A Marriage in Name Only? My Stepbrother Won't Let Me Go

When Mei Wanying was out of his sight, Pei Yan couldn’t be at ease. He was always worried other men would covet her.

The mere thought was unacceptable to Pei Yan. She was his Ah Yin, and his alone.

Only he was allowed to think of her.

As he toyed with the sachet Mei Wanying had given him, the thought of going to Jiangnan stirred in Pei Yan’s mind once more.

’Ah Yin doesn’t want to see me, but it would be enough to just watch her from the shadows.’

For Pei Yan, every day separated from Mei Wanying felt like a year.

Once the idea took root, it was impossible to suppress. Pei Yan wanted to see Mei Wanying.

Desperately.

He calculated the dates, planning to make one trip to Jiangnan for Mei Wanying’s birthday.

Then, he would go again for Lingling’s birthday.

The distance between them was vast. Even traveling day and night, the journey would take several days.

In an entire year, he could see Ah Yin and Lingling twice at most.

If an emergency arose, he would see them even less.

This was not what Pei Yan wanted.

Even the most supreme power could not outweigh Mei Wanying’s place in his heart.

He wanted to be with Mei Wanying day and night.

But if he gave up his power, how could he protect Ah Yin and Lingling?

It was an unsolvable dilemma.

All Pei Yan could do was balance the court and manage state affairs. Only with no worries at home could he see his wife and daughter more often.

As long as he could see them, he would gladly endure any number of arduous journeys.

Night had fallen, but the Imperial Study Room was still brightly lit. Pei Yan was still buried in state affairs.

With Mei Wanying gone, he stayed away from all women. There wasn’t even a single female attendant by his side as he threw himself entirely into his work.

He had indeed done outrageous things for Mei Wanying’s sake.

But he never neglected his duties.

After ascending the throne, Pei Yan declared a general amnesty, reducing taxes and corvée labor.

Areas ravaged by war were granted a five-year tax exemption. Lands struck by disaster, whether natural or man-made, had their taxes for the year waived entirely. He encouraged the cultivation of new land, allowing the people to rest and recover.

Since taking the throne, he had governed with benevolence, his grace extending across the land.

He was also a valiant and skilled warrior. Even before being recognized by the Royal Family, he had already earned illustrious military honors. He later personally led troops to quell the turmoil at the Border.

Capable of both ruling benevolently to bring peace to the realm and riding into battle to defend it, Pei Yan had won the hearts of the people since his ascension.

In light of his achievements, his scandalous affair with Mei Wanying seemed insignificant.

Most importantly, Pei Yan held all the power, and his methods were uncompromisingly firm. The entire court held him in awe, and no one dared to cross him.

With the Harem empty, the most anxious person was Empress Dowager Gu. However, she had been confined by her own son and didn’t even have the chance to go to the Imperial Study Room to admonish him.

Her letters to Mei Wanying also went unanswered.

She had thought that once her son ascended the throne, she would be able to live a carefree life, doting on her grandchildren. The reality was the complete opposite.

Forget a carefree life, there was no one left to even annoy her.

The deep palace was utterly silent, and Empress Dowager Gu found it unsettling.

She asked Mrs. Feng countless times, "Were the things I did to Mei Wanying really so excessive? Why can’t Ah Yan just let it go?"

’I never tried to take her life. I just forbade her from becoming Ah Yan’s principal wife.’

’Later, I even relented.’

’If Ah Yan wanted to marry Mei Wanying, I wouldn’t have stood in his way any longer.’

’I compromised at every turn. I never threatened her life, nor did I mistreat her in any other way.’

’So why does my own son resent me so deeply?’

Empress Dowager Gu couldn’t understand it.

During her confinement, she replayed everything from start to finish but still couldn’t figure out what she had done to make Ah Yan so furious.

It wasn’t just Empress Dowager Gu; even Mrs. Feng couldn’t make sense of it.

’In any ordinary family, it’s perfectly normal for a mother-in-law to set rules for her daughter-in-law.’

’Our Empress met with that woman from the Mei Family just once. She neither scolded nor punished her. So how did she end up incurring the Emperor’s resentment?’

