Chapter 82 Not even qualified to be a fence-sitter: "Is my mother-in-law pressuring you again?" "Don't bring up things you don't want to talk about."...

"Is my mother-in-law pressuring you again?"

Don't bring up things you shouldn't talk about.

There was another teacup for the mint tea, but Yu Lang insisted on snatching the half-cup from Shen Wanqing's hand, drinking it all in one gulp, and then handing it to Chunxian so she could pour another cup.

“I told you last time, if your mother urges you again, just have her come and talk to me. You’re usually so clever, how come you’re so stupid about this?”

"You're the stupid one. My mother thinks your son-in-law is perfect in every way, except for one thing: he's got a beautiful flower in his eye. If I try to pin this on you, I'll just be asking for a scolding. Alright, alright, you don't need to worry about this anymore. I know what I'm doing."

"You know what's going on? All you know is how to run away. Every time your mother nags you, you run away. One day you won't be able to run anymore, let's see what you do then."

"If I can't run away, then I won't. I'll just listen to her urging me. No matter what, my mother won't take a piece of my flesh because of this."

This was not the first time Xu had urged Shen Wanqing to have a child. She had subtly inquired about it with her daughter as soon as spring arrived after the Lunar New Year.

The first time, he took a very roundabout approach, first holding his daughter's hand and asking her carefully how she and her son-in-law were doing, whether they argued in private or not, and whether they were happy or not. Shen Wanqing was completely confused by his questions.

He's always so energetic, striving for success and high office; he doesn't seem like he's having a bad time.

Hearing her daughter's words, Madam Xu didn't refute them, but simply shook her head and said that becoming a high-ranking official and achieving great success doesn't guarantee a harmonious marriage. How much money is too much to live on? As long as it's enough to get by, that's fine.

Upon hearing this, Shen Wanqing couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. It wasn't meant to be directed at Madam Xu; she simply found the remark particularly amusing.

She had heard similar things before, without exception, from her own boss or the boss of her business partner, who wanted to retire or pretended to be a wise hermit to coax her into doing more work for less pay.

In fact, Xu Shi was similar to them. Both the Xu and Shen families had been running their businesses for generations. Xu Shi had never experienced a life without money since birth, so it was only natural for her to say that.

Unfortunately, she was a counterfeit; money and power still held an irresistible allure for Shen Wanqing. Even if the Crown Prince wasn't destined to be deposed in ten years, Shen Wanqing wanted to live a life of luxury for those ten years.

Why should others live a good life while she can't? Shen Wanqing doesn't believe in fate. Even if fate truly exists, she hopes to die at the peak of her life, even if it's a sudden, sharp death, she wants to experience what it's like to be on top of the world.

However, Shen Wanqing would never say such outrageous and presumptuous things. In front of Xu Shi, she would just laugh it off and try to get away with it.

To her surprise, Madam Xu didn't buy it at all. She then pressed on, asking if Yu Lang had any plans to take concubines or maids into the family. This question sent a chill down Shen Wanqing's spine. She thought Madam Xu had heard some rumors and quickly asked why she suddenly thought of asking this.

Normally, her daughter and son-in-law had a very good relationship, so much so that they were like a honeymooner. Xu never expected that her daughter would react so strongly to what she said.

Seeing Shen Wanqing's wary yet determined look, she suddenly realized that her daughter didn't believe her son-in-law would stay with her all the time. She wondered if her daughter's usual loving and happy demeanor was real or fake.

Shen Wanqing was surprised by Xu's question. Of course it was true; Yulang truly only had her in his heart right now, and his feelings were genuine. Why wouldn't she be happy? Who wouldn't like a handsome and capable young man? Life would be so much more enjoyable with Yulang by her side.

The difference between truth and falsehood is just a matter of a single thought. When the feelings change and become false, you can simply withdraw and be unhappy then.

