Chapter 21 Stance: The Prince Consort's Heart Is With You
October 3rd, the fourteenth year of Shun'an.
Emperor Xuan of Qi died in Qianyuan Palace. Empress Zhenyuan personally carried out his encoffining, cleansing and changing his clothes, and placed the white jade she had carried with her for many years into Emperor Xuan's mouth before placing him in the coffin. His body was kept in Dexing Hall for seven days, and all the officials wore mourning clothes and performed the mourning ceremony.
Seven days later, Crown Prince Li Xun carried the coffin, while Empress Zhenyuan and two princesses led the procession into the Qianling Mausoleum. Thus, the life of this emperor came to an end.
After he left.
Afterwards, the imperial family members became one of the most closely watched groups.
Logically, after Emperor Xuan's death, his only son, Crown Prince Li Xun, should have smoothly succeeded to the throne. However, the succession was delayed, and Prime Minister Xiao Yuanshan continued to govern in his place, while Crown Prince Li Xun remained in the Eastern Palace, staying indoors.
Princess Huayang, Li Jing, and her husband, Qin Zhan, were not spared any of the general amnesty granted after Emperor Xuan's death, as was the customary practice. They remained in prison awaiting trial.
Everyone knows this is not a good sign.
Even worse.
It was Princess Hua'an, Li Zhijun.
After his true identity was revealed, the imperial son-in-law Liu Qing turned against him, killed him with a single blow, and then entered a Buddhist monastery. For nearly half a year, he did not concern himself with worldly affairs. Prime Minister Xiao had sent people to Chengen Temple to invite him many times, but to no avail. Even when Emperor Xuan was being buried, he did not return. However, after his death, he took the initiative to go down the mountain and enter the Xiao family mansion.
She was thought to have come to terms with things, acknowledge her biological father, and continue to enjoy her wealth and luxury. However, on the very night she returned to the manor, she used the same methods she had used to deal with the prince consort, and confronted Xiao Yuanshan with a knife.
How can two fists defeat four hands? Prime Minister Xiao is now a very important figure in the Jin Dynasty, with many guards and attendants around him. Even if she was careful and made her move in private, she still failed to succeed and only managed to injure Prime Minister Xiao slightly.
Despite the heinous crime of patricide, Prime Minister Xiao, being benevolent, did not pursue the matter and allowed her to remain in the manor to be properly raised. However, the princess was of a fierce temperament and refused to acknowledge her biological father, thus giving him this opportunity. That very night, she ended her life with a cup of poisoned wine in the inner quarters of the Xiao family mansion.
The eldest sister, Li Jinghe, was confined to her quarters, and the elder brother and Empress Zhenyuan were trapped in the palace. Li Yunru was responsible for handling the affairs after their deaths.
When she arrived at the Xiao residence with her entourage, the hustle and bustle had long since dissipated, leaving only a desolate silence.
Li Zhijun lay on the ground, lifeless.
She wasn't wearing the simple Buddhist robes, but rather a princess's court dress, exceptionally luxurious. The embroidered phoenix with gold thread was particularly eye-catching. No one from the Xiao family cared for her; she lay there all alone, her bald head held high, her skirt spread out wildly, some parts stained with blood, like a fallen but still proud phoenix.
"Sister."
She walked over shakily, squatted down, helped the person up, and held them in her arms. Li Zhijun called out to them, but they didn't respond at all; they just lay quietly in her arms.
Li Yunru felt a lump in her throat.
Scenes from their childhood flashed through her mind, where they would often fight over the same things, and he would always say, "I'm not your mother or older sister, I won't give in to you just because you peed. It's mine, and no one can take it from me!"
But in the end, he would always soften and give in to her, only to be too proud to admit it, insisting that he was tired of it and didn't want it anymore.
She has always been proud, how could she tolerate herself being so disheveled!
Li Yunru asked Shu Yun to hand her the headdress that was hanging down to one side, and then put it on Li Zhijun.
"Come on, put it on properly, look pretty, let's go home."
After tidying her up, Li Yunru reached around her knees and lifted her up in her arms.
The dead person was very heavy; no amount of skill could be used, as the entire body was hanging on her.
Li Yunru wasn't weak; she could usually lift a spear weighing half a stone. But this time, she was struggling a bit. She staggered as she lifted the person, almost falling over. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and she was breathing heavily and unsteadily.
"I'll do it."
Yan Ning reached out to help, but Li Yunru refused, saying, "No need. She's my own sister. I'll take her home myself."
Li Yunru stepped out of the Xiao family's gate with great difficulty.
