Chapter 25 Intimidation Only beauties are worthy of being by this princess's side...

He was there, sitting upright, dressed in white, and his eyes, usually so indifferent, held a rare glimmer of light when he looked at her.

Li Yunru could tell that the person was very serious about this.

"If only you had said that earlier."

Before coming to the capital, before everything changed...

"What?"

Her voice was so low it was barely audible to Yan Ning.

"It's nothing."

Li Yunru once again ordered him to sit up straight, saying, "Don't move around. I'm going to apply some medicine for you. This looks quite serious; it might leave a scar."

Yan Ning smiled and casually asked, teasingly, "What, does Princess Scar not like me anymore? Does she not want me anymore?"

"Of course."

Li Yunru said, "This princess loves all beautiful things, including people. What I love most are your legs. If your legs are scarred, ugly, or even crippled, what use would I have for you?"

"Only flawless jade is worthy to remain by my side as an adornment for me!"

Yan Ning smiled, feigning sadness, and said, "The princess is truly heartless, showing no affection whatsoever. I am heartbroken because of the princess."

He didn't take his words seriously, and Li Yunru didn't take them to heart either.

Besides, what does it mean to be hurt by her?

While her scheming and instigation contributed to this, the real issue ultimately depended on the Yan family's attitude towards the matter.

They were determined not to help the royal family. Yan Ning's words deviated from their original plan, and they were afraid that he might do something irrational that would affect the Yan family.

Hurting him was actually just to protect him.

If the eldest sons of the Yan and Cui families, whom they both value highly, were to be rumored to have abandoned their families for a young lady at this critical juncture, it would be considered a scandalous affair and gossip, but right now... it would be a grave offense, leaving them with no credibility within their families or among the noble clans.

This is a matter that will be ridiculed for eternity.

Even if Yan Ning wouldn't really betray her, who could stop the rumors from spreading like wildfire?

The Yan family dared not gamble, and Madam Yan dared even less!

And that's exactly what she's betting on.

Li Yunru didn't want to talk about these things, so she changed the subject and said, "If you have nothing to do these next few days, you can stay in the palace. But you must come with me to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager every morning and evening. Don't act like some kind of noble family scion."

"Um."

Yan Ning stayed in the palace and was quite obedient. She would go with her to pay her respects to Empress Zhenyuan every morning and evening, occasionally chat with Crown Prince Li Xun, and in her spare time, she would accompany her out of the palace to visit Princess Huayang, Li Jinghe.

Li Yunru should have been temporarily imprisoned like her until these matters were settled. However, she was already a woman from a prominent family with the Yan family as her backing. Although each family had its own agenda, they would still give her some face, which is why she gained some freedom.

With her husband in prison, her father and sisters recently gone, and herself now trapped here, Li Jinghe has suffered many blows. She has become much more haggard, her hair disheveled, and her eyes lifeless. She just sits there numbly, letting her days pass by in vain.

Li Yunru's visit did not change anything.

The two arrived at noon, and someone kept watch at the door the whole time. They were urged to leave in less than half an hour. Before leaving, Li Jinghe called her into the house alone.

Fang went in, closed the door, and Li Jinghe knelt down.

"Sister!"

Li Yunru was terrified and hurriedly went to help her up, but Li Jinghe shook her head and said stubbornly, "Sister, listen to what your elder sister has to say."

She said, "Given the current situation, everyone can see that these powerful families will not let the late emperor's family go. I have no regrets. I am fortunate to have been able to share the same fate as my father and mother, and to be able to live and die with Qin Lang. However..."

Li Jing then changed the subject and mentioned her two children.

“Your two little nephews, Yingying and Yue’er, are still young, barely seven or eight years old this year. They haven’t even had a chance to see the beauty of this world yet. It shouldn’t be like this. So I beg you… Although I know this will put you in a difficult position, I’m sorry, but I still ask you, no matter what, to protect them for me and let them grow up safely and healthily.”

"elder sister."

Li Jinghe was not as arrogant as she seemed, but behind her gentle appearance lay her own temperament. Even in the most difficult times of the past, when someone held a knife to the neck of Emperor Qi Xuan and Empress Zhenyuan, she never bowed her head or gave in. Yet today, this woman of integrity was kneeling before her, pleading with tears streaming down her face.

Li Yunru's nose stung with tears, her emotions being pulled along by Li Jinghe, and her beautiful, doe-like eyes involuntarily filled with tears.

She hurriedly helped the person up, her voice trembling, and said, "Between you and me, sisters, there's no need for such begging and pleading. Besides, Yingying and Yue'er, at their age, what they need most is their parents' company, not me, their aunt with whom they share some blood ties. I can't agree to this, I can't overstep my bounds. You have to do it yourself, protect them, and accompany them as they grow up."

“I know, but this isn’t the current situation…”

"Um?"

Realizing something, she looked up at Li Yunru, "Are you...?"

