Yan Jincheng stormed off, and naturally, his name had to be changed.
That's not a big deal; what he finds harder to accept is the marriage.
After he left, the old lady stood up, her face not looking too good: "This child has been ruined by that woman. Now he's useless."
Madam Fan stepped forward: "Madam, what is this...?"
"Ever since the eldest daughter entered the Crown Prince's residence, the Yan family has been unable to remain unscathed. The eldest princess is not satisfied and naturally wants to find another way out."
"Yes, this eldest princess first wanted to arrange a marriage between herself and the seventh prince, and now she's thinking about the twelfth prince... sigh... she even wants the second young master to marry a daughter of the Cao family. This... I'm afraid it won't please His Majesty either," said Mama Fan.
"She only cares about being His Majesty's own sister, but she never considered that with imperial power above all else, what does kinship matter? Look, the Eighth Prince harmed the Seventh Prince, and now he's imprisoned himself!" The old lady shook her head. "Ever since Lady Lan died, your husband has given up on her. Even when the Eldest Princess later gave birth to that wretched child, it was an unacceptable arrangement. Where is there any affection left between them as husband and wife?"
"In the end, I underestimated the eldest daughter. Her departure to the Crown Prince's residence eventually awakened her father's compassionate heart. Now, he only remembers that these three children were born to his first wife, so he asks him to change their names."
Little did they know that changing their name was not the problem, but it meant separating themselves from the eldest princess.
“Ah, this old servant speaks frankly, if it weren’t for the Princess’s shameless insistence on entering the manor back then, how harmonious our family would be. How could we be like we are now? Back then, when Madam was still alive, she was very filial to you, and she was also extremely kind to the second branch of the family,” said Mama Fan.
The old lady simply nodded without saying anything.
The Wang family was a large clan, but ultimately, it was not a prestigious family.
It doesn't have that deep foundation.
The Lan family was indeed remarkable back then; they were exceptionally talented and beautiful.
Her needlework and domestic skills were impeccable. During holidays and festivals, she was extremely attentive in welcoming guests and hosting meals.
She never brought shame to the Yan family, after all, the Yan family was only a marquis at that time, while her Lan family was a duke's mansion.
People say that it's considered a step down for the daughter of the Duke's mansion to marry into the Yan family.
When the war ended, these families of meritorious officials enjoyed a period of great prosperity.
It's really great, everything about it is great.
The only downside is that she, as the mother-in-law, is inferior to her daughter-in-law in every way.
Both of Duke Lan's daughters had elaborate wedding processions, and the dowries they brought were truly eye-opening.
Lady Lan was born into a noble family and acted with generosity. She always seemed perfect to everyone.
Moreover, she and Yan Lingyun, who was a young general at the time, were a perfect couple, deeply in love.
She was the pride of the Yan family, but also a thorn in the old lady's side.
Later, she saw everything, but did nothing.
He coldly watched the eldest princess enter the mansion, and coldly watched the eldest princess ostracize Lady Lan. At that time, Yan Lingyun was away from the mansion for half the year.
To guard against powerful enemies in the north, especially after the passing of Lord Yan, he was required to be stationed on the frontier year-round.
Lan Shi remained Yan Lingyun's favorite. Even after the Princess entered the mansion, he initially refused to consummate the marriage with her.
It was she who persuaded him; she advised her son that the more he did this, the more the eldest princess would clash with the Lan family.
After all, she is the eldest princess.
In the end, Yan Lingyun listened.
At that time, Yan Nanji was two years old. Yan Nangui had not yet been born.
Later, the eldest princess finally consummated her marriage with Yan Lingyun, and gradually, the atmosphere in the mansion changed.
The old lady didn't do anything, but she did nothing, yet that's what she did.
No matter how good Lady Lan was, she was ultimately just a woman from the Duke's mansion. In particular, her father and mother had both passed away a year after her marriage.
The once illustrious Duke Lan's mansion is now a thing of the past, and she only has one married older sister left.
However, the eldest princess was favored and received frequent gifts from the emperor.
Gradually, Lan became more and more depressed.
When she became pregnant with Yan Nangui, Yan Lingyun was even busier. At that time, he had just taken over all military affairs, and his time back in the capital was getting shorter and shorter.
When Yan Nangui was two years old, Lan finally fell ill due to accumulated depression.
In the same year, the eldest princess gave birth to Yan Jinsi.
At that time, Yan Lingyun simply comforted Lan Shi, saying that he would take her to Daiyang Pass next year. Although it would be tough there, they would still be together.
Kolan was not an ignorant woman; she knew very well that it was impossible.
His Majesty will not allow Yan Lingyun to take his wife and children away.
Five or six months later, when Yan Nangui was three years old, Lan passed away.
The eldest princess became the legitimate wife of the Yan family.
No one thought of her as a second wife, since in the last year or so of Lan's life, the household had vaguely regarded her as a concubine.
Lan died of lung disease; in her final moments, she coughed up blood and died.
At that time, her eldest son was eight years old, her second son was five years old, and her daughter had just turned three.
She named her daughter, who was then simply called "Big Girl," "Yan Nan Gui."
The old lady never mentions what happened back then. Sometimes she feels guilty, but most of the time she doesn't.
She did nothing; she just watched coldly.
She ignored Lan's death and Yan Nanji's being raised by the Princess and named Yan Jincheng.
He didn't care what would happen if Yan Lingyun didn't return when Lan was buried.
How could Yan Lingyun not suspect how his wife died? He just couldn't help it. His Majesty was watching. And His Majesty was still young then.
However, he already harbored some suspicions.
He still interrogated those around Lan, but to no avail.
At that time, the old lady advised him to think more positively, saying that Lan Shi had been acting strangely after giving birth to Yan Nangui.
The imperial physicians also endorsed the theory, saying that some women were unable to see their husbands for a long time after giving birth, and that was the case.
Yan Lingyun was preoccupied with blaming herself.
Then there was nothing left to pursue.
The old lady's recollections end here.
But what happened next... Yan Lingyun was suspected by His Majesty. He had already done his best to take the eldest son away.
He did feel guilty towards his youngest son and daughter, but ultimately, he trusted his mother too much.
After Lady Lan passed away, he refused to share a room with the Princess again.
Yan Jinfei's birth was part of a scheme orchestrated by the eldest princess.
From that point on, their relationship plummeted to rock bottom.
"Is the twelfth prince really capable?" the old lady suddenly asked.
Because of her silence, Madam Fan was already a little worried, and hurriedly said, "It's hard to say. In my opinion, it's not necessarily true. When the twelfth prince grows up, let alone ten years, how much favor will Consort Zhen still have?"
"Back when Consort Lixian and Consort Zhoujing were favored, weren't they just like her today? But the princes grew up, and they got older, so they just faded away. How many young and beautiful women are there in the palace? Isn't Consort Fang, who is currently favored and pregnant with the emperor's child, the one who has risen to prominence?"
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