The Jade Pavilion -
After Zheng Liang and Yang Ning left, only then did Zheng Xiang heave a sigh of relief. Earlier, he was shocked when his brother agreed to his wife's willful wishes and personally escorted him to the Jade Pavilion, accompanied by Yang Ning, instead of sending a servant to show him around.
He is the Crown Prince after all. He must have had so much work to do, yet he followed his wife's words and showed him around the Jade Pavilion, not caring about the time and their strained relationship.
That was quite a shock to him.
Before returning to the palace, Zheng Xiang had expected his brother not to even glance at him. Zheng Liang had never liked him since childhood because after his mother died, Yang Lingxin took the place of the Empress. Yang Lingxin, originally just a concubine, climbed the ranks by becoming the favored consort of the Emperor and eventually assumed the role of Empress after the former queen's death.
This change in hierarchy and family dynamics had strained the relationship between the two brothers.
Zheng Xiang, who was young and innocent to these family political dynamics at that time, never understood the reason for the strained relationship between the two brothers. However, as he grew up, he realized that his brother had not only lost his mother but that this change in hierarchy had caused many obstacles for him as well.
Of course, he anticipated his brother's displeasure with his return. However, he hadn't expected that Zheng Liang would not only agree to have lunch with him but also welcome him and personally escort him to his residence.
Even though it was at Yang Ning's insistence, his compliance with her commands was a revelation in itself.
With an exhausted sigh, Zheng Xiang called the servant assigned to him and ordered him to prepare bathwater. It had been a long journey, and he hadn't taken a bath for the past two days; he couldn't wait to get out of these clothes and have a refreshing bath before lying on the bed to rest.
However, noticing Zheng Xiang's reluctance, he nodded with a smile and exited, leaving Zheng Xiang alone to rest.
After the servant left, Zheng Xiang began to remove his upper robe, preparing to soak his body in the warm water while contemplating the state of affairs. "Contrary to my expectations, everything seems well-maintained and under control, even in the absence of the former Empress.
It appears that the Crown Princess is handling the palace affairs competently," he acknowledged, giving credit to Yang Ning for her competence in managing the palace affairs.
When he entered the residence, he had expected it to be covered in dust, and even if it was clean, he anticipated finding old and faulty furniture. However, to his surprise, all the furniture was new, and even the wooden floors seemed to have been replaced. The residence, once abandoned for many years, had transformed into a new and welcoming space.
Supervising people and ensuring they perform their tasks diligently is not an easy feat. However, the Crown Princess appeared to be more meticulous in her work than he had expected. Even his mother never handled such tasks with such precision, often relying more on connections and delegating responsibilities to others.
"However, I need to observe her for some time. My brother seems to have fallen under her spell. I wonder if she truly loves him or if it's just a facade to conceal her greed, much like my mo-" He paused, realizing the weight of his words.
It was difficult to accept, but his mother, once the cherished consort of his father, had committed a heinous act by attempting treason by poisoning him, the Emperor.
There was a time when she played the role of the perfect mother and devoted wife. However, the insatiable thirst for power and wealth blinded her to the point of self-destruction.
Already holding the title of Empress, what drove her to commit such heinous acts to secure his place as the next Emperor? It seemed she never truly loved or cared for him, placing her love for greed above all else, even her affection for her son and husband.
Given his mother's actions, Zheng Xiang found it challenging to fully embrace Yang Ning's seemingly perfect and amiable nature with an optimistic outlook. After all, rumors about her circulated negatively in high society, particularly before she married his brother. Can a person genuinely undergo such a drastic transformation after marriage?