Chapter 22 The Deal: I'll leave Yan Changjun, and you'll help my Li family escape...
Li Yunru deliberately put on airs of a princess, not immediately seeing Cui Shi, but letting her wait outside her palace.
Autumn is a season of frequent rain, and recently, the autumn rains have been continuous.
Cui was not dressed lightly; she wore a dark blue Shu brocade jacket with a dark silk skirt, both lined with thick cotton padding. She also wore a light blue cloak, and a fine crimson fox fur coat clung tightly to her neck, giving her a dignified and noble air.
However, due to her advanced age, her health was not as good as before. Even dressed like this, she still couldn't withstand the cold. As the autumn wind blew with the cold rain, Cui Shi couldn't help but shiver a few times. The old nanny who had been with her for many years couldn't stand it and started scolding her.
"She's already past her prime, yet she still acts like a princess. Doesn't she even realize the current situation?"
Cui's nose was slightly red and her body trembled slightly, but she maintained a good posture and stood upright. She asked the palace maid when she would be able to see her.
Li Yunru had already instructed the palace staff, saying, "The princess is overwhelmed with worry and her body is weak. We don't know when she will wake up. Please wait a moment, Madam."
The old woman said, "If you're going to wait, you should go inside. What kind of daughter-in-law makes her mother-in-law wait outside? It's utterly absurd!"
The palace maid did not respond, but said only, "This servant does not know. Please wait a moment while I ask the princess, and then I will report back to you."
After saying that, he left, leaving the two of them staring at each other at the door.
Cold wind and rain...
In the end, it was Cui who couldn't hold back any longer and barged in.
Inside, fine silver charcoal burned, making the whole room warm and cozy. Li Yunru sat by the window, tending a small stove to brew tea and fruit, her posture anything but carefree and leisurely.
This contrasts sharply with the disheveled appearance of Cui and his servants.
The old nanny was furious, and she berated Li Yunru for being unruly and improper.
Li Yunru didn't take her seriously at all, leisurely picking out tea leaves, and retorted: "Madam comes from a noble family and values etiquette the most. What, is it your family's rule that a lowly servant like me is pointing fingers at the princess?"
She said in a measured tone, "Madam, the new emperor hasn't ascended the throne yet. No matter what my brother is like, he is of the legitimate bloodline, and his succession is the only rightful one. Your powerful family is still considered to be plotting rebellion. Hmm, it seems that according to the rules, you should be beheaded and your entire family should be executed."
The old nanny was used to throwing her weight around because of Cui Shi. Everyone usually gave her some face, so she lost her sense of propriety. Knowing her place, she really thought she was the master and started acting all high and mighty. Li Yunru was showing her no respect, and she felt humiliated. Her face turned red, and she was about to say something when Cui Shi stopped her.
"I will teach the people around me how to behave. But Princess, although you are a member of the royal family, regardless of the situation, you have already married into the Yan family and are now a member of the Yan family. It is one thing for you not to serve your mother-in-law, but you have specially summoned me to the palace. Such humiliation, is this the rule that the royal family has taught you!"
Cui's face was stern, and her tone was neither slow nor slow, but it was clear that she was being emotional.
Too.
Before her marriage, she was the eldest daughter of a prominent family in Qinghe, whose ancestors held high-ranking positions. Her marriage to the Yan family created a powerful alliance, making her a leading figure among noblewomen. Growing up like this, who would dare to show her any disrespect? Li Yunru's treatment of others would naturally provoke her displeasure, but…
What does it have to do with anything?
She shrugged and said indifferently, "These are not the rules taught to me by the royal family, but rather the rules that I... want to teach to my lady!"
Li Yunru bowed slightly, staring intently at Cui Shi, and said, word by word, "No matter how the situation changes, as long as I am in this position, I have the right to decide how to treat you. In the past, I was too easy to talk to, so many people forgot their place. Now I must remind them!"
She spoke harshly, but now that time has passed, Cui doesn't take it to heart.
Her face remained expressionless, showing little reaction. She said gently, "Your Highness summoned me here just to tell me this? If so, then I understand. I have many matters to attend to at home, so I will not disturb Your Highness any longer and will take my leave now."
As Cui was about to leave, Li Yunru was not in a hurry. She sat up straight, continued to fiddle with the tea in her hand, and said leisurely, "Madam is willing to endure the cold outside for so long, is it because you like it?"
She curled her lips into a smile. "Madam, since you have something to ask for, you should set aside your pride a bit."
Cui was able to enter the palace, of course, for the sake of her legitimate son; otherwise, she wouldn't have wanted to associate with this little princess.
As expected, upon hearing her words, Madam Cui stopped in her tracks and asked, "What does the princess wish to do?"
Li Yunru knew when to stop. She called someone to offer Cui a seat, poured a cup of tea she had just brewed, and handed it to her with a smile, saying, "Mother-in-law, there's no need to be so serious and wary. There's nothing I can do now. I just wanted to invite you over to catch up and maybe discuss a deal that might interest you."
Cui stared at Li Yunru with dark, unfathomable eyes.
She didn't shy away from the question, meeting everyone's gaze directly, and slowly said, "If I leave Yan Changjun, you will help my Li family escape, how about it?"
Lady Cui laughed out loud, "Princess, you overestimate me. How could I, a mere woman, possibly influence the court? Besides, what does the princess have to offer me in terms of bargaining?"
