Chapter 54 Making up: What I said to you will always stand.
This is a notification, not a discussion.
"no!"
Without a second thought, Li Yunru refused, "You're currently trapped in the imperial mausoleum, which already restricts your movement. Bringing Sister Liu back in such a grand manner will inevitably cause a lot of trouble, and also..."
This implicated Yan Ning.
Given their current situation, it's understandable that he let things slide. He's already done more than enough, and we shouldn't involve him anymore.
She had hated the Yan family and blamed Yan Ning, but at this moment, she didn't want him to be in any danger because of him and his siblings.
"I know what you're worried about, Ruilin'er, don't worry."
He glanced at Yan Ning and said, "You and Changjun have helped me a lot, and I am grateful. I think I should grow up and not always rely on others. I need to solve some things on my own."
"what you up to?"
...
The private room upstairs at Yipinxian.
Li Yunru regretted it as soon as the person disappeared through the palace gates, and now she felt even more uneasy. She paced back and forth anxiously.
Even those who have always loved eating and drinking find the feast on the table utterly tasteless now.
"No, I still think I should go to the palace to take a look!" she said, and actually started to walk away.
Yan Ning pulled her back and fed her the peeled shrimp.
“I think you’re overthinking it. My brother is just a bit gentle and easy to talk to, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand anything.”
Having sat in that political position for so many years, it's impossible for him to be completely oblivious to these things, especially since he's naturally quite perceptive.
People aren't that they don't understand, they just don't want to.
"But……"
She hesitated, but Yan Ning stuffed another shrimp into her mouth, silencing her.
"There are no 'buts'."
He held the person close to him, his hands still peeling shrimp, and said, "You should trust your brother, trust your father and mother. They are such capable people, how could they raise a good-for-nothing who can't do anything?"
Her brother was certainly not a good-for-nothing.
During his father's reign, as the crown prince, he helped his father handle many political affairs. It could even be said that he played a part in the various methods used to weaken powerful families.
People are kind-hearted and often maintain a certain bottom line, so they won't go to extremes.
But he forgot that the power struggles among those in positions of authority are so ruthless. He foolishly thought that he could resolve these matters with gentler methods, making everyone happy.
That's impossible!
He's dreaming!
"All right."
Although she still had doubts, she was persuaded. She glanced at the sky outside and said, "It's almost Chen Shi (7-9 AM). Let's wait a little longer. If they haven't come out by noon, I'll go again."
She actually believed in her brother's abilities, but since Sister Liu had just left, he was currently emotionally unstable, and she was afraid that he might say something inappropriate in the heat of the moment that would anger the emperor.
Although Xiao Yuanshan is still subject to the control of powerful families and his position is not yet secure, he still has the right to execute a deposed crown prince.
“That’s right,” Yan Ning said. “If you don’t come back then, I’ll go with you.”
After peeling the shrimp, he picked up a towel and wiped his hands. His fair, slender hands, with distinct joints, moved gracefully through the white cloth, his movements neither fast nor slow, his demeanor calm and composed, exuding elegance in every way.
The rules of aristocratic families aren't entirely without merit; for example, they make the performances particularly beautiful.
Yan Ning observed all of this, and couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile, asking, "You like it?"
Li Yunru nodded, "The way you peeled the shrimp and wiped your hands was very beautiful."
Yan Ning laughed and teased, "How can there be a princess like this? Not only does she like looking at a man's legs, but she also likes looking at his hands. She doesn't shy away from it at all and has no shame."
Li Yunru readily admitted, saying, "So what? My husband is so handsome, he's meant to be seen and admired. I'm just going with the flow."
"Nothing much." Yan Ning's smile deepened, and he hugged the person in his arms even tighter, saying, "Then I'll show it to you often from now on."
"Um."
She unusually didn't shy away from his use of the word "later".
Yes, after everything that happened, her resolve wavered.
She was thinking of... giving it another try.
...
Inside the Qianyuan Palace.
Emperor Wucheng leaned lazily against a small couch, squinting his eyes, sipped two mouthfuls of the iced drink brought by a palace servant, and sighed with satisfaction.