Li Yunru didn't answer her, but patted her hand and said, "Sister, just wait here in the mansion. Before long, your family of four will be reunited."

"Rui Lin'er, please don't..."

Li Jinghe wanted to say something, but then she heard urging voices coming from outside.

Li Yunru glanced outside and said, "Don't worry, sister, I know what I'm doing."

...

After leaving the princess's residence, Yan Ning said he wanted to go back to the Yan family. He had been away for some time, and it was indeed not appropriate for him to go back.

"If the princess does not wish to return, I will go back alone."

“Don’t worry,” Li Yunru said. “I’m not that sentimental. They are your family, it’s only right that you go back to see them. I’ll go with you.”

She followed Yan Ning back to the Yan family.

It's not a separate courtyard, it's the main house.

The eldest and second sons of the Yan family, along with two elders, currently live here.

However, his two elder brothers were busy with political affairs all day long, and no one was seen at this time; only the head of the Yan family and Madam Cui were there.

Oh, and there's another old friend.

Cui Wan.

She hadn't been seen for a long time, and she had become even more beautiful. Her dignified and elegant demeanor was something that this commoner princess could not match.

No one had told her this before, and Cui Wan also went to the capital.

She looked at Yan Ning.

Yan Ning remained completely calm, seemingly unaware of her thoughts. She offered no comment, only a brief explanation: "My mother needs someone to take care of her. She favors my cousin, and she came with her." That was her explanation, and that was the end of it.

In the past, Li Yunru cared a lot about this and insisted on making a fuss with him until he made a choice. But now that she was determined to leave, she tried her best to ignore it.

The man responded and went over with a smile to greet the group.

When Cui saw her, there was no joy in her eyes, only cold indifference. Cui Wan, on the other hand, remained as composed as ever, adept at feigning and manipulating emotions.

She treated herself as if she were half the mistress of the place and said to her, "Is the princess going back to the Yan family to stay? If so, I will have someone make arrangements to clean up the house in the West Garden."

Neither the head of the Yan family nor the Cui family said anything wrong with such presumptuous words.

Their attitude was quite clear: once the dust settled and Li Yunru was kicked out, they would immediately arrange a marriage for Cui Wan and Yan Ning.

Cui Wan was chosen to be a member of the Yan family, and everyone was satisfied.

She was the only one who wasn't.

This is absolutely outrageous and shows her no respect whatsoever. Li Yunru should angrily question them about their intentions and make a scene to show everyone her attitude.

However, this time...

She held back!

My mother once said that bowing one's head does not mean admitting defeat; using gentleness to overcome strength is also a strategy.

She smiled and said casually, "Look at what you're saying, Miss. Sanlang and I are husband and wife, so we should live in his East Garden. Why should we bother people to clean the West Garden?"

Li Yunru looked at Cui Shi and said, "You agree, Mother."

She rarely addressed Cui as such. Their relationship was so-so; they didn't really acknowledge each other and only maintained a superficial harmony. She had been pampered since childhood and had never learned to use insincere words or to greet people with feigned warmth.

She has really grown a lot now.

He just shouted it out without any discomfort; it felt so natural and sincere.

Madam Cui disliked her, but she had no intention of making things difficult for her in public. No intelligent matriarch would do that and lose face.

She said, "That's natural."

The servants were summoned and instructed to tidy up the East Garden, place her belongings there, and purchase a few more decent and beautiful pieces of clothing.

This was all for show; in private, she would give her the cold shoulder.

"Is the princess so impatient?"

Li Yunru admitted that her return to the Yan family was partly motivated by a desire to intimidate them, but it was mostly because of Yan Ning.

His frequent residence in the palace would inevitably attract much criticism and lead others to speculate whether the Yan family had reached some kind of agreement with the royal family. Thus, under the weight of enormous interests, the voice of the matriarch of this powerful family would weaken, and her schemes would backfire.

Li Yunru did not deny Cui's scathing accusations.

She said, "If Mother does as we agreed, then she naturally doesn't need to worry about me affecting anything."

Cui glared at her coldly, "Liyang, you really have a deep mind. I underestimated you in the past."

She was proud yet bold and direct, never hiding anything from people, so much so that Cui Shi never thought she could be a threat, and of course... she didn't think she could become the matriarch of the Yan family and manage the household affairs. But now she realized that she was so wrong.

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell Changjun all this first?"

Li Yunru didn't care at all. "Mother can go ahead and say it. Let's see if the young master will hate me and abandon me, or if he will feel even more heartache and be reluctant to part with me?"

She smiled at Madam Cui, "Mother, you know his nature well, the child you carried for ten months and gave birth to with great difficulty. On the surface, he seems aloof and indifferent, as if he doesn't care about anything, but in fact, he is the most kind-hearted and gentle person."

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Author's Note: 100 likes! 100 likes! Thank you to every lovely person who has added this to their collection. There will be an extra chapter. I'm quite busy today, but I'll add it as soon as I finish finishing the rankings. [cheering emojis]