Chapter 61 Indulgence Should Lead to Separate Rooms

She was babbling on and on, I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she was definitely praising her.

She also picked a lotus flower and tucked it into his hair. Their eyes met briefly in mid-air, and they both burst into laughter.

As the boat reached deeper waters, Li Yunru lay down, gazing at the drifting white clouds in the sky, and said, "Yan Changjun, shall we stay in Shangjing like this forever?"

Whether in the past or present, only the memories of the capital are beautiful. Jiankang is filled with too much sorrow. Whenever she sets foot on that land, she feels a suffocating sense of oppression.

"I'm not saying you should betray the family and ignore everything about the Yan family. It just means we'll go back during holidays. I... I'll get along well with Mother, learn how to manage the household and keep accounts, and how to be a good daughter-in-law of the Yan family..."

"I know."

Yan Ning lay down next to her, took her hand, and intertwined their fingers. "Wherever the princess likes, we'll live there forever."

He had sacrificed her for his family and had seen with his own eyes what she looked like when she was in the Yan family and in Jiankang. He did not want to see Liyang like that again.

He liked her as she was now, bright, flamboyant, and unrestrained, so wherever she could be herself was where she would live. As for the rest... he would take care of it.

--

Cui only briefly considered it before quickly forgetting about it.

She asked Granny Chen to arrange for someone to spread out paper and pens, and then she went to the desk and wrote two letters.

One letter was addressed to the Cui family of Qinghe, stating her and Lord Yan's attitude that Cui Wan was the only legitimate daughter-in-law recognized by the Yan family, and she also tentatively inquired about the two of them in the capital.

Why not just ask Yan Ning directly?

Naturally, this was out of consideration for protecting it.

Her son has always been intelligent and quick-witted. If she were to rashly send such a letter, people would inevitably guess what was going on. He is currently in a stable phase of his career and is very interested in Liyang. If this causes a fuss, it will have a very bad impact.

well.

It's all because Liyang is too stubborn. If she were willing to take a step back...

There was another letter, from Yan Sheng, the youngest daughter of a man living far away in the capital.

She also took to heart a sentence in the Cui family's letter: Yan Sheng was, after all, an unmarried young lady from a noble family. How could she follow Li Yunru and act so recklessly, showing her face in public like this?

She also wanted to give her daughter a bit of freedom and ease outside the rules, a freedom she herself didn't have. However, this concerned her life's most important matter; today it was the Cui family, but what about tomorrow...?

If this continues and word gets out, how will she ever get married?

She was already quite old; at that age, she had already married into the Yan family and begun learning household affairs, helping her mother-in-law manage the household.

Which mother-in-law would like a daughter-in-law like Liyang?

She absolutely cannot let Yan Sheng learn from her!

--

When Yan Sheng received the letter from her mother, it felt as if the sky had fallen.

In the past, she was confined to her small house and could not go out. She was busy with all sorts of trivial matters among her sisters-in-law. The only time she could relax was when a certain family held a flower banquet or poetry gathering for women. Only then could she feel a little free. But all the comparisons were ultimately just to accumulate a good reputation so that she could marry into a high-ranking family in the future.

A gathering with a specific purpose is not much better than one held at home.

Having finally escaped, and seeing the vastness of the world, how could I be willing to go back?

However, filial piety comes first, so how could she disobey her mother's orders?

After receiving the letter, she became mentally confused. While helping out at the charity hall in the charitable institution, she made several mistakes. Helpless, the people at the charity hall could only ask her to return home temporarily to recuperate.

Li Yunru has been studying the rules of high-ranking families and how to manage accounts, and she even hired the most skilled housekeeper in the capital to teach her. She has been so busy every day that she didn't notice this until the little maid came running over crying. Only then did she realize the problem.

"Sister-in-law, I don't want to go back."

After all, he's still a child. No matter how dignified and polite he is on ordinary days, he'll still cry his eyes out when something really happens.

"Alright, alright." Li Yunru hugged her, put down the account book with her other hand, wiped away her tears, and soothed her emotions. After she calmed down a bit, she asked, "What exactly happened?"

Yan Sheng recounted Cui's letter, saying, "My mother has given me the order to return to Jiankang before the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Time flies, and it will soon be August. Jiankang and Shangjing are far apart, and even if one travels in a hurry without rest, it will take seven or eight days to get there. If one wants to go back, one must set off soon.

“I don’t want to leave. I’m doing great here. I’ve found what I want to do. I don’t want to go back…”

Back in Jiankang, I'll have to face those so-called high-class rules, the etiquette my mother tirelessly teaches about noble ladies, and finding a good husband...

She didn't want to get married so early.

He had three older brothers, three sisters-in-law, and about ten beautiful concubines...

Even if she had the love and care of her elder brother, like her third sister-in-law, and there were no conflicts such as concubines vying for favor, she still had a vague feeling that this kind of life was not what she wanted.

She was literate and knew how to read, and even had some knowledge of the steward's accounting skills. So why did she have to spend her whole life within these square, high walls?

Yan Sheng couldn't understand why those young men, after reading books and learning to read, could go out into the world, while they, even though they were the same, still had to stay in the house.

Even worse, some of them, who were not men, could only stand behind them...

She didn't want to end up like that.

