Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Pei Zeyu always leaves room for maneuver in his interactions with others and rarely gets angry. To put it nicely, he is gentle and modest, but in reality, he is indifferent to worldly matters.

Now, he rushed to the study in a fierce manner to question his elder brother, and his words were extremely harsh.

Pei Dingxuan dismissed the servants who were holding the writing brush and ink and closed the door, leaving only the two brothers in the study.

He placed the file beside him and said, "Sit down and let's talk."

"No need. I don't care about the factional struggles in your court, nor do I care who you're on your side, but how can you use Grandmother's health as a pretext?"

"Second brother, I know you're clever, and many things can't be hidden from you, but have you ever thought about why I would do this?"

Pei Zeyu pursed his lips and remained silent.

Pei Dingxuan lowered his head. "I had no choice. The court is now divided into two factions, and my father is a staunch supporter of the Crown Prince. But the Crown Prince's character... Second brother, you are in the Ministry of Personnel, you should know better than I do what the Crown Prince has been doing all these years?"

Pei Zeyu was certainly aware of this.

The crown prince was cunning and suspicious, forming cliques for personal gain and eliminating dissidents.

During the Jiangnan floods of that year, the Crown Prince's faction embezzled disaster relief funds, causing tens of thousands of refugees to starve to death on the streets.

Although he did not witness this event firsthand, he had reviewed the shocking case files when the Ministry of Personnel assessed local officials.

"My father was a loyal minister, loyal to the emperor and the country. I once thought that loyalty to the emperor meant loyalty to the crown prince." Pei Dingxuan shook his head. "Over the years, seeing what the crown prince has done, I have wavered."

He rose, walked around the desk, and stood before Pei Zeyu. His voice was heavy. "The Crown Prince is ruthless and selfish, and has lost the hearts of the people. If he ascends the throne, it will be a calamity for the people and a danger to the nation."

"I have had several private meetings with the Second Prince. He is benevolent and loves his people, possesses the talent to govern a country, and has the countenance of an emperor."

Pei Zeyu's heart trembled violently. "So this is why you used your grandmother to sow discord between your father and the Crown Prince?"

Pei Dingxuan did not deny it.

He walked to the desk and ran his fingers over a piece of green jade paperweight on it.

It was a gift from his grandmother on his sixteenth birthday. It was made of warm, smooth jade and engraved with the four characters "持重守正" (meaning "to be prudent and upright").

"Second brother, the Pei family has been noble for a hundred years. Although it looks glamorous, it has long been the target of everyone's hatred."

"The Crown Prince's faction sees us as pawns, the Second Prince's faction sees us as stumbling blocks. My father is loyal, but in the eyes of the emperor, this loyalty may not be a threat."

He turned to his younger brother and said, "You are the most talented of the three of us brothers. You ranked third in the imperial examination and became the third-ranked scholar."

Not only are you exceptionally talented, but you also possess extraordinary elegance. Even His Majesty once praised you for your handsome appearance, saying you would bring honor to the court. But what have you been up to these past years?

The hands beneath the moonlit sleeves gradually clenched.

"You've been in officialdom for many years, rising from compiler in the Hanlin Academy to director of the Personnel Department. It seems like your career has been smooth sailing, but in reality..."

Pei Dingxuan paused, then spoke the poignant words, "A fifth-rank official. A scholar who has achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations, after so many years, you've only managed to attain a fifth-rank position. Second brother, are you truly content with this?"

Are you willing to accept this?

Of course I was unwilling.

He remembered the day the results of the imperial examination were announced, at the Qionglin Banquet, where the young man was full of youthful vigor and ambition.

His Majesty personally adorned his hair with flowers and said with a smile, "The second son of the Pei family is both talented and handsome, a blessing to our dynasty. He will surely become a pillar of the nation in the future."

At that time, he also believed that with his talent and ambition, he would surely be able to make a difference in the imperial court.

But what about reality?

