After Marrying the Disabled Fourth Prince

Chapter 13

Pei Yuan sat quietly in the room, his head lowered, lost in thought.

Bao Ning had heard the commotion from the eastern wing just now, but seeing Pei Yuan's neat appearance, he didn't seem like he had been bullied, which put her at ease.

Huang Ji's feather duster was twisted and dropped on the ground. Bao Ning used her toe to kick it outside, where a group of chickens and ducks immediately swarmed over, pecking at it.

Bao Ning then noticed the two bags placed at the door.

She walked over to take a look. They were both bulging, one of them slightly open, revealing something that looked like radishes and cabbage, while the other was tightly tied, its contents unknown.

Feeling curious, Bao Ning reached out to touch the unopened bag. The contents inside felt smooth and thick, cylindrical in shape, sending a chilling sensation through her fingertips.

Bao Ning shivered and quickly withdrew her hand, wiping it on her skirt.

Turning back to Pei Yuan, she asked, "Fourth Prince, what did they send?"

"I don't know," Pei Yuan didn't look up, his voice hoarse, "It's definitely not something good. We'll throw it out later, don't touch it."

"Oh," Bao Ning responded, moving away from the two bags and sitting beside Pei Yuan. She wanted to ask him something, but looking at his expression, she hesitated.

She couldn't understand why the Ministry of Works had come all this way to cause trouble for Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan's past was something Bao Ning didn't fully understand.

She only knew he was the Fourth Prince, his birth mother had passed away early, and he had been raised under the Empress's care since childhood. He was very close to the Crown Prince, Pei Che, who was seven years his senior. Pei Yuan's birth mother was said to be an exceptionally beautiful woman, greatly favored by the Emperor, who doted on Pei Yuan immensely. He was titled the Prince of Jibei at a very young age.

From a young age, Pei Yuan was unruly, and his reputation inside and outside the palace was not very good. In order to temper his character, the Emperor sent him to the military camp at the age of seven or eight, under the supervision of General Qiu Mingshan.

Over time, Pei Yuan became skilled in martial arts, but his temperament remained the same. He was wild and reckless, wielding swords in the streets and causing trouble. The Emperor eventually stopped bothering with him.

There were rumors in the capital that the Fourth Prince, Pei Yuan, was someone not to be messed with. He was said to be a madman who dared to do anything, including murder and arson. His archery skills were particularly outstanding; he could shoot an arrow through a heart from a hundred paces away.

But these were all hearsay, and Bao Ning didn't know if they were true or not.

She only knew that later, there was a major incident during the New Year's banquet. The Crown Prince, Pei Che, and the Fourth Prince, Pei Yuan, conspired together to assassinate the Emperor and seize the throne.

The Crown Prince, Pei Che, was a gentle person, adopting a policy of appeasement in his military and political affairs, which sharply contrasted with the Emperor's bold and daring nature. Father and son quarreled many times over this matter. In the most recent dispute, the Emperor even contemplated deposing the Crown Prince.

It was said that the Crown Prince, feeling pressured, attempted to poison the Emperor. The poison was colorless and tasteless, nearly succeeding, but it was the Third Prince, Pei Xiao, who discovered the anomaly and risked his life to test the poison, averting a disaster.