Imperial Husband Chapter 36

The next day.

Wei Shiwan, seeing that Li Jin had not come out for breakfast for a long time, pretended to be worried and said, "Mother, I don't know what's the matter with Jin'er, why he hasn't come out for so long. Could it be... he is unwell?"

"Hmph," Wei Rong snorted coldly. "What could be wrong with him? In my opinion, he must still resent me for punishing him to kneel in the Buddha hall last time. He doesn't want to see me, that's why he refuses to come out."

Ever since Li Jin's health started having problems until now, his meals had been taken in his own courtyard, not together with Wei Rong and the others.

Li Ruoyan said with ill intent, "Grandmother, if that's really the case, then Li Jin is truly unfilial, isn't he? And he still has the position of Heir Apparent."

If there was a chance to trip up Li Jin, Li Ruoyan would not miss it.

Li Ruoyan's words struck a chord with Wei Rong. Wei Rong immediately said mockingly, "When has he ever been filial to me? If it weren't for the support of His Majesty the Empress behind him, the position of Heir Apparent would never have fallen to him."

Every time the topic of Li Jin's position as Heir Apparent came up, Wei Rong was filled with anger, and she naturally forgot to restrain her dislike for Li Jin.

"Mother."

Wei Shiwan looked at Wei Rong with disapproval.

"Shiwan, everyone here is one of our own, what is there to fear about speaking the truth? And it's not that this old one is criticizing you, but you should just stop concerning yourself with Li Jin. Someone like him is simply beyond hope."

The reason Wei Rong dared to discuss Li Jin's faults so freely was that everyone sitting here eating breakfast was a person of important status within the Prince of Dingbei's Mansion. Those concubines and their children were not qualified to sit at the same table with them.

Wei Shiwan did not speak, only glancing at Li Yanshen.

Li Yanshen, understanding her meaning, immediately said, "Grandmother, please don't make it difficult for Mother. As the Princess Consort of Dingbei, it is only right and proper for Mother to be concerned about Li Jin. If she did nothing, it would be easier for people to gossip."

"Alright, alright, alright. We'll listen to Shen'er."

Wei Rong's favorite grandson was Li Yanshen. Now that Li Yanshen had spoken, she would not continue to be unreasonable.

"Grandmother, please try this. This duck meat was prepared by the kitchen on your grandson's request, the taste shouldn't be bad." Li Yanshen used a clean pair of chopsticks to pick up some of the soft, thoroughly stewed duck meat from a plate and placed it in Wei Rong's bowl.

Wei Rong beamed, looking at the duck meat in her bowl. "Good, good. Only Shen'er knows how to care for his grandmother."

Actually, this dish was specifically prepared by the kitchen on Wei Shiwan's instructions, as Wei Rong was advanced in years and couldn't chew very tough meat. Wei Shiwan having Li Yanshen present this gift as if it were his own idea perfectly eased the previously somewhat tense atmosphere.

Just as everyone was enjoying this harmonious moment, Xiao Tao hurried over, leaned close to Wei Shiwan's ear, and said quietly, "Princess Consort, the carriage from the palace to fetch him has arrived."

Wei Shiwan raised an eyebrow, a flash of confident certainty quickly passing through her eyes. "Are you sure you didn't mistake it?"

"The carriage has the palace insignia beside it. This servant could not possibly mistake it."

"Good, you may go."

"Yes, Princess Consort."

"Shiwan, has something happened?" Wei Rong knew that Xiao Tao was Wei Shiwan's trusted confidante. For her to speak to Wei Shiwan in such a secretive manner just now surely meant there was something afoot.

"Replying to Mother, a carriage from the palace has arrived."

"A carriage from the palace?"

Wei Rong couldn't help but frown in confusion.

Wei Shiwan explained, "Mother, yesterday my mother came and mentioned that the Eldest Prince is returning to the court in triumph, and His Majesty is holding a great banquet for the outer court and the inner palace. I thought this carriage must be here to pick up Jin'er. After all, as the Heir Apparent, Jin'er ought to represent the Prince of Dingbei's mansion at the banquet."

"How outrageous! Has Li Jin rebelled? Such a big matter, and he didn't even inform me?"

Wei Rong was furious.

She was the Dowager Lady of the Prince of Dingbei's mansion, yet she was the last to know. Was that acceptable?

Wei Shiwan tried to persuade her, "Mother, perhaps Jin'er was too busy and forgot for a moment. Please don't take it to heart."

