Chapter 69: Yan Sanlang is worth the price.

"hehe."

Li Yunru sneered, saying, "Madam certainly dares to think that way."

Cui made no comment on her sarcastic remarks, but simply explained why she had made such a request.

“Changjun is currently very interested in you. He refuses to divorce you. If you simply leave, he will still harbor desires and will definitely go to great lengths to find you. Only by losing his wife and severing all his thoughts can he start anew.”

"Of course, the Yan family is a noble family, and we will not accept the county magistrate's favor for nothing. If you need anything, please feel free to ask."

She could say something like, "If it weren't for the fact that people refuse to bow their heads and refuse to be concubines or equal wives, the Yan family wouldn't have gone to such extremes," which would seem too hypocritical. So let's put that aside and be more practical, talking about the most relevant things right now.

Having come this far, Li Yunru didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Even if Madam hadn't brought it up, I would have."

She suffered a loss in love, so she must try to make up for it somewhere.

Li Yunru looked at Cui Shi and agreed, saying, "Alright, that's fine, but I have five conditions that I hope Madam can meet."

Five?

Lady Cui looked displeased and said, "Your Highness is being a bit greedy."

Li Yunru smiled and said, "Yan Sanlang is worth the price."

"Besides, the situation has changed now. It is you, Madam, who needs my help. When you need someone's help, you should act accordingly." He really is someone who is unwilling to suffer any loss.

Madam Cui just wanted to get this matter over with as soon as possible, so she didn't make things difficult for her and said, "Go ahead."

Li Yunru tapped the stone table and praised, "Madam is a straightforward person, so I will speak frankly."

"First, I want my elder sister, Lady Huayang, and her husband to have the right to return to the capital and enter the court."

"Secondly, I want my elder brother Li Xun to regain his freedom and return from the imperial mausoleum."

"Third, I have two close relatives named Shu Yun and Song Ji. I want Shu Yun to have his own estates and shops, so he can make a living. I want Song Ji to be free from the constraints of aristocratic families and to serve as an official in the court."

"Fourth, I need a lot of money. After all, once I leave Jiankang and am removed from the register, my salary will be cut off, and I need to ensure my livelihood."

As Cui listened, her face fell inch by inch. She was more adept at using the situation to her advantage than she had imagined.

No wonder the Lord said, "Our Lord Changjun, though talented, knows very little about matters of the heart and may not be able to outmaneuver Liyang. Her existence is a real hidden danger."

Absolutely true!

"Your Highness, aren't you afraid that your greed will lead to your death?"

"I'm afraid, but I know that if I were to disappear without a trace, your proud eldest son would definitely investigate to the end. Once he finds out that it's related to you, what do you think Madam will do? Madam is of noble birth and respected by the world. She wouldn't want to have a falling out with her child because of me, a commoner's daughter. Moreover, if you do it yourself, your hands will be stained with blood, and you will be looked down upon by other noble families. Madam and the master are both smart people. They wouldn't gamble with the reputation of the Yan family and put themselves in such an embarrassing situation."

Calm, composed, intelligent, bold, and insightful in his analysis.

But Cui didn't like her; she was too unconventional.

How could a woman be like this?

Moreover, aristocratic families don't need a matriarch with her personality.

Seeing that no one would back down from her threats, Cui softened her stance in order to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. She replied, "I can agree to your terms, but the last two are easy to handle. The first two... won't be resolved in the short term."

Li Yunru curled her lips and said, "This is Madam's problem, not mine. I will wait for Madam's decision. Until then, I will live in the Yan family and be with Yan Changjun. This is my fifth condition."

The courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Neither of them spoke again; they simply sat facing each other, drinking tea.

This is a psychological game.

But Li Yunru didn't think she would lose.

Because Cui would not refuse, she had already understood from the last transaction that Yan Ning's future was more important to her than anything else.

As she expected, Cui eventually gave in and agreed.

In the days that followed, Li Yunru naturally moved back to the Yan family, but she didn't stay for long. Yan Ning was afraid that she wouldn't be used to living there, so she chose a day to go to Qingfeng Garden under the pretext of recuperating.

She naturally followed along.

"You don't have to do this, I can overcome it."

Yan Ning held her in his arms, gently stroking her hair, his eyes tender, and said, "Don't overthink it. Actually, it's not entirely for you. The Yan family has a large number of members and frequent interactions, which is indeed not good for recuperation. I'm doing this for myself. I'm used to staying at Qingfeng Garden and I prefer it there."

Whether his words were true or false, only he himself knew the truth, but Li Yunru was pleased and happy to accept this explanation.

The Yan family definitely has too many people.

Countless eyes are watching this place closely, and they will report any slight disturbance to the Cui family. This has not changed from the past to the present.

She didn't like the feeling of being watched.

Besides, they don't have much time left to spend together like this. In these limited days, she prefers to be alone with someone without being disturbed. In this respect, Qingfeng Garden is indeed a better and more suitable place to stay.

...

About an hour and a half later, the carriage came to a stop in front of Qingfeng Garden. The message had been sent beforehand, and people were already waiting outside.

They are two beautiful and talented young ladies.

Li Yunru recognized them; they were called Yafeng and Baoyue, and were the head maids of Qingfeng Villa. She had investigated their backgrounds and knew that they were the maids that Cui had sent to Yan Ning as housekeepers in the past.