Xiao Yuanshan claimed to be a close friend of the late emperor, but everyone knew that there was a great rift between them. Xiao Yuanshan always believed that the Battle of Licheng was a deliberate scheme by Li Zhao to take all the credit for himself. He had endured humiliation and hardship all these years for this day.
Now that Li Zhao is dead, how could they easily let go of the Crown Prince Li Xun and Empress Zhenyuan Wen, who could threaten him?
Leaving aside them, Princess Huayang, Li Jing, and Li Yunru were also in mortal danger, and their fates were unlikely to be good. It was only because of the Yan family that Li Yunru was able to maintain her dignity at this time. Otherwise, she would have been imprisoned like the others, waiting for a respectable reason to deal with them.
As expected of a mere child, he always has a touch of arrogance.
Li Yunru only recently learned about Xiao Yuanshan's past with the Li family from Empress Zhenyuan. Although this was not the case, Prime Minister Xiao had been harboring resentment for a long time, so how could he listen to her?
Over the years, out of guilt, Emperor Qi Xuan delegated power to him, allowing him to reach this position and stand on equal footing with the powerful families. However, he secretly purged many officials whom Emperor Qi Xuan had promoted, and took advantage of his illness to seize military power in the capital. He also intercepted many documents from Emperor Xuan to General Huo Qi, who was guarding the border, thus completely undermining the imperial power.
Li Xun was kind-hearted and soft-hearted, so how could he possibly contend with him? If he did nothing, his fate was destined to be tragic.
She has already lost her father and her sister; she can't afford to lose another one!
Li Yunru took a sip of tea, composed herself, and slowly said, "That's my mother-in-law's problem. I believe she can handle it. As for the bargaining chip..."
She drew out a long, drawn-out tone, her voice low and husky, and said with a charming smile, "Does your son, Yan Ning, or Yan Changjun count?"
“Your mother-in-law may not know, but your good son told me personally that he is willing to die with me.”
Cui's heart skipped a beat, and she lost her grip on the cup, spilling tea that scalded her clothes.
Li Yunru observed all of her reactions and knew that she had made the right bet.
She continued, "My mother-in-law specially came from Jiankang and confined me to the Yan family's villa beforehand, cutting off my contact with Changjun. Isn't it because she knew he valued me and was afraid that people would act on emotion beforehand and ruin your plans? And recently..."
The more she spoke, the wider her smile became. Li Yunru stared at Cui Shi, her eyes smiling, but she looked more like a death knell from hell.
“You should know your son. He’s no joke. What do you think he would do if he knew all this, or if something really happened to me?”
Li Yunru gripped the teacup tightly, her gaze fixed on Cui Shi. "Mother-in-law, you surely don't want your beloved son, whom you've raised with such care, to become estranged from you, or for something to happen that would benefit the children born to those two concubines, do you?"
"That's true. Neither of them calls you Mother, but they're not your biological mother after all. They were raised by you when they were very young and didn't remember much. It's hard to guarantee that they haven't heard some rumors..."
Yan Jun, the eldest son of the Yan family, was the mother of Cui Shi, a cousin of the Cui family. Cui Shi married into the Yan family first, but she was unable to conceive for a long time. In order to maintain the friendship between the two families, she sent another girl to the family. The girl was fortunate enough to conceive within a few months. Unfortunately, she was not lucky enough to give birth to Yan Jun and had a difficult childbirth. She did not survive the delivery room, so Yan Jun was raised by her.
There have long been rumors that Cui was afraid that her cousin would give birth to her eldest son and threaten her position, so she used some means to make the mother leave and the son stay.
Needless to say, Erlang Yan'an was raised outside the family as a concubine's son. He only returned to the manor to be recognized by his ancestors when he was seven or eight years old and could remember things...
Behind this seemingly stable and harmonious aristocratic family, who knows how many secrets are hidden, and everyone has their own ulterior motives.
Although Li Yunru didn't concern herself with the Yan family's affairs after marrying into the family, she wasn't a domineering fool who didn't investigate or ask about anything.
However, she hadn't expected to use it today.
Cui's dark eyes were fixed on the person in front of her. Her lips trembled, but she remained silent for a long time. Li Yunru thought that she probably thought this girl was too wicked. She felt sorry for her son, who was so attached to her and did not hesitate to disobey his own father.
But so what? What people think is none of her concern. As for Yan Changjun…
She may have wronged him this time, but she doesn't regret it. Now, while he still has some affection for her, she should use it to maximize her benefits. Otherwise, if time goes on and the Yan family has other intentions, she won't be able to accept it. The two of them will definitely have a lot of conflicts, and when their affection is completely exhausted, she will have no one behind her. That would be truly losing everything.
Li Yunru did not disbelieve that a man could be faithful to one person until death. Her father and her brother had set an example for her, outlining a relatively idealized world of love.
She believed that there were still people like them in this world, but... it wouldn't be Yan Changjun.
When a person is in a quagmire, it is very difficult to remain untainted and keep oneself pure.
“I promise you,” said Mrs. Cui.
Yan Ning knelt in the ancestral hall all night and only left at dawn. After returning to her own courtyard and sitting down, she didn't know why, but her heart skipped a beat and felt a sharp pain, like being stabbed with needles.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Finally, I'm not getting a bye anymore! I'm so touched! Persistence really pays off. I'll collect my dream story once it reaches 100 on the leaderboard. If it does, I'll add an extra chapter. If not... hahaha, just pretend I never said that [evil laugh]. Please collect my story!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com