Imperial Husband Chapter 48

Early on the morning of the second day.

Wei Rong sat in the carriage with a displeased expression, alongside Li Ruoyan, waiting for the belated arrival of Li Jin. "Utterly outrageous! So he is the heir apparent, but this old woman is still the Prince's mother, his grandmother. How dare Li Jin keep me waiting like this?"

Li Ruoyan comforted her, "Grandmother, Li Jin is just like that. Please don't upset yourself over him."

Li Ruoyan was powerless against Li Jin, even feeling considerable apprehension towards him, but she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to make minor trouble for him when she could.

Hearing this, Wei Rong indeed became even angrier.

"Having someone like him as the heir apparent is nothing but a family misfortune."

"Grandmother," Li Ruoyan replied, her expression instantly shifting to one of deep grievance, "with Father so often stationed at the border, and with Li Jin now enjoying the backing of both the Empress and the Seventh Prince, we really must be more careful in how we deal with him."

"Yan'er, you were wronged last time."

Mentioning these forces behind Li Jin, Wei Rong couldn't help but recall the last time Li Shiyun had reprimanded Li Ruoyan, and immediately felt a pang of guilt.

Changing her attitude from the one she had in Wei Shiwan's room, Li Ruoyan pretended to be sensible and replied, "For Grandmother, it was worth it for Yan'er to be scolded by Father. I just fear Father might hold a grudge against Yan'er because of it."

After all, Li Ruoyan had used Wei Rong's name as her excuse when she was last reprimanded by Li Shiyun, so Wei Rong naturally felt responsible.

Unaware that she was once again being manipulated by her granddaughter, Wei Rong shouldered all the responsibility and assured her, "Don't you worry. As long as this old woman is here, Shiyun would never dare hold a grudge against you."

"Grandmother, you…"

"Greetings, Grandmother."

Suddenly, Li Jin walked calmly out the gate towards Wei Rong, then smiled and greeted her.

"What time do you think it is?"

Wei Rong spoke sarcastically, not concealing her dislike for Li Jin in her words.

Facing Wei Rong's aggressiveness, Li Jin showed no anger, instead smiling and saying, "In reply, Grandmother, I suddenly felt unwell as I was leaving, which caused a delay. I beg Grandmother's forgiveness."

With Li Jin saying this, Wei Rong couldn't very well continue to make unreasonable trouble. "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get in the carriage! If we are delayed for my prayers for Shen'er, this old woman will not let this matter rest."

"Yes, Grandmother."

Li Jin nodded and boarded Wei Rong's carriage.

Ping'an, feeling indignant, rode on horseback alongside Zhou Yunting beside the carriage.

Ping'an's temperament was still the same as before, often angered by how Wei Rong and the others freely criticized and scolded Li Jin. But as he grew older, Ping'an learned to think more.

As soon as Li Jin entered the carriage, Li Ruoyan couldn't resist provoking him, "Heir Li, you are too disrespectful of your elders! Grandmother is your senior. Even if you were unwell, you should have crawled here rather than make Grandmother wait for you."

Li Ruoyan's tone when saying 'Heir Li' was sarcastic, clearly meant as mockery.

Li Jin raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, "Sister Ruoyan, do you still remember how you were punished to copy the 'Admonitions for Women' a hundred times last time?"

[Admonitions for Women (女诫, Nǚjiè): an ancient Chinese text written by Ban Zhao during the Eastern Han Dynasty, which outlines the Confucian virtues and submissive social roles expected of women, such as humility, obedience, and devotion to their husbands.]

"Uh…"

Li Ruoyan was immediately speechless and dared not act rashly again.

But soon, her eyes were filled with venomous resentment.

Because of Li Jin's scheming, she had not only been severely scolded by Li Shiyun but also forced to copy the 'Admonitions for Women' all night long. How could Li Ruoyan possibly forget?

Li Jin, just you wait. One day I will trample you underfoot and make you beg for mercy.

"Enough," Wei Rong shot a sharp glance at Li Jin. "Yan'er is your sister. She merely disapproves of you making me wait so long. How can you threaten her like this?"

Li Jin replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "In reply, Grandmother, if Sister Ruoyan would not persistently say things that damage the reputation of the Prince's Mansion, I would not need to be so forceful."