"No wonder your father betrayed me and his brothers in the rebellion to become emperor. It's really great! It's wonderful! Food is brought to your mouth, clothes are handed to you, and you don't have to lift a finger. It's wonderful!"
Li Xun stood there, his back ramrod straight, without saying a word.
The man, intending to humiliate and embarrass him, refused to offer him a seat. This only intensified his distress, and he deliberately asked, "Nephew, do you think this outfit I'm wearing looks good?"
He was wearing a dragon robe, and such a magnificent garment, made with such a great deal of manpower and resources, was naturally beautiful.
Li Xun echoed his words, "It looks good."
Emperor Cheng then asked, "Who looks better in what I wear, or your father?"
Li Xun said, "The beauty of clothing varies from person to person. Why should Your Majesty be so fixated on it and create unnecessary trouble for yourself?"
The implication was clear: you've already reached this position, so why bother with these trivial matters and make yourself miserable?
Actually, there was another sentence he didn't say: "Women are helpless and confined to their homes. That's why they were so insistent on coming and going. You are the emperor, and you should be the role model for all people under heaven, yet you only know how to fight over these things. Aren't you even worse than a woman confined to her boudoir?"
He didn't say it, but Emperor Cheng wasn't stupid. He was able to rise up alongside Emperor Xuan of Qi and gain the trust of powerful families and Emperor Xuan in just a few years to achieve his current position. How could he really be stupid?
The person understood, and realized that he was mocking him.
He slowly rose from the couch and praised, "My nephew has grown up and has learned to feign sincerity from those people."
Li Xun nodded, bowed slightly, and acknowledged his words, saying, "Then, Your Majesty, is what I said acceptable...?"
Emperor Wucheng took a sip of tea and said, "It's possible, but why should I help you?"
He looked up, his eyes fixed on the person before him, a playful smile in them. He said slowly, "You know that Liu Yanheng is not only your divorced wife, but also a woman from the Liu family and a wife from the Wang family. These aristocratic families have their own rules and control my court. Why should I offend them for your sake?"
...
As the sun rose higher, the streets became bustling, but there was still no sign of Li Xun's return.
Li Yunru could no longer sit still.
He looked away from the street, then turned back into the house and said, "I really need to go to the palace!"
This time, Yan Ning did not stop them. The two left the private room of Yipinxian and came to the palace gate again.
With the identity of a member of the Yan family, entering the palace was not much of a problem. However, before they even entered, while they were making preparations, they saw a carriage slowly emerging from the palace. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the driver was none other than Yan Ning's personal servant, Chen Jingsheng.
"It's my brother! My brother's back!"
She breathed a sigh of relief, clutching Yan Ning's clothes with a mixture of surprise and joy. As he approached, she rushed over, her eyes red and on the verge of tears, "You scared me to death! I thought..."
Li Xun looked at his younger sister, who was eight or nine years younger than him, and his eyes softened with tenderness.
Her mental development is much faster than his.
She doesn't like to cry, and she always says that crying is useless, but now she has teared up again and again for her own sake.
"Why are you crying?"
He forced a smile and teased, "What, do you think your brother is so useless that he can't even protect himself?"
"no."
Li Yunru didn't know what to say, she just kept shaking her head.
Yan Ning stepped forward, put his arm around her shoulder, and comforted her, "It's alright, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
He said, "I've hosted a banquet at Yipinxian. Why don't we go back and talk while we eat?"
His words reminded Li Yunru that after returning from the mortuary, she went straight to the palace gate to see Li Xun off. At least she ate something to fill her stomach, but her brother had never eaten before.
Li Xun was indeed a bit hungry, so he didn't object. The group finished their pleasantries and left, returning to Yipinxian.
As the items arrived, Li Yunru asked the most crucial question: "Is it done?"
"Okay." Li Xun nodded. "It's done."
This was somewhat unexpected. Li Yunru was puzzled. "That old bastard..."
She instinctively blurted out "that old geezer," but was silenced by two pairs of eerie eyes.
They were the emperor; to speak like that was extremely disrespectful and could result in execution. So, understanding their meaning, they didn't elaborate further and simply asked, "How did you do that?"
That person doesn't seem like someone you can easily talk to.
