Chapter 11 Heart-to-Heart Talk: With Father and Mother gone, you must learn to protect them well...
The capital was far from Jiankang. Under normal circumstances, the journey would take at least half a month. However, Li Yunru was in a hurry and rushed straight ahead. Except for replenishing the horses with some food along the way, she did not rest for a moment. Traveling under the stars and moon, she finally arrived in the capital on the evening of the seventh day.
Unfortunately, the capital city has changed drastically and is no longer the same as when she left. She was stopped as soon as she arrived at the palace gate.
"Open your dog eyes and see clearly, I am Princess Liyang, Li Yunru!" she said, pulling off the token from her waist.
But these people didn't recognize her and remained as selfless as ever, refusing to let her enter the palace.
"You just wait, you just wait! Once I enter the palace, I will make my father dismiss all of you from your posts!"
Li Yunru was not a good-tempered person, and she immediately lost her temper. But even so, it was to no avail. She could only anxiously jump around in circles. She didn't know how much time had passed before the sky became completely dark.
There was no point in continuing this entanglement. She calmed down, thought for a moment, and said, "Who is the current palace gate guard? Tell him to come see me!"
Since these people only follow orders, she then sought out someone who could speak to her and make decisions.
Fortunately, this time they reacted somewhat, and during the shift change, they sent someone to invite the garrison commander over.
“It’s you.”
Li Yunru recognized him as her father's close friend and a subordinate of the current prime minister, Xiao Yuanshan.
"This humble servant, Gu Jing, greets the princess."
He still acknowledges her.
Li Yunru found it strange. The Prime Minister's residence and the palace guards were clearly unrelated, so why were his people here?
But she was too eager to think about these things. Seeing that he recognized her, she hurriedly said, "Quickly tell them to open the palace gates and let me in. I want to see my father and mother!"
"nature."
He didn't make things too difficult for her, but apologized, saying, "My servants were ignorant and delayed the princess. Please forgive them."
After saying that, he waved his hand and ordered the city gate to be opened. Li Yunru did not hesitate and quickly went inside.
When Empress Zhenyuan saw her beloved youngest daughter again, her eyes immediately reddened. But when she saw that only her daughter had returned, her expression darkened even more.
"Why are you back?" she asked, feigning displeasure and wearing a sour face.
Li Yunru didn't care about her attitude and rushed into her arms. The warm and familiar embrace made her feel safe.
A sweet, affectionate "Mother" softened Empress Zhenyuan's heart, and all pretense crumbled at that moment.
She lovingly stroked her youngest daughter's messy, dirty black hair, and said with a hint of reproach, "Look at you, you're a married woman now, but you're still like a child."
Li Yunru didn't speak, but happily snuggled into someone's arms, savoring the familiar scent. But as she laughed, tears uncontrollably rolled down her cheeks.
She trembled and choked out, "I thought... I thought I would never see you again!"
"Silly girl." Empress Zhenyuan also choked up a little. After all, the mother and daughter had never been separated for so long. Her little girl was clearly a little girl who was crying and making a fuss, clinging to her legs just yesterday!
Both mother and daughter were deeply moved and reminisced for a long time before reluctantly parting. Empress Zhenyuan ordered someone to come in and help her wash and tidy up before leading her to see Emperor Qi Xuan.
He had been ill for a long time, and his life had been sustained by medicinal soups, so the palace was filled with a strong smell of medicine.
"Your Majesty, Princess." The servants knelt and bowed to them. Empress Zhenyuan asked, "Has His Majesty fallen asleep?"
"No."
The slight noise disturbed the person on the tatami mat, who called out, "Is that A-Yuan?"
Although the two were an old married couple and held high positions, Emperor Qi Xuan still habitually called Empress Zhenyuan by her childhood nickname.
Their relationship has always been very good.
“Not only A Yuan, Rui Lin’er is here too.” Empress Zhenyuan led her to the bedside.
Following Empress Zhenyuan's words, Li Yunru grasped Emperor Qixuan's hand and, suppressing a sob, called out, "Father."