Shen Wanqing spoke frankly and naturally, which made Xu Shi both angry and amused. She wanted to tell her daughter that she was afraid that she would not be able to extricate herself from the situation, but she felt that it was really unnecessary to say such things at this time.

Composing myself, I told my daughter everything I was unsure whether to be too direct: since we know that marital bliss doesn't last, we should have a child sooner rather than later.

We should take advantage of the fact that the son-in-law doesn't want to take concubines or maids to have more children, so that even if someone else, Shen Wanqing, enters the East Courtyard as the principal wife, we won't be worried.

When Shen Wanqing got home that night, she told Yu Lang about it as a joke. The two of them laughed and joked together. Yu Lang even used this as an excuse to coax Shen Wanqing to do it several more times before finally stopping.

But once this matter started, it never ended, especially after Xu realized that her daughter was not so naive and ignorant about matters between husband and wife, which made her even more reckless in her urging.

Is having children a simple matter? In later generations, dual-income families have to carefully consider when to have a child so as not to interfere with their work or other trivial matters like applying for professional titles.

I have so many jobs lined up and things aren't even on track yet. To put it bluntly, I don't even dare to get sick, let alone have a child.

Thinking about Shen Wanqing gave her a headache, and she couldn't help but nag Yulang a bit more. After nagging for a while, she noticed that the person next to her was listless and lethargic like a sick cat, and realized that something was wrong with him.

"Has something happened in the palace? If so, don't keep it to yourself, tell me. Maybe we can come up with a solution if we discuss it together."

Seeing the person slumped in the carriage looking listless as if his tail had been pinched, Shen Wanqing's first reaction was to reach out and touch his forehead to see if he had a fever.

This man rarely gets sick, but when he does, he can turn a minor ailment into a major one. This spring, the weather changed drastically. When he went to the palace to take up his post, it was still sunny and bright, but the next day a rainstorm brought a chilly spring wind that made people shiver.

Unfortunately, when Yulang went to the palace that time, he didn't wear a thicker overcoat because he wanted to show off the new navy blue silk robe that Shen Wanqing had made for him. He endured the cold while on duty, and then caught a cold with a headache and stuffy nose that night.

If a guard falls ill, he must be moved out of the palace immediately so as not to pass on his illness to his master. Yu Lang left the palace at night, and when Yinreng didn't see him early the next morning, he thought he had overslept. Only after asking did he learn that Yu Lang had already left the palace the night before.

That day, He Yuzhu arrived with the imperial physician, limping along. When the chief eunuch of the Crown Prince brought the medicine and the imperial physician into the East Courtyard, they happened to see Yu Lang vomiting violently while holding a spittoon.

The person, who hadn't eaten much to begin with, had already vomited up sour fluid. If Shen Wanqing hadn't known that she hadn't transmigrated to the GB matriarchal world, she would have really suspected that this person had gotten pregnant before her.

When He Yuzhu entered the room and saw Yu Lang's mournful face, he cursed the guards and eunuchs on duty last night as idiots, while also blaming Yu Lang, who was usually so clever and good at currying favor with his master, for being so honest this time.

Later, after recovering from his illness and returning to the palace, He Yuzhu saw Yulang for several days with an expression that seemed to want to say something but couldn't, which annoyed Yulang so much that he took the initiative to go up to him and ask what he wanted to say.

The seemingly glamorous Grand Eunuch of Yuqing Palace then spoke earnestly to Yulang, saying, "If the eldest mistress is capable, then let her manage the household. But it's still not good if she doesn't have someone who cares about her well-being by her side."

These words were so nonsensical that Yu Lang couldn't understand what they meant after thinking for a long time. Seeing his expression, He Yuzhu was even more disappointed in him. He thought about ignoring it, but then realized that Yu Lang was already one of his own in Yuqing Palace. In the end, he gritted his teeth and blurted out his thoughts to Yu Lang.

"That time, He Yuzhu was terrified. The imperial physician examined my pulse but couldn't find anything serious. He could only vaguely tell me to rest more and drink more hot water."

