Chapter 32

Yan Donghuang looked at her expressionlessly: “Didn’t Yan Ming say he would protect you? If he truly wanted to protect you, how could he let you end up in such a situation?”

“He is the emperor.” Yan Yushu instinctively defended, “The emperor is busy with state affairs, dealing with countless matters every day. He can’t possibly keep an eye on his sister’s household affairs all the time.”

“He is the Son of Heaven. He doesn’t need to keep an eye on everything. Just one command and the Marquis of Pingyang wouldn’t dare to mistreat you.” Yan Donghuang said coldly, “How long will you deceive yourself?”

Yan Yushu’s face turned pale, her eyes reddened: “Donghuang, I…”

“Don’t meddle in matters between the emperor and me. You can’t do anything about it.” Yan Donghuang stood up and walked out, “I’ll have someone prepare some food for you. Eat dinner before you go back.”

“Donghuang!” Yan Yushu suddenly stood up and knelt before Yan Donghuang, her eyes red, pleading, “Please, as your sister, I’m begging you! Yong has been at war for so many years. You were on the battlefield for six years. Now that peace has finally come, don’t you want to live a peaceful life?”

Yan Donghuang turned to look at her, her eyes growing colder: “The peaceful life you speak of, is it to be trapped in the inner chambers like you, serving my mother-in-law, attending to my husband, and being unable to control my own life?”

Yan Yushu’s eyes filled with tears: “Donghuang…”

“I hold the power of 200,000 troops. From the first time I followed Father to the battlefield to return to the capital last year, I have seen life and death on the battlefield for six years, and I have developed a strong and unyielding character. The only thing I haven’t learned is to compromise!”

“Since leading the troops alone, I have never lost a battle. With merits and power in hand, even if I were to marry, it should be to bring a prince consort into the Grand Princess’s residence, not to marry into the Duke’s mansion as the mistress!”

Yan Yushu cried and nodded: “I know, I know, but the emperor just wanted to show respect to the Duke’s mansion, not to wrong you deliberately…”

“On the first night of the wedding, Sheng Jing’an brought his concubine into the hall and arrogantly announced that he had poisoned me! On the second day of the wedding, my mother-in-law called in the second and third wives of the Sheng family, who had split from the family, to set rules for me. Yan Yushu, who do you think gave them the courage?”

Yan Yushu’s face turned pale, her hands clenched tightly, trying to find a reason: “Maybe… maybe the old lady of the Sheng family is short-sighted and thinks that since you married into their family, you are their daughter-in-law…”

“She is the old lady of the Duke’s mansion, born into a noble family.” Yan Donghuang said coldly, “Even if she has a bad character, a bad temper, and shallow understanding, she cannot be ignorant of the principle of the hierarchy between the ruler and the subject.”

Yan Yushu’s face turned red, unable to respond.

“Without the emperor’s consent, would Sheng Jing’an dare to poison me, a princess with military power?” Yan Donghuang looked at her expressionlessly, “Do you think it’s possible? Let me ask you, even as a powerless princess, would the Marquis of Pingyang dare to poison you?”

In an ordinary family, poisoning one’s wife is a serious crime, let alone attempting to murder a princess.

Where did Sheng Jing’an get the courage?

Yan Yushu lowered her eyes uneasily, biting her lip, unable to respond. Perhaps she couldn’t even convince herself.

But…

“When the ruler wants the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die.” She said softly, not knowing if she was convincing herself or Yan Donghuang, “The ruler is the subject’s guide, the husband is the wife’s guide. Donghuang, you are the emperor’s sister—”

“Ridiculous.” Yan Donghuang’s voice was cold, “The throne belongs to the capable. I could put him on the throne back then, and I can pull him down today!”

“Donghuang?” Yan Yushu’s face changed dramatically. She looked at her in shock, “What are you planning? Usurping the throne is a capital crime. Even if you miraculously survive, you will be forever nailed to the pillar of shame for usurping the throne. The officials’ words can kill. They won’t spare you, and future history books will make you infamous… Donghuang, you must not have such treasonous thoughts.”

The warmth in Yan Donghuang’s eyes gradually froze. Looking at Yushu in front of her, she could hardly associate herself with the elder sister who secretly gave her food back then.

Where was the sister who understood her plight and created coincidences to let Father see her martial talent?

Yan Donghuang was disappointed, her voice cold: “Go back.”

“Donghuang…”

“Go back.” Yan Donghuang turned and sat back on the couch, looking tired, “I originally wanted to have dinner with you, but it seems unnecessary now. Just pretend you never came today, and I never heard what you said.”

“Donghuang!” Yan Yushu suddenly lost control and burst into tears, “They said if I couldn’t persuade you to spare the Chu family, they would take my two children away from me. I don’t know what to do. They are making things difficult for me, and so are you…”

Yan Donghuang’s eyes lifted slightly, her gaze cold as frost: “I only ask you one question. If either Yan Ming or I must die, who would you choose to die?”

Yan Yushu choked, slowly shaking her head: “I… I wouldn’t let you die, but…”

“But you wouldn’t let Yan Ming die either.” Yan Donghuang finished her sentence with a hint of mockery, “Unfortunately, you don’t have the power to decide the fate of the world.”

“Grand Princess!” Li De’an, who had been listening outside for a long time, couldn’t help but crawl in and kneel, “Please believe in the emperor. The emperor and the empress dowager really have no intention of harming you. If you don’t believe others, can’t you believe what Princess Fengyang says?”

“I can send someone to the Marquis of Pingyang’s residence to bring your two children here.” Yan Donghuang looked at Yan Yushu and suggested, “If you are willing to leave the Marquis of Pingyang, you can stay in the Grand Princess’s residence with your two children. I am willing to support you and your children for a lifetime.”

Yan Yushu looked uneasy and shook her head repeatedly: “No, no…”

Yan Donghuang promised: “No matter what happens in the future, even if I die, I will ensure your and your children’s safety.”

Yan Yushu wept: “Donghuang…”

“No, absolutely not!” Li Dean quickly interjected, looking anxiously at Yan Yushu, “Princess Fengyang, a married woman belongs to her husband’s family. How can she live in the Grand Princess’s residence? Moreover… the Grand Princess is committing treason—”

Bang!

Feng Yaoguang stepped into the threshold and kicked him hard, his voice cold: “The Grand Princess is doing a righteous deed, where is the treason? How dare a lowly eunuch judge the Grand Princess?”

He didn’t hold back at all. Li Dean was kicked to the ground, his internal organs feeling like they had shifted, his face pale, unable to get up for a long time.

Yan Yushu was shocked, her face turning pale.