At the Grand General's manor, the steward, while tallying the gifts sent by the Commandery Lady, felt something amiss, pondering it; as Mu Yuanzhi passed by, she asked: "What's wrong? Does the list not match?"

"No, my lady, some of the gifts are rather odd."

"Where is it odd?"

"Look, these are everyday infant articles, very plain and practical; although they are all made by famous embroiderers in Jingcheng, they do not seem to belong together with those precious medicinal ingredients…" The steward could not pinpoint exactly what was off, but it just felt that way.

Mu Yuanzhi picked up an infant garment and examined it; she instantly recognized whose handiwork it was—Lady Deng's!

Previously, the infant shirts in her wardrobe were all of this style, so she could recognize them at once.

Truly, she had gone to great lengths.

"Record them and then lock the cabinet," Mu Yuanzhi said.

Anyway, she would not use them; they are disagreeable to her.

The steward nodded in agreement; he already could guess who had sent them.

Nothing else but those princes or Lady Deng,

After the steward finished recording, he went to find Mu Yuanzhi and reported: "My lady, Lord Yun requests an audience."

Yun Jinglou?

"Please have him sit in the side hall."

"Here."

Yun Jinglou came to hand over last month's account book for Mu Yuanzhi to review, as is done every month, but Yun Jinglou arrived a few days late this month.

"Young Master Yun wouldn't be thinking about how to falsify the accounts, would they?" Mu Yuanzhi asked with a smile.

"This isn't something you can joke about casually."