My elder sister forced me to become a concubine; I was reborn and remarried into the emperor's

Wei Nanxun was suddenly stunned. It took her a moment to realize that the younger brother *** was referring to was Pei Ji.

If you look closely, you can see that Pei Ji and *** are quite similar, but you don't get that feeling when you look at the Empress Dowager.

However, ***'s features were softer and more gentle, while Pei Ji's were as bright and handsome as the blazing sun.

In other words, he was too weak and pale when she saved him, which made his aggression less obvious. If she were to look directly at him after he had fully recovered, she would definitely be intimidated by his imposing presence.

He was like the bright sun in the sky, his sharpness was so great that even looking up at him would burn you.

That is why no one would be unaware that he is actually so handsome and majestic, far surpassing any other man in the world.

Back then, she was simply bewitched by his face.

Upon listening more closely to what *** said about being moved by worldly desires, her cheeks flushed uncontrollably, her heart raced, and her eyes blinked erratically.

She called out uneasily in a soft voice, "Your Highness..."

*** then touched his lips with his fingertip and shushed them.

Wei Nanxun belatedly realized that no one else had heard these words except the two of them, and that *** had no malicious intent.

"Young lady, would you like to accompany me for a walk in the garden?"

She raised her voice when she said this, as if she were speaking to others.

Empress Dowager Jiang glanced in this direction, clearly somewhat surprised. Her daughter seemed to have a good temper and was amiable to everyone, but her amiability was tinged with aloofness.

Only she knew that the current King of the Northwest was bedridden and unable to move, and the Northwest was already in their hands. Her daughter was even more ruthless than she had been back then.

Unexpectedly, this little girl, with thorns and as beautiful as a rose, caught her eye.

Wei Mingzhao was equally surprised. She had been visiting Cining Palace quite often recently, and naturally, she would run into the empress, whom she had repeatedly expressed her desire to get closer to.

After all, there was the embarrassing incident when Man Xinghe came to pick up the bride, so she was still a little intimidated by her and treated her with great respect and caution.

She was secretly pleased, feeling that *** was very kind to her, cared about the baby in her belly, and asked about Pei Yuyan. She also ate the pastries that *** offered her.

But then you see her talking to Wei Nanxun in a relaxed and natural manner, and she even calls her out to talk to her alone.

She then realized that *** was only being polite to her on the surface, and that he truly liked Wei Nanxun.

why?

Wei Nanxun is clearly inferior to her in every way—family background, education, and manners—so why does everyone prefer Wei Nanxun?

Is it just because of her face?

Her jealous expression almost crumbled, but thankfully she remembered where she was.

It doesn't matter. No matter how many people like her, since the Crown Prince has taken a liking to her, he will do everything he can to get her.

Her fate was no different from hers; in the end, she too would have to live like a walking corpse in this abyss-like palace.

-

Wei Nanxun followed closely behind the *** to the Cining Palace Garden.

In early autumn, the capital city is gradually turning from green to yellow, and various chrysanthemums are quietly blooming, adding a touch of autumn to the deep palace.

She was two years older than the emperor and more than a decade older than Pei Yuyan, but she had a good foundation and took even better care of herself.

Today she wore a purple dress, her black hair was styled in an updo, and a peony was placed in her hair. Although there was no gold or jade embellishment, she still exuded an air of wealth and nobility. She looked like a noblewoman in her early thirties, and the years had not left too many marks on her.

"Young lady, do you know when I first learned of you?"

He bent down, gently stroking a green chrysanthemum that had not yet bloomed, and suddenly smiled as he looked at her.

If it weren't for that earlier remark about being tempted by worldly desires, Wei Nanxun might have said "today," but because of what she just said, she couldn't help but associate it with Pei Ji.

She clenched her fists and tentatively asked, "Did you hear this from the Prince?"

"No, even earlier than that."

Wei Nanxun recalled with surprise, wondering if she had met *** before.

“I’ve remembered you ever since that belt.”

Wei Nanxun suddenly remembered the box that Ji Feng had sent that day; it contained the belt she had lost, and it also blatantly exposed her intimate relationship with Pei Ji to the world.

She felt a burning sensation all over her body, and her face was burning uncontrollably.

Did Pei Ji even tell *** about something like this?

It was a mixture of shame, disgrace, and utter humiliation.

"It wasn't Shouzhu who told me; I discovered it myself. That man, who is supposed to be averse to women, actually kept a woman's belt. Isn't that strange?"

He actually hid himself.

Wait, shouzhuo?

"Your Highness, why did you call Prince Shouchou...?"

"Didn't he tell you that Shouzhuo is his courtesy name?"

Wei Nanxun felt as if she had been struck by something; her whole body stiffened, and her mind couldn't process what she was seeing.

So it turns out he wasn't lying to her all along. At least with the name, he could have easily fooled her, but what he said was the truth.

Pei Ji, courtesy name Shouzhuo.

Wei Nanxun's throat tightened, and his voice became somewhat dry: "He... such a sharp and heroic figure as the Prince would actually choose such a reserved and modest name."

“Young lady, you actually share the same feeling as me. I’ve also long thought this damned calligraphy is utterly meaningless.” She paused, then scoffed lightly, “This calligraphy was given to him by his father, who hoped that he would live his life with this calligraphy as his guide.”

When Wei Nanxun first heard *** use vulgar language, she found it novel; she truly was an unconventional and heroic woman.

Before I could even feel a pang of emotion, I heard the second half of her sentence, and my heart sank.

If he were from a family of scholars and gentlemen, she might have been able to understand his unwavering resolve. But Pei Ji was born into the imperial family. Although he was the youngest son and there was no intention to have him succeed to the throne, it was not right to expect him to remain unassuming.

"I have never liked this word; I find it utterly boring. Yet he insists on saying it's good. I think he doesn't like it; he's just lazy and doesn't want to bother with it."

“Little girl, when Shouzhuo was born, I was almost of marriageable age. In my eyes, he was almost like a son.”

"He was neglected from a young age. His father disliked him for not being as masculine and imposing as he was, and for looking too effeminate. His mother disliked him for being useless and unable to win his father's favor. Only I like him. You haven't seen how cute he was when he was little, just like a little girl."

"People said he was good-looking but not masculine, so he practiced martial arts desperately. No matter how many injuries he suffered, he never cried. It made people feel sorry for him, but no one cared for him."

"Do you know why I remember you? He's not a bad person, but he's not particularly good either. He's just as wary as my father. The fact that he's willing to save you is truly unprecedented."

"Speaking of wariness, siblings are really alike. I initially thought there was something wrong with you. Even though Lingxi said many good things about you, I still felt it was inappropriate. Ultimately, you have to see for yourself before you can take anything seriously."

"Today, I met her; she is a fine young lady."

"I don't know what conflict you have, but he has no ill intentions towards you."