Tong Wanyan was referring to the future, while Yinreng was referring to the present.
However, this did not diminish his emotion.
After returning from Prince Su's residence, the Tong family members also talked about Yinreng behind closed doors.
Their biggest fear was that they were pushing their daughter into a pit of fire. Even though Tong Qinian and Tong Ruita had repeatedly assured them that the Crown Prince treated his sister very well, seeing is believing, and hearing is deceiving.
Consort Tong smiled broadly; her complexion was even better than when she visited her in-laws at Prince Su's residence.
"Now that I've seen Xiao Yan, I can finally rest easy. You can tell if a girl is doing well just by looking at her complexion. Those women with their faces covered in makeup are mostly overworked. But Xiao Yan's eyes are still as clear as before she got married, and she blushes shyly when she mentions the Crown Prince. It's clear that she is truly cherished," said Consort Tong.
Instead of contradicting Yinreng, Tong Qinian spoke the truth: "The Crown Prince dotes on his younger sister."
“That’s right. Apart from the Crown Prince’s residence, my sister’s residence is the largest and best in Yuqing Palace,” Tong Ruita added.
Tong Guozhu slapped him on the head again: "You can't just say things like that. There's still the Crown Princess to come. Men are all fickle. What if the Crown Prince holds a grudge about this later? We're family, so we should keep it to ourselves. We can't let our guard down just because the Crown Prince is currently favoring us."
“Your father is right. No matter how good the Crown Prince is, he can’t compare to you two brothers who have doted on her for over a decade. You need to think more about things than the Crown Prince, and make sure Xiao Yan can live a comfortable life in the palace.” After resolving her inner conflict, Consort Tong was determined to treat Tong Wanyan well.
Tong Ruita lowered her eyes with a hint of grievance: "But the Crown Prince is too good to my sister, there's really not a single fault with him. I used to brag about how good I am to my sister, but compared to the Crown Prince, I'm nothing."
“Father, your son thinks that even if my sister marries into another family, her life will be pretty much the same,” Tong Ruita said in a simple and honest voice.
Tong Qinian wisely moved aside so that Tong Guozhu could roll up his sleeves and beat him up.
"You're spineless. If any other family ever makes your sister suffer even the slightest injustice, our family will clench our fists and beat them up. If the young master really turns his back on us one day, there's nothing our family can do." Tong Guozhu saw things very clearly.
Tong Ruita pouted and muttered under her breath, "Father's words are so sweet. Back then, he only agreed to Tong Wanle's marriage proposal while my elder brother and I were away on military campaigns. At that time, Mother was under the influence of Gu poison. Could it be that Father was also under the influence of Gu poison?"
He thought his voice was very soft and no one could hear him. In fact, everyone in the room heard him clearly, not missing a single word.
Tong Fujin's expression froze; she couldn't even be assertive in front of her illegitimate son.
“Mother knows that you two resent us. Your father is the head of the family, he has to consider the whole family,” said Tong Fujin.
Having said that, Tong Qinian's gentle expression turned cold.
His appearance was not as fierce as Tong Ruita's; he looked quite scholarly.
However, when he stood there, no one dared to ignore him.
“If Father truly cares about the whole family, he should do what the Fucha family and Li Jia did and let go of Tong Wanle. The Emperor is not an unwise ruler. If Father reports the truth, even if the Emperor is unhappy, he will not bury the fact that our family has someone with real talent.”
“In the end, Father feels indebted to Mother. It was clearly Father’s mistake when he was young, but he made his sister pay for it. Father, I don’t know what my sister would do if she didn’t have such a good life now,” Tong Qinian said.
Tong Qinian's words were sharp and hurtful, and Tong Guozhu never raised his head again to act like a father.
"You're right," Tong Guozhu said, and then fell silent.
Tong Fujin pursed her lips, helped her husband, whose back had suddenly hunched over, back to their own courtyard.
If you make a mistake, you make a mistake. You can't use your parental authority to pressure your children, force them to obey, and tell them they did nothing wrong.
Tong Ruita stood there helplessly, wanting to follow, but feeling very sad.
"Big brother, aren't we going a bit too far?" Tong Ruita habitually sought help from Tong Qinian.
A hint of sadness flickered in Tong Qinian's eyes: "And what about my sister?"
"Everyone's happy because my sister is doing well now. But that's because of her own abilities. She didn't become the Crown Prince's favorite because of our family; the Crown Prince likes her as a person. We didn't help her at all." Tong Qinian once again exposed a fact they were trying to hide.
“Things have come to this point, there’s no point in continuing like this. My sister has already forgiven Father and Mother, and our family is still in such a mess, wouldn’t that just be fulfilling Tong Wanle’s wish? At worst, we brothers can spend our whole lives making it up to my sister, and to our nephews and nieces. Although we can’t be a support for my sister now, we certainly can in the future,” Tong Ruita said.
Tong Ruita is honest and straightforward, and doesn't think too much, unlike Tong Qinian who is clever but prone to overthinking.
Tong Qinian's somber expression instantly brightened: "After hearing your words..."
"It's better than reading for ten years! Isn't that right, big brother?" Tong Ruita interrupted Tong Qinian with a cheerful laugh before he could finish speaking.
Tong Qinian sneered: "I just realized my brother isn't a big, dumb idiot."
Tong Ruita lowered her head and looked at her brother, who was a head shorter than her, with dissatisfaction: "Big brother, this is not right."
“No matter how bad he is, he’s still your older brother. Come on, let’s go apologize to Father and Mother,” Tong Qinian said.
As Tong Guozhu was wailing in Tong Fujin's arms, he suddenly heard the two naughty children coming to apologize, and he cried even louder.
“Even my son knows to admit his mistakes and correct them, but I, as his father, am always thinking about escaping. My wife, I am not a good father,” Tong Guozhu cried.
Tong Fujin felt the thin fabric of her clothes, soaked with tears, snot, and saliva, and she forced a stiff smile.
“Yes, you are not.” Tong Fujin said expressionlessly.
Tong Guozhu was unhappy: "You're not a good mother either. I know you must have gone to give Princess Heshuo a talking-to today."
Consort Tong readily agreed, saying, "Yes, I'm not a good mother. So, could you go wash your face and let me change my clothes? How long do you want your sons to stand at the door? They can hear your raspy voice clearly even from ten feet away."
Tong Guozhu suddenly took a few steps back: "Really?"
Tong Fujin nodded, then pouted and said, "You're such a grown-up, aren't you ashamed to cry like this? After you wash your face, go and change your clothes, lest your son dislikes you again."
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Tong Qinian and Tong Ruita were invited into the room by their maids.
Tong Guozhu sat upright, his expression dignified, displaying the demeanor of a head of household.
Tong Qinian took the initiative to bow deeply to the two of them, kneeling down and kowtowing to admit his mistake.
Tong Ruita followed along with every move, looking devout.
"Father, Mother, your son knows he was wrong," the two brothers said in unison.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com