She didn't take Li Zhijun back to the palace, nor did she take her back to the Yan family to have her body placed there. Instead, she took her to Chengen Temple.
The journey was long and the mountain path was difficult to traverse. She carried the person on her back for a whole night, and was exhausted before she finally reached the mountain gate.
Yan Ning knocked on the door for her.
The overcast sky carried the heavy moisture of autumn. A knock came at the heavy door, and two young nuns emerged from within.
The person was stunned for a moment before seeing Li Yunru and Princess Hua'an below the steps.
"It is empty."
They recognized Li Zhijun and hurriedly ran to find the host. Soon after, a group of people came out.
The abbot was an elderly nun. Her worldly-wise eyes glanced at the people behind Li Yunru, and she sighed, saying, "Come with me."
She summoned the temple staff to unload the "burden" from Li Yunru's body and led them into the backyard of Chengen Temple.
"Please trouble the officiant to prepare my sister's body for burial, so that she may come into this world clean and leave it clean."
"Amitabha."
The abbot clasped his hands together and said, “Princess, rest assured, Liaokong is a member of our temple, and this is only right.”
"Um."
Yan Ning, dressed in white, stood tall beside her. Seeing that the host had agreed, he said with concern, "You've been working hard all night, why don't you go and rest? I'll keep an eye on things here."
"Need not."
She refused again, her gaze sharp, resolute, and unwavering.
...
Before resting, he went to bathe and purify himself, then took some writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone from the temple staff, sat in the meditation room, and began copying the Rebirth Sutra.
Li Yunru did not actually believe in gods or Buddhas.
To her, these things were nothing but inanimate objects.
If he is truly so benevolent, why has he never shown any mercy to the world?
Seeking fame and fortune!
But now, she obediently sat down and began writing the obscure scriptures that she used to despise.
She clung to a sliver of hope that these things were truly effective, capable of washing away all sins and granting happiness in the afterlife.
Yan Ning couldn't do anything to help her at this time, so he just stayed by her side quietly, adding ink, lighting lamps, brewing tea, and doing what he could.
This blow was too great. Li Yunru was like a completely different person. She lost her former liveliness and vitality, and became much thinner. Her plain clothes hung loosely on her body, making her look like nothing more than a skeleton.
She sat there quietly, copying a book with her pen in hand, her eyes lowered, neither pleased nor angry.
Looking at Li Yunru like this, Yan Ning couldn't quite describe her feelings. She only felt as if something was twisting in her heart, and an uncontrollable stinging pain rose up within her.
He did not want to do that.
...
The two stayed in the temple for seven days, until Li Zhijun's Buddhist rituals were completed, and her remains were cremated and placed in the coffin, before they descended the mountain.
Inside the carriage.
Yan Ning held her hand, gently stroking it with his long, slender fingers, and said softly, "Princess, if you are feeling sad, then cry it out. I'm here."
Does crying help?
"Will crying bring my father or my sister back to life?"
She pulled her hand away from his grasp. "Don't give me any questions like 'Are you here or not?' Humph, that kind of thing is the most useless!"
Li Yunru's eyes were bloodshot, and her eyes, which hadn't rested much for days, were dark and bluish. Her eyes were devoid of any spirit, filled only with boundless hatred.
She would unconsciously recall the day her father passed away, and the way Li Zhijun looked when she saw her at the Xiao family home.
Where was he at that time?
Now, a casual "I'm here" is used to coax her into revealing her vulnerable side, thus preserving his reputation for loving his wife. But in the end...
Nothing will change.
He would only coax her and do trivial things when it didn't involve the Yan family's interests. When faced with a real choice, he was never her first priority.
The problem between them is a huge chasm that he can't bridge simply by coaxing her.
She will never again be moved by such meaningless words of tenderness.
Do you know why my elder sister attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Xiao?
"Because she felt that as long as Prime Minister Xiao was gone, your aristocratic families would have no one to support them, and your brother could smoothly succeed to the throne!"
Li Yunru only learned of this when the host handed her a handwritten letter from Li Zhijun before she left.
She knew all along that she would never return, yet she still went without hesitation.
She wanted to do her best to repay Emperor Qi Xuan and Empress Zhenyuan for their kindness in raising her.
She was oversimplifying things.
Even if it weren't for Prime Minister Xiao, there would have been someone else.
This power struggle will not end with a single life.
Yan Ning lowered her eyes, concealing her gaze, and remained silent.
The carriage slowly entered the city amidst the two men's argument, but the streets were quiet and deserted.