Upon hearing her name and her voice, the person in the hospital bed became agitated. Trembling, they struggled to sit up, their eyes unfocused, and pointed towards the outside, shouting, "Let her go! Let her go immediately!"
Empress Zhenyuan sat down next to him, supporting him and complaining, "Look at you, you're so sick, yet you're still so irritable and easily angered."
She said, "Ruilin'er is filial; it's only right that he comes back to see you."
Emperor Qi Xuan wanted to speak, but was interrupted by Empress Zhenyuan, who said, "I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Under Empress Zhenyuan's comforting words, he gradually calmed down. He leaned wearily against Empress Zhenyuan's chest and reached out to Li Yunru, "Ruilin'er, sit closer and let your father see if you've lost weight."
"No, my daughter is doing well. The Yan family treats her well; she has everything she needs, and she's even gained a little weight."
She sat closer, took Emperor Qi Xuan's hand, and touched her face to prove that she was doing very well. However, the days of travel had made her look haggard, dark, and thin. You could feel her bones when you touched her, which was not convincing at all.
She added, "This is the current trend in health, where thinness is considered beautiful, so it's good to highlight bone structure."
"Um."
Emperor Qi Xuan didn't know whether he believed her or not. His hands, which should have been wielding the pen to establish the empire and command the world, were now limp and powerless, just a bunch of dead skin holding them up as he stroked her cheek. He forced a smile and lazily replied, "As long as Ruilin'er likes it herself."
"Mmm, mmm." She nodded vigorously, her eyes bloodshot.
He was seriously ill and his body could not withstand long hours of idle chatter. Li Yunru only stayed for a short while, comforted him until he fell asleep, and then left.
Li Yunru did not leave the palace again. Empress Zhenyuan took her back to her own palace and asked a maid to find some ointment for her abrasions. She made her daughter lie down and personally applied the ointment for her. After running for seven days without stopping, her legs were covered with red marks, bleeding and swollen. From childhood to adulthood, her daughter had never suffered like this. As she applied the ointment, she complained with heartache, "You child, you're such a grown-up, and you don't know how to take care of yourself."
"I'm anxious," Li Yunru said, clinging to her arm affectionately. "Besides, I know that Mother will take good care of me."
Empress Zhenyuan slapped her forehead helplessly and said in a heavy tone, "But your father and mother can't take care of you for the rest of your life. You have to learn to take good care of yourself."
A single sentence caused the atmosphere in the hall to suddenly turn cold. A long silence followed, with only the sound of the wind whistling through the night, haphazardly pounding against the windows.
After an unknown amount of time, Empress Zhenyuan spoke up: "Does the Yan family know you've returned this time?"
"have no idea."
"Where is Yan Ning?" Li Yunru recalled everything that happened at the Lu family's birthday banquet and didn't want to talk about it. She said in a fit of pique, "Don't mention him. When we get back to Jiankang, I will divorce him."
"You're talking nonsense again!"
Empress Zhenyuan patted her hand and said, "Yan Changjun is different from other noblemen. He is upright and polite, and of noble character. He is a well-regarded gentleman in Jiangzuo and the whole of Dajin..."
"You've only heard that from outsiders; you have no idea how bad he is..."
"Did he hit you?" Empress Zhenyuan asked.
Li Yunru: "..."
"So he insulted you?"
Li Yunru: "..."
Empress Zhenyuan continued, "When others bullied you, he didn't protect you at all?"
Li Yunru: "No... but between husband and wife, it shouldn't just be... like this."
Li Yunru lowered her head, dejectedly saying, "He has no feelings for me, and he never speaks frankly to me. Sometimes I feel that I, this princess, am more like a sparrow he keeps. He teases me when he's in the mood, and when he's not, he has nothing to do with me. I don't know anything about him, what he's busy with every day, or what the Yan family asks him to do. I..."
Her voice gradually weakened as she said, "Your subject believes that husband and wife should be honest and trustworthy, sharing joys and sorrows, just like you and Father."