During his three years at the Hanlin Academy, he devoted himself to compiling history and editing classics, but those brilliant articles were eventually locked away in piles of old papers.

After being transferred to the Ministry of Personnel, he worked diligently, evaluating officials and rectifying officialdom. However, whenever he offered suggestions, they were always dismissed with a dismissive "youthful arrogance."

It wasn't that he was incompetent, but rather that his family background was too illustrious.

The Duke of Yu's Mansion is a prestigious family, with the father and elder brothers all holding real power.

How could an emperor not be wary of such a powerful family? Balancing the power of all sides is the true art of imperial strategy.

No matter how talented Pei Zeyu was, he could only slowly work his way up to the fifth rank until his father retired, his elder brother retired, and the Pei family was no longer the only dominant family.

He understands these principles.

So over the years, he has tempered his sharpness, been cautious in his words and deeds, and lived his life like a piece of warm and gentle jade.

It shines without glittering, and its sharp edges are all concealed.

But in the dead of night, that resentment will still grow wildly like a poisonous weed.

Some things don't need to be said anymore.

"Why not? Second brother, you are still young. Do you really want to waste your life in this fifth-rank position? The future of the Pei family ultimately depends on you."

Pei Zeyu smirked. "Rely on us? Big brother, are you really doing all this for the future of the Pei family, or for your own ambitions?"

Pei Dingxuan remained silent for a long while before saying, "My ambition is the future of the Pei family. The struggles in the court have always been a matter of life and death. If we don't fight, we can only wait to be swallowed up by others."

My father chose the Crown Prince, and I chose the Second Prince. Regardless of who wins, the Pei family will have a way out.

Pei Zeyu's voice was hoarse, and he looked at him as if he were a complete stranger. "So, Grandmother's illness became a pawn in this game?"

"Second brother, I did not take advantage of Grandmother. More than anyone else, I want her to be healthy."

Pei Zeyu remained silent; the power struggles in the imperial court could completely transform a person.

"...There won't be a next time." He conceded.

Internal strife is not a wise course of action.

Pei Dingxuan was relieved. "Don't worry, my grandmother is also my grandmother. I assure you she will be alright."

"Um."

……

Spring is in full bloom, and a warm breeze carries the fragrance of crabapple blossoms throughout the courtyard, making it even more intense.

The quiet courtyard in the southeast corner of the Duke's mansion was unusually lively today.

Liu Wenying got up very early and carried Luoluo out of her warm bed.

The little girl is now one year old, and her eyebrows and eyes have grown out a bit, making her look like a delicately carved glutinous rice ball.

She didn't cry when she woke up, but just looked at her with her big, dark eyes and softly called out, "Mother..."

The sound made Liu Wenying's heart soften.

When a child turns one year old, a traditional "grasping ceremony" is held.

Liu Wenying made careful preparations early on, hoping to bring good luck to her child.

Although the space is a bit cramped, her child shouldn't lack anything that other children have.

She dressed Luo Luo in newly sewn clothes, a crimson jacket with small tiger head patterns embroidered in gold thread on the collar and cuffs, which could ward off evil spirits and calm the nerves.

The trousers are light green, with the hem embroidered with a pattern of five poisonous creatures. According to old sayings, this pattern can keep children away from disasters and ensure their safety and health.

She wore tiger-head shoes and a five-poison hat, dressed in her full attire. Luo Luo sat on the bed, reaching for the tassels hanging from both sides of her hat, giggling.

"Our Luo Luo is one year old today."

Liu Wenying kissed her daughter's little face, her eyes full of tenderness.

Cuihua brought in a basin of warm water and smiled when she saw it.

"Time flies, you're already a year old. Sister Liu has great skills, and this outfit looks very nice on you."

Granny Tian and Xiao Zhu also arrived. One was holding a comb to comb Luo Luo's hair, and the other was holding rouge to apply a mole between her eyebrows.

Laughter filled the room, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere.

…………