"Busy? What does he have to be busy about? He is clearly ill-intentioned and wants to see me make a fool of myself." The more Wei Rong listened, the angrier she became, directly convicting Li Jin.

Li Ruoyan suggested, "Grandmother, why not have someone bring Li Jin here for questioning? Then we will know whether he truly forgot or did it on purpose."

"Yes, Yan'er, you are right."

Wei Rong immediately called for Lin Zhong and ordered him to bring Li Jin for questioning.

After quite a while.

Lin Zhong finally returned, but he was alone, Li Jin was not with him.

Wei Rong was greatly angered. "Lin Zhong, I told you to bring Li Jin here. Where is he?"

Lin Zhong replied with utmost respect, "Replying to the Dowager Lady, this servant initially intended to bring the Heir Apparent over, but upon reaching the Heir Apparent's courtyard, I was stopped. They said the Heir Apparent had diarrhea since early morning and cannot leave his courtyard at all."

Hearing this, Wei Rong frowned slightly. "He is ill again?"

Seeing the timing was almost right, Wei Shiwan quickly stepped forward with concern. "Mother, what should we do then? The carriage outside is waiting for Jin'er. We can't just let them wait indefinitely, can we?"

Wei Rong fell silent. After quite a while, she said, "Shiwan, you and Shen'er go instead. You are now the Princess Consort, and Shen'er is also a legitimate son. It will be good for him to go and gain some experience. This old one will not join the excitement."

Wei Shiwan and Li Yanshen nodded in agreement. "Yes, Mother (Grandmother)."

"Grandmother, Yan'er wants to go too."

Li Ruoyan said this in a coaxing tone, then looked at Wei Rong expectantly.

Before Wei Rong could speak, Wei Shiwan refused first. "Yan'er, you stay and keep Grandmother company. Don't be willful."

"Li Siyuan is staying in the mansion too, isn't he?" Li Ruoyan said discontentedly, turning her head away. "Mother is biased, only taking Brother and not me."

Hearing Li Ruoyan mention him, Li Siyuan's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.

"Yan'er, you must understand Mother." Li Yanshen rubbed Li Ruoyan's hair. "His Majesty's grand banquet will surely have many ladies attending as well. By then, Mother will have a hard time managing anything else besides socializing with them. Besides, could you bear to leave Grandmother alone in the mansion?"

"Alright then."

Li Ruoyan gave up the idea.

Wei Shiwan secretly gave Li Yanshen an appreciative look.

However.

Before Wei Shiwan could be happy for long, Li Jin suddenly walked over. "Grandmother, Successor Princess Consort, the people from the palace are still waiting outside. I will take my leave now."

Hearing Li Jin's words, Wei Shiwan was immediately stunned.

He clearly drank the medicinal chicken soup I sent over. And Lin Zhong just said he couldn't get up at all. What is the meaning of this now?

"Li Jin, you stop right there for me!" 

Like Wei Shiwan, Wei Rong was also angry. How could Li Jin do this? She had just asked Wei Shiwan and Li Yanshen to go in Li Jin's place, and then Li Jin suddenly appeared saying he was going.

"Does Grandmother have business with me?" Li Jin stopped walking, turned around, and looked at Wei Rong.

"Weren't you unwell, unable to get out of bed? And why didn't you inform me about the palace banquet?"

"Replying to Grandmother, I was unwell at first, but after a while, my body was already fine, so your grandson got up. As for the grand banquet, your grandson had someone inform you long ago. Perhaps that person forgot."

"You... you..."

"Grandmother, why does your complexion suddenly look so bad?" Li Jin saw that Wei Rong was so angry she was temporarily short of breath. He quickly called Lin Zhong. "Steward Lin, quickly take Grandmother away and then call for a physician to examine her."

"Li Jin..."

"Dowager Lady, your health is most important. This servant will have someone support you to your rooms immediately." Lin Zhong was Li Shiyun's man. Seeing Wei Rong in this state, his priority was naturally Wei Rong's well-being. He quickly had maids assist Wei Rong away while he himself ran to find a physician.

Wei Shiwan, unwilling to give up, asked, "Jin'er, your complexion is still very poor. Are you sure it's alright for you to go?"

"Thank you for your concern, Successor Princess Consort. I can still manage."

Li Jin offered a distant reply, then departed the Prince's mansion with Ping'an and Zhou Yunting, and boarded the waiting palace carriage.