They are not like that; their relationships are limited to sexual pleasure, with no genuine commitment whatsoever.
Empress Zhenyuan's expression turned serious as she listened to her daughter's innocent words. She asked, "Have you said this to Yan Ning?"
Li Yunru lowered her head and remained silent.
Seeing this, Empress Zhenyuan understood everything. She said helplessly, "Ruilin'er, every couple in this world is different. You can't generalize. If you mind this, you should be open and honest. Only by being honest can you let others know what you are thinking and achieve mutual trust."
"Why should I!" Li Yunru disagreed. She said, "Since he's hiding something, why should I lower myself and tell him?"
"Because you love him."
"Love requires bowing your head."
"Then why didn't he bow his head?"
Li Yun subconsciously refuted, but she did not refute the fact that she loved Yan Ning.
But does she like Yan Ning?
In truth, she herself couldn't say for sure. Having grown up pampered and spoiled since childhood, she lived a carefree and flamboyant life. She had gambled on books in restaurants and bought paintings for young men she fancied on the street. Musicians and painters from the palace had all visited her residence, but that was just youthful exuberance and amusement. It never took her to heart, except for Yan Ning...
At first, she was just playing around, attracted by his good looks but disliking his aloof and arrogant demeanor. She wanted to humiliate this flower that grew on the mountaintop. But as time went by, she gradually became unable to distinguish whether her desire for revenge and conquest was more about revenge or genuine admiration.
"Let's not talk about him!"
Li Yunru felt inexplicably irritated. She refused to discuss the matter further and said, "Take some of this ointment to Shu Yun as well; she came with me..."
Empress Zhenyuan said, "Don't worry, we've already arranged for people to settle in and sent the medicine over."
"Hmm." She breathed a sigh of relief and asked about the palace gate guards. Empress Zhenyuan said, "Most of the guards inside and outside the palace have been replaced by his men..."
In short, he was just waiting for Emperor Qi Xuan to kick the bucket. Once he was gone, Xiao Yuanshan could immediately ascend the throne with the support of the powerful families.
In a world dominated by aristocratic families for centuries, imperial power may seem supreme, but in reality, each one is brought up by these families, stands with them, mutually supports each other, and safeguards the interests and power of the top echelons. If anything goes wrong, they simply replace the emperor.
The fact that Emperor Qi Xuan's condition deteriorated so rapidly, and that Empress Zhenyuan hadn't publicly stated, might very well be the result of Xiao Yuanshan and the powerful families stirring things up.
"Mother, is there really no other way?"
Empress Zhenyuan shook her head. "No."
"So your father was willing to give up the military power in Jiangzuo to marry you into the Yan family. Only then could they protect your peace."
Empress Zhenyuan said earnestly, "Liyang, I know you are ambitious and I know you are filial and sensible. But this is the last thing your father, as a father, can do for you with his power after losing the game. You cannot let him down, nor can you let down your two older sisters and your mother."
"But……"
Their family is wicked; they don't care about such things at all. They are hypocritical and untrustworthy!
She wanted to shout it out, but in the end, all that was left was, "I understand."
Empress Zhenyuan said, "Yan Ning is a good young man with a simple mind and noble character. However, you and he are the same. You grew up under the care of your parents. You always had someone eagerly send you whatever you wanted. You didn't have to work hard to please them to get anything. So it's inevitable that you're both a little arrogant and unwilling to bow your heads. But when you're married, one of you has to bow your head. Give him a way out so that you can both take a step back. If you coax him a little, many things will be easily resolved."
She understood the道理 (principles/reasoning), but she really didn't want to listen. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. The fatigue and tension of the past few days finally released in that moment, and she completely relaxed, quickly falling asleep. Listening to her daughter's rising and falling breaths, Empress Zhenyuan sighed deeply, gently stroking her cheek, and murmured, "Ruilin'er, I know you have your own ideas, but there's nothing I can do. When your father and I are no longer here, you must learn to protect yourself..."
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