Chapter 114: The Situation

In the Jing Prince’s mansion, Yin Qianhua was also busy preparing her son’s travel belongings. Yun Yichen watched his mother, Consort Yin, working hard for him, his heart full of concern. He silently cursed General Xiao for coming up with such a terrible—no, terrible was an understatement—horrible idea. How could that old man suggest this when he clearly knew that his father was absent, leaving him to look after his mother and sister? Did the general think that making trouble for him was the only way to live peacefully?

“You don’t need to worry about me and your sister. Now, it’s just the three of us in the entire mansion, and there is absolutely no danger. Besides, you’re only leaving for a few days; nothing will happen,” Yin Qianhua comforted her son as she sorted his clothes.

“I promised Father that I would protect you and my sister. So, this time, I won’t go to the royal villa,” Yun Yichen tried to persuade his mother to let him stay.

“How can that be? Before leaving, your father assigned additional guards to protect me and your sister. He also increased the number of experts in the mansion. If you’re really worried about us, then learn your skills well. In a few years, your mother won’t have to rely on others for protection anymore.” Yin Qianhua paused her work and looked up at her son, speaking every word with firm clarity.

“But what if… what if the Empress Dowager, Han Side Consort, or the Han family targets you?” Yun Yichen hesitated.

“If someone plots against me now, can you defeat them? If not, does it make any difference whether you’re here or not?”

After a moment of contemplation, Yun Yichen suddenly realized, “I understand, Mother. Don’t worry; I won’t let you down.”

“Your Highness, someone from the palace has come again. What should we do?” Xiao Anzi reported from the corridor.

“Go to the palace and pay respects to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Have you forgotten your father’s instructions before he left? Both of them care about you sincerely; even your mother cannot deny this,” Yin Qianhua urged her son.

Yun Yichen thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Upon entering the palace, he soon realized that waiting for him was not just his grandmother.

“Grandson greets the Empress Dowager,” Yun Yichen respectfully bowed to Han Empress Dowager.

“If I hadn’t sent someone to summon you, would you have avoided stepping into this Fengxiang Palace altogether?” The Empress Dowager scolded lightly.

“Grandson wouldn’t dare.”

“Aunt, don’t be upset. Achen is just a child. Some things take time to teach,” Han Side Consort interjected, her tone understanding as she tried to mediate.

Yun Yichen regretted his decision to come to the palace. Seeing the people gathered, it was clear that today’s visit to Fengxiang Palace was nothing short of a trap.

“Achen, come here. Grandmother will introduce you. This young lady is your cousin, Han Yueyan.”

“Cousin greets Elder Brother,” a shy voice chimed in.

Yun Yichen nodded slightly in response, showing no concern whether the other party noticed or not.

“Look at them—such a perfect match in age and family background…” Han Side Consort began to sing praises endlessly.

At this moment, Yun Yichen couldn’t help but suspect that Han Side Consort might have been a matchmaker in her previous life.

“Let them talk. Come, have some tea,” the Empress Dowager cut in. She hadn’t realized her niece was so foolish before. Now, it made sense why her son disliked her. With such matchmaking talk, it was no wonder people were scared off.

“Grandson is not here solely to greet the Empress Dowager. I must also report my studies to the Emperor. I hope you will understand.” Yun Yichen completely ignored Han Side Consort and Han Yueyan. To him, the name “Yueyan” didn’t suit the person at all—it seemed like a waste of the name.

“Elder Brother…” Han Yueyan called out softly.

“Miss Han, you and I are not close, and we are of an age where men and women must observe proper boundaries. We should maintain our distance.” Yun Yichen suppressed his anger, his words aimed at both Han Yueyan and those in the room.

As Yun Yichen’s voice fell, the Empress Dowager’s face grew increasingly dark. Her grandson had grown bold enough to mock even his grandmother. Excellent, excellent—he was truly becoming capable!

“Achen, wait a moment. Grandmother hasn’t finished speaking yet!” The Empress Dowager stopped Yun Yichen, who was preparing to leave.

“Please speak, Grandmother.”

“If your grandmother asks you to do something, should you not unconditionally agree?”

