In the midst of these birthday well-wishers, the two most distinguished guests were Prince Qi Jingyi, the Eighth Prince, and Prince Qi Jingrong, the Tenth Prince, who arrived two days later.
While this was a great honor for the Shen Family, it was also a double-edged sword. Anyone with even a slight understanding of court affairs clearly knew that these two men represented opposing factions engaged in an open and secret rivalry.
Prince Jingyi was born to the benevolent Consort but lost her when he was just one year old. Since then, he had been raised by Empress Yunnuan who also nurtured the Crown Prince. Growing up together, their bond was incomparable to others’, especially since it was said that when the Eighth Prince contracted smallpox and the Imperial Physicians declared him beyond help, Empress Yunnuan attended to him day and night without rest, pulling him back from the brink of death at Ghost Gate. Ever since, he regarded the Empress as his own mother, which firmly placed him within the Crown Prince Party.
The mother of Prince Jingrong was Leng Zhaoyi, who, despite her lower rank, was a distant cousin of Consort Jin, the mother of the Third Prince. Having lost her parents at a young age, she was raised in Consort Jin’s household and was utterly devoted to her, entering the palace to help solidify Consort Jin’s favor. Their relationship was one where they would share in each other’s glory.
From childhood, the Tenth Prince was always a follower of the Third Prince, confiding only in him amongst all his siblings.
Faced with these two individuals, the Shen Family had to be impartial, for offending one side would be tantamount to offending their powerful backers.
Some may argue that the Crown Prince is more prestigious than anyone else, being the heir apparent and the future ruler of the realm. However, the Third Prince is no pushover, having been a battle-tested commander since the age of twelve, with illustrious military achievements. Besides, his mother currently holds sway over the Harem. Even if he is not the Crown Prince, he does not fall short in the Emperor’s esteem.
Although the Crown Prince currently appears secure in his position, backed by the support of the Yong Family and the court ministers, and is quite proactive himself, the Empress has passed away. Though the Emperor has not yet named another Empress, the Harem is now under Consort Jin’s control. And as the Emperor is still in the prime of his life, the ultimate beneficiary of the political landscape remains uncertain.
As the head of the Shen Family’s branch in Lianhua Town, Shen Wanyin could not afford to be negligent, and the entire household was extremely tense.
In the Shen Family garden,
Qi Jingyi exhaled deeply; mingling with these people in pretense was truly exhausting. He found himself missing the cozy courtyard of the Gu Family, where he could speak freely with Gu Qingheng. However, before Dao Xuzi arrived, he couldn’t leave—especially now that the pesky Tenth Prince had arrived, likely here to poach allies from his faction.
As he mulled over this, a pungent whiff of perfume suddenly wafted by, and Qi Jingyi couldn’t help but sneeze violently.
"Your Highness." Shen Yizhen, who was walking by, hastened her steps and approached with concern, "Is it too breezy here? Have you caught a cold?" She offered her handkerchief while saying, "I’ll have a servant bring you some ginseng tea..."
Qi Jingyi glanced at the woman before him, and although he felt no affection, he did not show it; instead, he offered a faint smile, "It’s nothing." He did not take her handkerchief, but instead rose gracefully with a slight nod, "I’m going to see the dowager." and then turned and swiftly left the scene. Damn it, how much powder had this woman applied? he thought. He could feel his nose itching from afar and dared not stay any longer.