Slowly, they lose their own names, all their learning and skills, just to become the person behind another man, to become so-and-so.

"It's alright, it's alright." Li Yunru gently patted her back to comfort her, saying, "Don't panic, there's still some time, let's see. Your brother and I will come up with a solution."

In truth, Li Yunru didn't really want to bother Yan Ning unless absolutely necessary. He was no longer the carefree scholar he used to be, coming and going as he pleased. Being a government official in the capital was easy; he didn't have to worry about anything, and with his family background and status, no one could say anything. But if he were to take it seriously, he would be busy forever.

The matter of military power is still unresolved. Recently, the Yang family has raised many objections to his recent actions, which has also garnered support from many prominent families, including Wang Wulang, with whom he has always been on good terms. However, Wang Wulang has also expressed his dissatisfaction. People are so disturbed by these matters that they are even frowning in their dreams.

But she hadn't figured out what to do.

In the past, she would have directly scolded, "Why go back? The mountains are high and the emperor is far away, how can she care about you? If you don't want to go back, then don't go back."

Now that she says she wants to get along well with Cui, it's already a problem that people will criticize her for not being by her side to serve her mother-in-law morning and night. If she continues to act this way, Cui will definitely dislike her even more. The two of them are only getting by now, and she doesn't want to offend people over such trivial matters and make them want to separate.

She was so worried about this that she couldn't sleep all night. When Yan Ning came back, he saw her sitting by the window with her brows furrowed.

"Didn't I tell you not to wait for me? Why aren't you asleep yet?"

As he walked over, he casually picked up a cloak, hung it on the person, and said, "Although it's July, it's still quite chilly at night. With such a large window open, you're not wearing an extra layer of clothing. Be careful not to catch a cold."

“My body isn’t that weak. Besides, Ah Sheng prescribed a lot of blood-nourishing and qi-tonifying formulas for me, and I’m taking many expensive ingredients every day. I can’t get sick even if I want to.”

"etc……"

Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she felt a sense of clarity. "I've got it!"

Li Yunru excitedly hugged Yan Ning, "I've got it!"

"What are you thinking about?" Yan Ning was completely confused.

oh.

I can't tell him this, lest I only cause him more trouble.

"secret!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and said playfully, "I can't tell you this."

Yan Ning smiled.

"The princess and I still have secrets; it seems we've become estranged."

"Oh my, this little bit of resentment, if your colleagues in the government office see it, they'll laugh at you again."

"I couldn't ask for more." He placed his hand on her waist, lowered his head, and searched for the source of the voice.

She wanted to refuse, but one hand gripped her waist, trapping her in his arms so she couldn't move or escape.

"The princess seduced me, but then she won't take responsibility."

This is utter slander!

God knows he would do this.

In the past, Li Yunru had indeed tried to seduce him, but he always acted like it was all business. The two of them could only maintain a polite distance, without getting to know each other deeply. She had always thought he was an indifferent gentleman, and if she didn't take the initiative or pressure him, they would probably continue living like that. But today she realized...

This isn't bland at all!

Ever since that day she let him use his hands, it's as if he's unlocked some kind of mechanism. Even though he clearly adheres to propriety and feels it's not right, he always manages to come up with all sorts of ways to cause trouble.

I don't know where he gets his super strength from, being so busy every day!

At first she would cooperate, but now she just wants to run away.

"Princess."

He hung his head, his eyes unfocused, looking both cute and pitiful.

That's enough.

Who told her to fall for this?

"Just this once, but you have to go on duty tomorrow, so you mustn't indulge yourself."

"Um."

He responded, but in the end he forgot what he had said. Li Yunru didn't remember which time it ended. She was in a daze and only heard him call for water. After that, she only smelled a faint fragrance and fell asleep in a daze.

When I woke up again, the person had already gone to work, the room was empty, and only a letter of confession remained.

She wanted to laugh.

I've lost count of how many pages this is. If you think about it, the mistakes he's made are almost as many as his policy essays. What's the point?

However, she didn't suffer any loss. Although she always ended up falling asleep after all that effort, he was the one who felt refreshed. After each session, he would help her wash up, then go to the bathroom to relieve himself before returning. He would hold her and sleep for a few hours before leaving again.

I don't know what they're after.

well.

Perhaps they should sleep in separate rooms and wait until the entire mourning period is over.

--

With her mother-in-law not around, she didn't have to serve her every morning and evening. She got up late at night, and no one dared to say anything.

After lunch, she found Yan Sheng and asked her to write back in her own name, saying that she was weak and needed constant care. She said that she knew some traditional Chinese medicine and would stay behind to help take care of her instead of going back.

When Cui received the reply seven days later, her face was as dark as the embers in the woodshed.

Granny Chen cursed, "How dare she, Li Shi, take our young lady for someone else? Her servant!"

What others say is also what Cui thought.

Li Yunru is simply outrageous!

Is there a shortage of servants in the household to take care of her? Why does Yan say she is frail and needs Yan Sheng's care?

Who is her daughter, Yansheng?

That's the legitimate daughter of a top-tier family, a noble lady who can sit in the first seat at elegant gatherings and poetry parties, and be treated with utmost respect. She's not someone to be served!

no!

We still need to find a way to get her to divorce Changjun, otherwise, if things continue like this, she will lead our two children astray!