“Grandson is just a child and can do little. Matters in the mansion were already arranged by Father before he left. Grandson simply needs to follow the plan. If anything else arises, I trust the Emperor will handle it.” Yun Yichen avoided mentioning the Empress Dowager altogether.

“Before your father left, he said he would bring Han Side Consort and her daughters back to the mansion after three months. Now that the time has passed, they will return with you today.” The Empress Dowager’s tone was more of an order than a request.

“Grandson must decline. I distinctly remember Father saying he would personally send someone to fetch Han Side Consort and her daughters from the Duke of Qing’s residence upon his return. Since Father has not yet returned, I have no authority to make such a decision.”

“You… you… excellent! You truly are the child of that good son and daughter-in-law of mine. It seems I have loved the wrong person all these years.” The Empress Dowager spoke with sorrow.

“If I have upset you, Grandmother, it is my fault alone and has nothing to do with anyone else. If you’re angry, please punish me.” Yun Yichen knelt decisively. Over the years, his grandmother had indeed shown him immense affection, even more so than many of the princes. He would never forget this. However, his mother and sister’s safety was of paramount importance.

“Aunt, how could you let him leave so easily?” Han Ceifei asked anxiously. She had been staying at the Duke of Qing’s residence for over three months, enduring the increasingly strange looks from others and the subtle mockery from her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. She had had enough.

Han Ceifei had been longing for this opportunity to return to the royal residence, but she never expected her aunt to “easily” let Yun Yichen leave, making her miss her chance.

“The Emperor has already issued his decree. What can your aunt do? Do you wish for the Empress Dowager to provoke the grandson’s dislike and then openly oppose the Emperor? If that happens, it won’t be as simple as you staying at the Duke of Qing’s residence for a few months. You might end up being divorced and sent back home altogether. Which result would you prefer?” The Empress Dowager stared directly into her niece’s eyes as she spoke.

“How is that possible? That would never happen,” Han Ceifei retorted, though deep down, she knew it was indeed a possibility. In the royal residence, apart from her two daughters and her personal attendants, no one paid attention to the Brocade Pavilion or her status as a consort.

How did things come to this? It was all because of that woman, Yin Qianhua. She must have used some sort of witchcraft to bewitch the Prince. Otherwise, by looks and family background, she herself should have had the upper hand.

“If you still refuse to recognize your status and position, and continue to act recklessly, there will be nothing your aunt can do to help you. Keep in mind that the royal residence will eventually be handed over to Yichen. If you don’t see the reality and keep opposing Yin Qianhua and your cousin, what kind of consequences do you think will follow?”

“At this point, even if you don’t think about yourself, you should consider the future of Ruoqing and Ruoxing. Without their father’s favor or legitimate brothers to support them, what kind of families could they possibly marry into? Can’t you imagine what might happen?”

“Ruoqing and Ruoxing are county princesses, the Empress Dowager’s own granddaughters, and the Duke of Qing’s direct granddaughters. How could they possibly fail to find good families? By then, wouldn’t the young men of the capital be lining up, leaving the two of them to pick and choose as they please?” Han Ceifei replied with self-righteousness.

For the longest time, Han Ceifei had only focused on defeating Yin Qianhua, never considering the issues regarding her daughters. She had always believed that in the capital, only she and her daughters had the right to choose, and no one else could say “no” or raise any objections.

Now, her aunt, the most esteemed woman in Tianyu, had delivered a harsh reality check. Those cruel facts were laid bare before her, leaving her to ponder her choices and next steps.

“Your aunt is already old and won’t be able to protect you for much longer. It’s up to you to decide what path you will take.” Today, the Empress Dowager was determined to make her niece understand the situation to avoid even more unforeseen consequences in the future.

Not only Han Ceifei, but even the Empress Dowager herself had developed a new understanding of the future and her descendants. Deep in her heart, she sensed an overwhelming feeling of decline.

“It won’t happen. It’s impossible…” Han Ceifei muttered to herself repeatedly.

Outside the resplendent palace hall, the setting sun cast its golden light on the landscape. The Empress Dowager felt like that very sunset, with only a faint glimmer of radiance left to illuminate this land.

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