I don't know what I said that offended my first wife. I was vomiting so badly I was practically spitting bile into the spittoon, and she was still lying on top of me laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight. He Yuzhu was completely dumbfounded. I realized my first wife wasn't my soulmate; I needed to find someone else quickly.

Shen Wanqing certainly remembered this incident, but she treated it as a joke. She didn't know why Yulang suddenly brought it up, but for now, as long as he wasn't sick, that was all that mattered. Fuxuan was getting married in a month, and he really couldn't afford to be sick.

"That's because he's stupid. He doesn't understand the bond between us. He thinks he has to be a confidant to hold you and cry like that. You're sick, and it would be too depressing for me to cry like that."

She had long since figured out what kind of person Yu Lang was. When he cared about her, he wouldn't accept even if the Crown Prince and Emperor Kangxi forced someone to be his concubine. But if he changed his mind one day, she wouldn't be able to keep him even if she tried to kill herself.

His clear comings and goings were exactly to her liking. So much so that no matter how carefree Shen Wanqing spoke, she knew in her heart that if he ever really changed his mind, she might be sad for several days.

Shen Wanqing couldn't pull her hand back from Yu Lang's forehead; Yu Lang grabbed it and pressed it tightly against her forehead, preventing her from moving. He kept rubbing against her like that, and now she looked like a dog with its tail between its legs, looking ashamed and droopy. Shen Wanqing couldn't tell whether it was a cat or a dog.

"It's good that you're not sick. So, Lord Yu, could you tell me what happened?"

"Before leaving the palace today, I was summoned to the Qianqing Palace."

After rambling on for so long, they finally got back to the point, and one sentence made Shen Wanqing's heart tighten: Oh dear.

The two had guessed that Yu Lang's identity and position would eventually lead to this day, ever since he entered Yuqing Palace. After all, everyone outside said that Yu Lang was a guard of Yuqing Palace, but in reality, everyone in the guard department was the Emperor's personal guard.

The names Yuqing Palace and Ganqing Gate were just private names used by people on duty; who would dare to say such things to His Majesty?

But ever since Yu Lang entered Yuqing Palace, he has never been summoned to Qianqing Palace even once. Not after Geng E's incident, not after the Shi family returned to the capital, and even after Yu Lang was promoted from second-class guard to first-class guard after the Dragon Boat Festival, he only went to Qianqing Palace to kowtow to His Majesty to express his gratitude as usual.

That day, the Minister of Works happened to be reporting on state affairs in the warm pavilion. Yu Lang didn't even go inside the warm pavilion; he just kowtowed three times to Emperor Kangxi outside, and that was the end of it.

As time goes by, even the most tense heart will gradually relax. But just when Yu Lang thought he was really just a guard who had been completely handed over to the Crown Prince by the Emperor, he was summoned to the Qianqing Palace for questioning without any warning. You can imagine how uneasy and anxious he must have felt.

What did you say?

"I answered whatever His Majesty asked. Most of the questions were about who the Crown Prince had met and what he had said."

Is the Emperor angry?

"No, they even said that my honesty and integrity were a good thing."

"Then why aren't you happy? Look at you, it looks like you've been punished at the Qianqing Palace."

“I left the palace as soon as I came out of the Qianqing Palace and did not return to the Yuqing Palace.”

Yu Lang finally raised his head, his eyes were bloodshot, his usually arched eyebrows drooped down, making him look pitiful, and his amber eyes were misty, as if he was about to cry.

Shen Wanqing occasionally couldn't help but sigh that men in this era were indeed more mature than those in later generations.

Most of the time when she was with Yu Lang, Shen Wanqing would not have realized that she was actually older than him. Yu Lang, who had started a family and established a career, usually maintained the image of a manly head of the family in public and in private.