She didn't know if the two had a relationship. After all, she had just married into the manor and it was not appropriate to question him directly. However, she and Yan Ning had had a disagreement about this matter. She said that he liked living here so much because there were two beautiful and charming young ladies in the courtyard who served him well!

Yan Ning immediately denied it, rebuking her, "Don't talk nonsense!"

"Then send them away. I can't stand seeing such beautiful young women in your yard all day long!"

Yan Ning refused, saying, "Ya Feng Bao Yue has done nothing wrong, and we cannot just drive people away."

So the two quarreled again and didn't speak to each other for several days. Later, they agreed on a timeframe, and he was required to stay at the princess's residence for at least half a month to serve her. Only then did they manage to get through it.

In the middle of the year, Cui Wan arrived in Jiankang. Unaware of the situation, she was furious when someone broke their promise to go boating on the lake. She came to arrest them that very night and, in her emotional outburst, pushed Ya Feng, causing her to fall straight to the ground. What happened after that was too much for her to remember at the time. Now, upon seeing her again, she mentioned it.

Ya Feng said, "Thank you for your concern, County Magistrate. It's nothing."

"That's good."

She didn't intend to exchange pleasantries about the matter. After a brief greeting and giving them a pearl hairpin as an apology, she didn't mention it again. Ya Feng led them into the courtyard.

Unlike the luxurious pavilions and towers of the Yan family, this Qingfeng Villa is Yan Ning's private villa, characterized by its elegance and tranquility. It features a two-courtyard layout with exquisite houses, and is surrounded by lush bamboo and pine trees. The winding stone paths and graceful rockeries create a picturesque scene. The clear water in the pond shimmers under the night sky, and the waterside pavilions and high terraces are breathtakingly beautiful.

She used to love this place and wanted to stay here several times, but she was often refused. She only came a few times and never stayed overnight. Before the coup, this was a knot in her heart that she could not untie.

Because of this, even though Yan Ning was aloof, he treated her quite well and respected her in every way, but she just didn't feel that he had any feelings for her. She thought that it was just a matter of the aristocratic family's need to save face and that he was just being polite to her.

This caused numerous rifts between the two.

Perhaps her mindset has changed. She had wanted to possess this place countless times, to leave her mark here and prove her identity, but now, walking in here, she feels nothing.

Seeing that she remained silent and only stared blankly around the courtyard, Yan Ning asked with concern, "What are you thinking about?"

Li Yunru didn't hide anything and said frankly, "When we first got married, you avoided me and lived here all day long. At that time, I thought that one day I must move in. I wanted to announce to everyone and to everything here that I was your wife and the true mistress of this courtyard. But now that I've moved in, I'm not as happy as I imagined."

Yan Ning listened to her recount the past with a bitter and helpless expression. He explained, "Actually, it wasn't that I was avoiding you back then. It's just that I was used to being alone and having peace and quiet. I couldn't adapt to your presence."

At that time, Liyang was like a bandit who had come down from the mountain to invade, determined to conquer and seize every place she passed through and plant her own flag.

The offensive was too fierce!

He had never seen or knew how to deal with such a sudden intruder, someone he couldn't hit or scold.

Naturally, people become more accustomed to living life the way they used to.

"Oh, so you're more suited to being a dignified lady from a noble family."

"No."

Even if it were another dignified and elegant noblewoman, he would still act the same way.

They would probably live like that for the rest of their lives. She would help people with household affairs and social interactions, and he would grant her respect, status, power, and a revered identity. Everything would proceed smoothly, but it would also be as rigid and boring as a still well.

She gave people a novel experience.

Hehehe.

As Yan Ning spoke, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Even Princess Xiao's jealousy has become more subtle. I still prefer the old Princess Xiao's aggressive and assertive way of claiming her rights."

"Oh, so you like fierce women?"

Yan Ning said, "I don't like fierce people, I just like you."

He took her hand and led her inside step by step, saying to her as they walked, "Liyang, you don't need to do anything to prove that you are the only mistress of this house. You were before, you are now, and you will never change."

"As expected of a young man who has read so many books, he really knows how to talk."

She was pleased with Yan Ning's kind words, and her expression relaxed considerably. She took the initiative to interlock her fingers with Yan Ning's hand, which was originally being held.

The two stayed at the villa for ten days to half a month. During this time, apart from a few close friends of Yan Ning, such as Lu Wulang, who came to visit, they spent most of their time alone, as if they were isolated from the world.

She personally served the medicine and even learned how to cook and prepare medicinal dishes from the kitchen, doing everything herself. Yan Ning said she didn't need to do these things.

Li Yunru smiled and said, "I want to do something for my husband. Besides, I need to know how to do it myself. Otherwise, without servants to take care of me, wouldn't I starve to death?"

Yan Ning laughed along and said, "Liyang, your husband has only recently lost power; he hasn't reached that point yet. He can support you no matter what."

"I know."

She doesn't deny it, but what she said is the truth.

He couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he simply let her be. However, he would watch from the sidelines, occasionally adding firewood and tasting the food. The two lived a simple, yet peaceful and happy life, just like an ordinary farming couple.

Such days passed quickly, and it was already mid-September.