Li Xun briefly recounted what had happened in the palace to them, but avoided mentioning the deliberate embarrassment he had been subjected to, saying, "If there's profit to be made, no one will object."
However, the process was certainly not as easy as it sounds now. He used a lot of persuasion and enticed them, saying, "The aristocratic families left me here to restrain you, so why don't you go with the flow and cooperate with me once?"
No one would willingly be a puppet emperor with no real power.
Power breeds ambition.
Emperor Wucheng distrusted him and asked, "Don't you hate me?"
"I hate you, but you and I are nothing more than pawns of the aristocratic Vili. What's the point of hating you?"
"Uncle," he said, not addressing him as the Emperor but using an intimate term, "whether you believe it or not, my father did not betray you or the bond between you brothers. I will still do the same now, and will respect and honor you in accordance with his wishes."
He told him, "We are allies with shared interests."
It is easier to trust him than to trust the powerful families who hold the power to overthrow him.
However, he did not tell his sister or Yan Changjun any of this.
He acknowledged, appreciated, and trusted his brother-in-law's character, but ultimately, his status was at odds with theirs.
He didn't want to gamble, nor did he want to cause him any unnecessary trouble.
The fewer people who know about this, the better.
——
April 20th.
Late summer.
The noble families remained hesitant about where Liu was to go. The emperor, moved by her unwavering devotion and unwilling to see her soul adrift after death, granted her the favor of restoring her status as a member of the Li family. He also granted special permission for the deposed crown prince, Li Xun, who was observing mourning at the imperial mausoleum, to return to the capital and bring Liu back to be buried with him in the imperial mausoleum.
Once the underground palace is closed, it will not be reopened. Besides, it would be inappropriate for Lady Liu to be buried with Emperor Qi Xuan and Empress Zhenyuan. It is only possible that Li Xun may arrange for a separate mausoleum to be built near the imperial mausoleum.
Upon the issuance of the imperial edict, both the Wang and Liu families looked extremely displeased.
How could this be an imperial edict?
They were clearly being humiliated!
Even if people are dissatisfied, they can't do anything. After all, the stalemate with Emperor Xuan had greatly affected the aristocratic families, and it was not appropriate to start any more fighting at this time.
April 23.
Auspicious; suitable for groundbreaking and funeral rites.
The deposed Crown Prince Li Xun brought Lady Liu out of the mortuary, and the emperor personally dispatched guards to escort her coffin to the Qianling Mausoleum in the Western Hills.
——
Li Yunru watched the procession gradually walk away and disappear from sight before turning her gaze away.
She asked, "Do you still have the divorce papers I gave you?"
Yan Ning was taken aback, wondering why she had suddenly brought this up. Her expression was somewhat flustered, and she cautiously called out, "Liyang..."
Of course it was there; he carried it with him at all times, reminding himself of his past mistakes.
Um.
He doesn't want a divorce.
However, faced with Li Yunru's persistent gaze, he had no choice but to take it out of his sleeve and hand it to her.
“I know you’re still not over it right now, and the matter of Miss Liu has dealt you a heavy blow, but Liyang… we made a promise before, you can’t… you can’t break the contract.”
He defended himself, his voice slightly choked, his eyes reddening, and his gaze filled with resentment.
"I'm breaking the contract!" Li Yunru said, tearing the divorce agreement to shreds.
"you!"
She turned and hugged him, pressing her face against his chest, listening to his pounding heartbeat, and said, word by word, "Yan Changjun, this is our last chance, the very last time. If you betray me, I will truly kill you!"
She was an extremely proud person, and it was rare for her to bow her head and submit. If she didn't get the result she wanted, she would rather destroy him than let him live alone!
Yan Ning froze for a moment, then realized what she had said. She lowered her hand, which had been hanging in mid-air, and hugged her back tightly. Every word she answered seemed to be bitten out from between her teeth as she said, "No, it won't happen."
He said, "Liyang, what I said to you will always stand true. I will never betray you, never!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Another chapter has ended! After the next chapter's plot, it'll be time for the synopsis. Waaaaaah! I really hope I can get 300 followers by the end, though that's a bit of a dream. [Please!]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