This was a spontaneous act by ordinary people. In mourning for Emperor Xuan, they voluntarily closed the market for half a month and stopped all buying and selling activities. Many people also released lanterns in the moat to pray for him and that he would ascend to heaven soon.
"Do you see? Apart from your aristocratic families, everyone else speaks highly of my father. He has never done anything wrong; it's just that you..."
Li Yunru choked up, and said in a hoarse voice, "Too greedy!"
She stopped the carriage, lifted her skirt and stepped down, saying to Yan Ning, "I will be staying in the palace for the next few days. If there is nothing else, you don't need to come looking for me."
...
The two had a big argument and separated. Yan Ning returned to the Yan family, while Li Yunru entered the palace.
For two consecutive days, there was no contact whatsoever.
On the third day, news came from outside the palace that a fierce dispute had broken out in the Yan family because of Emperor Xuan. Yan Sanlang was punished by the Yan family head to kneel in the ancestral hall for his improper words and deeds.
This was partly due to the instigation and encouragement of Yan Yun and Yan An.
Although the two men called Cui Shi "Mother," they were not her biological children. Born to a concubine, the title of "illegitimate son of the Yan family" weighed heavily on them. Even though they had risen to this position, their reputation was still not as good as their younger brother's. They were taciturn, but they always harbored resentment in their hearts.
Furthermore, this is a matter of interests. If Yan Ning loses his father's favor because of this, the two of them will have an even greater chance of inheriting the Yan family's vast fortune and becoming the head of the family. Therefore, when Yan Ning discussed whether Li Xun or Prime Minister Xiao was more suitable to support to take the throne, he, being out of the court and not understanding the deeper reasons, was too young and impetuous, blinded by love, and lost his wisdom.
Attributing all the cause and effect to Li Yunru's instigation also implies that Yan Ning has a good reputation but lacks experience, is not mature and steady enough, and is prone to causing trouble.
The head of the Yan family attached great importance to this eldest son, and devoted everything to his upbringing from childhood, making him one of the most outstanding scholars in Jiankang and even the entire Jin Dynasty, and he was to succeed him in the future.
Seeing his child, whom he had painstakingly raised, acting so cruelly over a girl, Yan's father could not bear it and they began to argue.
Anyway, everyone had their own thoughts, and no one could convince anyone else. In the end, they parted on bad terms, and Yan Sanlang was forced to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment.
When the news reached the palace, Li Yunru was sitting on Empress Zhenyuan's lap, letting her comb her hair.
She fluttered her eyelashes twice, softly replied, "I know," and then made no further response.
Shu Yun, on the other hand, seemed relieved. She said to Li Yunru, "Actually, Princess, the Prince Consort's heart is still on your side."
"Um."
Li Yunru remained indifferent, as if she hadn't heard a word, or as if it were none of her business, and she was just an outsider.
But how can she be an outsider?
All of this started because of her, so the current situation was exactly what she expected.
Yan Ning was a renowned scholar, cultivated with the full resources of his family. His upbringing instilled in him a refined character and propriety, teaching him self-discipline and adherence to propriety, and that he should not let emotions cloud his judgment.
It would be a grave offense for him to argue with his parents over a young woman, a departure from his upbringing. So he might bow down to her in private, but he never actually fought for anything for her in front of her parents.
He needs to be pushed to the limit; only when pushed to the extreme will people be willing to abandon their etiquette and rules, just like when they first got married...
I never expected the Yan family to sever ties so decisively, even punishing their carefully nurtured eldest son. But then I thought, with the Cui family around, nothing much will happen.
Her relationship with Cui is now extremely strained, but it must be admitted that Cui is truly very good to Yan Ning.
And that's exactly what she needs.
After smoothing her hair, Li Yunru sat up from Empress Zhenyuan's lap and said, "Mother, I am a little tired, so I will not keep you company any longer."
"Go."
Empress Zhenyuan knew she wasn't telling the truth, but she said nothing and let her leave her palace.
As Li Yunru stepped out of the Fengxiang Palace, she said to Shu Yun, "Find someone to go out of the palace and tell Madam Cui that I want to meet with her."
Shu Yun rarely questioned her master's decisions, but at this moment she couldn't help but ask, "Does the princess only need to pass on a message to Madam Cui, and not leave anything for the Prince Consort?"
"No."
Li Yunru looked up and saw dark clouds looming overhead, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.
"Just do as I say."
Since that's what people say, as a maid, she couldn't say anything more, so she curtsied and replied, "Yes."
Shu Yun was always efficient, and within a day, her words left the palace and reached the Yan family mansion, reaching Cui Shi's ears.
The person quickly entered the palace...
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