’It was all very strange!’

’Mei Wanying must have fed the Emperor some kind of seductive soup.’ Mrs. Feng could think of no other explanation.

She tried to comfort Empress Dowager Gu. "Give it time. The Emperor will eventually understand the good intentions behind your actions."

The Empress Dowager also felt that her son didn’t appreciate her good intentions.

She felt deeply wronged.

"In Ah Yan’s mind, I’m the one who cruelly split them apart. As long as Mei Wanying doesn’t return, he will never forgive me."

Her son refused to listen to her, and now even a nobody like Mei Wanying dared to defy her.

Being the Empress Dowager was utterly humiliating.

Empress Dowager Gu said hatefully, "A flower’s bloom doesn’t last forever. We’ll see how arrogant she can be once Ah Yan loses interest in her!"

Unfortunately, her son was a tough nut to crack and not easily manipulated.

’Otherwise, I’d fill the Harem with three thousand beauties and see if Mei Wanying still dares to put on airs, keeping the child in Jiangnan and refusing to return to the Capital City!’

Since Empress Dowager Gu was confined and could not leave, she began summoning people to the palace to amuse her.

The guests she summoned were all young women of a suitable age.

Years ago, when choosing a Princess Consort Chen for Pei Yan, Empress Dowager Gu had prioritized family background, virtue, and talent. Now, she had changed her criteria, selecting women based solely on their looks.

’As long as the vessel is beautiful enough, a lower-class background doesn’t matter.’

’Ah Yan fell for Mei Wanying, and her looks played a major part in that.’

’A fondness for beauty is only human nature.’

’Ah Yan had met too few women in his life, which is why Mei Wanying has him wrapped so tightly around her finger.’

’Once he’s seen a true garden of beauties, what’s so special about a single Mei Wanying?’

’In time, Ah Yan will naturally grow tired of her.’

She knew her son’s temper; trying to force women on him directly would only provoke his anger.

So, the Empress Dowager had to resort to indirect methods, creating opportunities for these young women to be seen by Pei Yan.

The Imperial Palace was vast, but with enough visits, an encounter with Pei Yan was inevitable.

Over time, anything could happen.

Any discerning person could see what the Empress Dowager was plotting.

She was trying to fill the Harem through backdoor means!

The more ambitious ones deliberately began to dress like Mei Wanying, styling their clothes and hair to match hers.

They couldn’t compare to Mei Wanying’s face or figure, but they could mimic her every gesture.

Mei Wanying had been away from the Capital City for so long that people’s memories of her were frozen in the past.

They remembered her pestering the Emperor relentlessly, vowing to marry no one but him.

None of them dared to pursue the Emperor so brazenly or confess their feelings so openly. The only thing they could copy was her appearance.

To this end, some went to great lengths, even sending spies to Jiangnan to see what Mei Wanying looked like now.

’The closer the imitation, the better the chance of catching the Emperor’s eye.’

They all hoped to be chosen by the Emperor, to enter the palace to serve him and bring glory to their families.

Pei Yan was engrossed in his duties, his mind focused on finding time to visit Mei Wanying and Ling in Jiangnan again.

He paid no mind to the Empress Dowager’s activities, and such trivial matters were never reported to him.

That is, until he encountered a clumsy young woman on a palace path. She was wearing a smoky-purple dress, and from the back, she bore a slight resemblance to Mei Wanying.

Pei Yan’s expression turned thunderous.

’My Ah Yin is one of a kind. Anyone who dares to imitate her is asking for trouble!’

Without giving the woman a chance to speak, he ordered his guards to drag her away.

It took Pei Yan only a moment’s thought to figure out who was behind this woman’s appearance in the palace.

’She knows my heart belongs to Mei Wanying. She knows we have a daughter who needs a complete family. And yet, she still meddles, trying to shove an outsider into our little home.’

’She claims it’s all for my own good, but time and again she sabotages my relationship with Mei Wanying.’

’So this is what "for my own good" means!’

Pei Yan’s eyes were glacial. "Confinement is useless. Seal Jingning Palace. Anyone who dares take a single step inside will be defying a direct imperial edict!"