"I was talking about you, what does it have to do with the Prince's Mansion?"

With Wei Rong present, Li Ruoyan felt emboldened and immediately challenged Li Jin.

"I am the Heir Apparent of the Prince of Dingbei. My honor and disgrace are tied to the Prince of Dingbei's Mansion. And you, Sister Ruoyan, just said I am disrespectful to my elders. Are you perhaps resentful that His Majesty chose me for this position of Heir Apparent?"

With such a serious accusation leveled against her by Li Jin, Li Ruoyan's expression could no longer remain calm. "That's not what I meant… I was…"

"You were," Li Jin interrupted Li Ruoyan, then turned his gaze to Wei Rong. "Grandmother, don't you think what I said is correct?"

"This…"

Wei Rong did not want to agree with Li Jin, but his words were indeed reasonable, leaving her momentarily unable to find a rebuttal.

Li Ruoyan became upset, pouting and saying plaintively, "Grandmother, he's bullying me."

"Both of you, be quiet! What is the meaning of all this noisy quarreling in the carriage?" One was her beloved granddaughter, the other was a grandson she looked down upon but who now held the Heir Apparent title. Wei Rong was in a dilemma and could only scold both sides.

Once Wei Rong spoke, Li Ruoyan quieted down.

Seeing that Li Ruoyan was no longer provoking him, Li Jin couldn't be bothered to engage further and closed his eyes to rest.

At the same time.

Wei Rong also regretted it. If she had known that letting Li Jin into the carriage would cause so much trouble, she should never have used her status as grandmother to force Li Jin to share the carriage with her in the first place.

After about another while, Li Jin and the others finally arrived at Yunling Temple.

Perhaps fearing that Li Ruoyan would clash with Li Jin again at the temple, Wei Rong, as soon as she alighted from the carriage, ignored Li Jin and walked off, pulling Li Ruoyan along with her.

Ping'an muttered indignantly under his breath, "Young Master, the Dowager Lady is too partial."

Ping'an's use of 'Young Master' was specifically instructed by Li Jin, as when they were outside, it was better to use ordinary forms of address to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"It can't be helped. She never held any affection for me in the first place. Maintaining surface propriety is enough," Li Jin said indifferently. "Ping'an, are the prayer items I asked you to prepare all ready?"

"In reply, Young Master, everything is prepared and awaits your arrival."

"Good, let's go then."

"Yes."

Not long after Li Jin and the others had left, another luxurious carriage arrived outside Yunling Temple. A handsome young man alighted first and spoke towards the carriage door, "Grandmother, we have arrived at Yunling Temple."

"Good."

A cheerful, aged female voice responded.

After a short moment.

The old woman who had just spoken was assisted down from the carriage by a young woman with a white veil covering her face. "Grandmother, please be careful walking. Mind you don't stumble."

The old woman laughed, "Xichen, you don't need to be so careful. Ai… this old woman's health is quite robust."

[哀家 (Āi jiā): lit. mournful/mourning one; fig. a formal self-address used by a widowed empress or queen in historical China, conveying authority tempered by ceremonial grief]

"No," the young woman shook her head. "Grandmother just recovered from a chill not long ago. We cannot be careless. If you were to fall or get hurt, Xichen would be held responsible."

The young man chimed in, "Grandmother, Xichen means well. Please don't make things difficult for her."

"Alright, alright. Grandmother can't argue with the two of you," the old woman shook her head helplessly and accepted the young woman's assistance. Then she looked at the handsome young man and said, "Ziheng, do you resent this old woman for making you come to Yunling Temple to offer incense with me at this time?"

The youth, namely Ying Ziheng, smiled and said, "Being able to accompany Grandmother to Yunling Temple is Ziheng's good fortune. Ziheng is overjoyed, how could I be unwilling?"

The Empress Dowager Wei raised an eyebrow. "If that's so, then why have you been so sullen the entire journey?"

The Empress Dowager Wei had brought Ying Ziheng along to Yunling Temple this time precisely to help him see things more clearly and stop contradicting Ying Zhengjing so often.

"In reply, Grandmother…"

Ying Xichen unexpectedly interrupted, "Grandmother, Brother is in low spirits because Ningyu rejected him."

"Xichen, you must not speak nonsense like that. It will damage Sister Ningyu's reputation."