It's not that Shen Wanqing judges people by their appearance; sometimes, being able to maintain a respectable facade can be very reassuring. If someone can't even put on a convincing act, no matter how capable or talented they are, no one will be willing to place their bets on them from the start.

But at this moment, she suddenly realized that Yu Lang was not even twenty years old this year, which would be a young man in his second or third year of college in the future.

He was also a bit stubborn, and while he often boasted about how adept he was at social maneuvering and how he knew how to advance and retreat, it was all just talk. At his age, how could Yulang not have the thought, "If you treat me like a national hero, I will repay you with the same patriotism"?

"Since you've been in Yuqing Palace for so long, has the Crown Prince ever suggested that you conceal anything from His Majesty in Qianqing Palace?"

"No, I've never said that."

Just because he never said anything doesn't mean Yu Lang was unaware of the undercurrents and intrigues involved. If nothing had happened, how did Geng E manage to go down in the first place? This isn't something that can be fooled by pretending to be ignorant.

Even if we assume Yu Lang is completely at ease about what happened today, what about the Crown Prince? He can't hide the fact that he was summoned to the Qianqing Palace, and Yu Lang isn't sure what the Crown Prince's attitude will be.

"If the master didn't tell you to cover it up, then he means you shouldn't. But you can't say it out loud. If you do, it means you've had your mind on it, and the final decision is for you not to hide it. That means you've thought about it."

The Crown Prince should keep his thoughts from the Emperor; he hasn't even entertained the idea. Since the Emperor hasn't considered it, why should you conceal it? If you don't need to conceal it, then your reply in the Qianqing Palace today shouldn't be wrong.

The carriage had already returned from the Shen family's residence to the Hesheli family's residence. Instead of stopping at the main gate, it went directly to the side gate closest to the east courtyard. Just as the two masters were about to discuss important matters, Chunxian emerged from the carriage. Now, the carriage sat quietly in the back alley, undisturbed by anyone.

Shen Wanqing's words were convoluted, but Yu Lang listened patiently. He pondered each word, and had to admit that his grandmother's words made sense. Even if the Crown Prince was dissatisfied after entering the palace in a few days, he could use these words as a reason, and the Crown Prince would surely be able to appease him.

"How can the eldest madam know everything? She even dares to guess the thoughts of His Majesty and the Crown Prince. Even I wouldn't dare to do that."

"We're all people with one nose and two eyes, what's there to be afraid of? I won't guess in front of them, I'll guess and figure it out secretly with you. Only by understanding their thoughts can we avoid being taken advantage of."

They pondered the words and actions of Emperor Kangxi and the Crown Prince, just as the servants of the Hesheli family pondered their own actions as the eldest mistress. At their core, it was all the same thing. Loyalty is good, but blind loyalty is not. If one only carries the four words "loyalty" in mind when performing duties, one might lose their life without even knowing why.

"The Crown Prince hasn't met anyone he shouldn't have met, or said anything he shouldn't have said."

"No, apart from accompanying the Emperor on his tour of the border in the summer, the Crown Prince has not even left the palace this year."

That's true. The Crown Prince's position is still secure, and the Crown Princess is about to marry into the family. Shi Wenbing is also alive and well. What reason would the Crown Prince have to secretly plot anything shady? Only someone with a screw loose would do that.

"Then just smile, sir. If they're going to ask you, they'll ask someone else. Do you think they can really keep these things from the Emperor if they want to know?"

"As long as we handle our tasks well, the Crown Prince won't be unhappy with you over this matter."

"If the Crown Prince really does plot something he shouldn't one day, you can rest assured. His Majesty will definitely not ask you for information. You and I will be among those His Majesty will kill without mercy. It's not our place to waver and be opportunists."

Shen Wanqing whispered the last few words into Yu Lang's ear, making the man shudder and his hair stand on end.

The person who said this didn't realize he had said anything significant. After finishing, he got up, got off the carriage, and went through the side gate, leaving Yulang with only his hurried back view.