Chapter 31

Yan Yushu, Princess Fengyang, is twenty-two years old this year and has two children. She gave birth to a daughter in May last year. At that time, Yan Donghuang was still on the battlefield. When she returned, she gave the little one a set of pure gold longevity locks, a set of gold bowls, and chopsticks.

Since then, Yan Donghuang has only interacted with Yan Yushu less than three times. First, Yan Yushu had to take care of her children and couldn’t meet her. Second, after giving birth to her daughter, her in-laws seemed unhappy, and Yan Yushu’s life wasn’t very free. Third, Yan Yushu herself was quite content with her current situation and didn’t want to anger her mother-in-law and husband.

At that time, Yan Donghuang couldn’t understand why a princess had to bow to her mother-in-law and husband. Although Marquis Pingyang’s family still held the Marquis title, they had few influential officials in court, almost no real power, and weren’t particularly wealthy. Why should she endure such humiliation?

But now she understood everything.

A princess without the royal family’s support is nothing in the eyes of her in-laws.

Even with military power in her hands, the old lady of the Sheng family dared to set rules for her. How much more so for Yan Yushu, a fallen princess without backing?

Yan Ming had always claimed to treat them as his own sisters, but in reality, he never took any action to support them, allowing them to suffer in their in-laws’ homes without any intervention.

So, relying on others will always lead to disappointment.
Relying on oneself is better than relying on anyone else.

In the courtyard, a person slowly approached, dressed in a light, elegant dress with simple hairpins. The person had a gentle and beautiful face and exuded a serene temperament.

Yan Donghuang ordered someone to make tea.

Yan Yushu stepped over the threshold, signaling her two maids to stay outside. She entered the room alone and walked to the window to look at Yan Donghuang: “Donghuang.”

“Sit down.” Yan Donghuang was not surprised by her arrival and only raised her hand to indicate, “Did the emperor send you to persuade me?”

Yan Yushu nodded: “Chief Eunuch Li came to see me, saying you misunderstood the emperor, that privately mobilizing troops involved rebellion. The emperor and the empress dowager were both shocked. They said they knew nothing about Sheng Jing’an poisoning you.”

Yan Donghuang’s expression remained indifferent: “Do you believe them?”

Yan Yushu was silent for a moment: “The emperor has always treated us like his own sisters. Among the princes, only he didn’t despise our origins and never resented me for being raised by the empress.”

Yan Donghuang silently took a sip of tea, her expression unreadable.

“Donghuang, Sheng Jing’an was wrong to harm you. The emperor has already ordered the confiscation of the Duke’s mansion and said that as long as you are willing, he will immediately send the Imperial Guards to escort Sheng Jing’an’s family to the execution ground for public execution, giving you an explanation.”

Yan Donghuang said indifferently: “The Duke’s mansion is already under my control. I can kill Sheng Jing’an anytime I want, without his concern.”

“Donghuang, you have always protected the Yong dynasty. Are you going to watch your own hands destroy the kingdom?” Yan Yushu bit her lip, looking at her anxiously, “Once civil unrest begins, the common people will suffer. I don’t want to see the two people I care about most turn against each other or see the Yong dynasty fall into chaos.”

“I want to ask you a question first.” Yan Donghuang looked up at her, her tone indifferent, “How can you be sure this has nothing to do with him?”

Yan Yushu instinctively said: “He couldn’t possibly do such a thing—”

Yan Donghuang sneered: “So it’s just baseless trust?”

Yan Yushu was at a loss for words and nodded: “Yes.”

“He was good to us back then, but I have already repaid that kindness.” Yan Donghuang picked up the teacup and took a light sip, “When Father was on his deathbed, he asked me who was more suitable to be emperor, and I recommended him.”

Is there anything more important than the kingdom?

Yan Yushu frowned: “Since you recommended him, shouldn’t you trust him more?”

“People’s hearts can change.” Yan Donghuang’s expression was indifferent. “Or you could say that some people are naturally good at disguising.”

“Donghuang—”

“You helped me back then, so I won’t harm you.” Yan Donghuang promised, “Live your life in peace, and I can ensure that the Marquis of Pingyang’s family will continue to prosper.”

“If you turn against the emperor, how can I live in peace?” Yan Yushu’s eyes reddened as she tried to persuade her to stop. “Donghuang, I… I really don’t believe the emperor would harm you. Give him a chance to investigate the truth properly, okay?”

Yan Donghuang asked her: “You haven’t finished your confinement period, have you?”

Yan Yushu was stunned.

“How did Prince Consort Chen agree to let you come?”

“You led troops to raid the Chu family. The Marquis’s residence has been shrouded in gloom all day. They can’t even eat, let alone care about me, a princess in confinement.” Yan Yushu smiled bitterly, “The Marquis asked me to plead with you to see if you could spare the Chu family.”

Madam Chu was born into the Marquis of Pingyang’s family and is the current Marquis’s aunt.

Back then, when the Marquis’s father was still alive, Madam Chu relied on her brother’s numerous bribes and allegiance to marry into the Chu family. Now, the Marquis of Pingyang’s family depends on the Chu family’s influence and marital connections to maintain their status among the nobility. If something happens to the Chu family, this marital connection will be severed, and the Marquis of Pingyang’s family will have no chance of recovery in this generation, unless their son grows up and achieves success, which would take at least twenty years.

The Marquis can’t wait that long.

Yan Donghuang turned to look out the window, her eyes filled with a cold light.

People do change.

Not only Yan Ming, who ascended the throne but also Yan Yushu, who married and settled down, might be different from before.

“How have you been living in the Marquis of Pingyang’s residence these years?”

This was the second time Yan Donghuang asked this question.

The last time she asked, Yan Yushu said she was living well and was satisfied with her current life, so Yan Donghuang didn’t ask further. But today, she wanted to ask again. Because Yan Yushu’s haggard and troubled appearance couldn’t prove she was living well.

Yan Yushu lowered her eyes and stared at the teacup in front of her for a long time before saying: “Before Father passed away, I was raised by the empress. Whether she treated me well or not, I was nominally the empress’s legitimate daughter.”

Yan Donghuang understood her meaning.

Yan Yushu was a legitimate princess raised by the empress, and many see her as part of the empress and the former crown prince’s faction. Now, the one on the throne is not the former crown prince but Yan Ming, and the one sitting as the empress dowager is not the former empress but the former Consort De. The royal consorts were always rivals, and so were the princes. After the former empress and crown prince were deposed, Yan Yushu’s status became very sensitive. Because she was a girl, the emperor was magnanimous and treated her like a sister. But these were just words with no real action.

From the court officials to the palace servants, who didn’t excel at guessing the emperor’s intentions?

Whether the emperor truly cared for Princess Fengyang or was just being perfunctory, who couldn’t see through it?

When the former empress was deposed, Yan Yushu had already lost her backing completely.

Yan Donghuang’s voice was indifferent: “When I asked you before, you said your mother-in-law and husband treated you well. Now I want to ask you again: do they really treat you well?”

Yan Yushu’s hands trembled slightly as she held the teacup, her voice low: “I now have both a son and a daughter, and I’m the HMMistress of the Marquis Pingyang Residence. Does it matter whether they treat me well or not?”