As soon as Madam Cui stepped out, she eagerly asked Li Yuan, “How did the discussion go?” The safety and prosperity of their entire family hung in the balance, leaving her anxious.
Li Yuan replied wearily, “We don’t know yet. Young Master Jiang was enthusiastic, though.” They were acting as intermediaries for Prince Ning while also trying to secure their future. Such a delicate matter required a trustworthy messenger, and after much consideration, Jiang Changyang seemed the most suitable. While Jiang had agreed, it remained to be seen whether Prince Jing would accept Prince Ning’s overture.
Madam Cui’s eyes dimmed, and she choked up slightly, “Has it come to this? Is there no other way?” As a woman confined mostly to the inner chambers, she had a vague understanding of the situation but lacked insight into the finer details and broader implications. She only knew that if Prince Ning failed, their entire family would suffer.
Seeing his mother’s distress, Li Xing tried to comfort her, “It’s likely to succeed.” Although Prince Jing was currently in favor and riding high, the emperor hadn’t shown excessive bias and still covertly supported Prince Min’s faction. No one could fathom the emperor’s true intentions, leaving everyone on edge. While Prince Ning had lost imperial favor, he still had the backing of powerful clans. The Wu family might be wavering, but the Wang and Qin families remained firmly bound to him—a force Prince Jing lacked. If Prince Jing were willing to join forces, it could be a win-win situation. As long as Prince Ning showed enough sincerity, how could Prince Jing refuse?
After a long silence, Madam Cui reluctantly said, “His Highness is still too weak. He’s not…”
Li Yuan’s eyes flashed coldly as he snapped, “Silence! What would a woman know of such matters?” This was his life’s greatest regret. As a person, Prince Ning’s gentle and refined nature was admirable, even rare. But as an heir to the throne, he was too soft and kind. If only he had some of Prince Min’s boldness or Prince Jing’s patience and decisiveness—wouldn’t the empire be secure then? Alas, he fell just short. But Li Yuan wasn’t the only one who had lost this gamble.
Seeing her husband’s displeasure, Madam Cui fell silent, though inwardly defiant. She quickly changed the subject, asking Li Xing, “Can Young Master Jiang be trusted?”
Absorbed in his thoughts, Li Xing replied with surprise, “How could he not be?” Jiang Changyang was known for his integrity. They had chosen this path after careful consideration. If Jiang couldn’t be trusted, who could? Success in this matter would greatly benefit Jiang in Prince Jing’s eyes. Given their family ties and mutual interests, Jiang would surely do his utmost.
Madam Cui, unable to grasp these nuances, suggested, “I think you should find another suitable person as a backup. What if he suddenly says it can’t be done? Wouldn’t that be disastrous?”
Li Xing frowned deeply. Li Yuan asked noncommittally, “What makes you think that? Did you notice something in the back hall earlier?”
“Not exactly. I just feel that you can’t always judge a person by their appearance. The He family isn’t as powerful as they seem,” Madam Cui said with a pout. “You didn’t see how the women of the He family looked at me—they seemed ready to tear me apart. I wanted to leave several times but endured for the sake of our greater plans. I can bear some insults, but you should be careful. Don’t assume people are genuinely friendly just because they’re smiling.”
She continued resentfully, “I said I shouldn’t go, but the Nineteenth Lady insisted. Being insulted is one thing, but I fear they might hate me for being there and ruin our plans. People always praised her intelligence, but this time she misjudged the situation.” She suspected the Nineteenth Lady might have deliberately set her up to be humiliated, given the tension between them since the birth of Jin’er. Unable to find fault with the Nineteenth Lady in front of her son, she could only claim it was poor judgment.
Caught between his wife and mother, Li Xing chose not to take sides. He coughed softly and said, “I have matters to attend to. I’ll go ahead.” With that, he rode off.
Once their son was out of earshot, Li Yuan harshly berated Madam Cui, “You always cause trouble! You must have behaved inappropriately and brought this on yourself! The Nineteenth Lady was right. For long-term relations between our families, these matters need to be cleared up. How else can we interact without awkwardness? So what if you suffered some insults? They endured far worse before! As elders, we harmed their daughter.
If not for me, Xing’er and Lady Man setting things right, we’d deserve to be beaten and thrown out! My generation is set, but Xing’er is still young. What does he rely on in officialdom? Connections! If we’re fortunate this time, we’ll need to strengthen our ties in the future. As his mother, if you can’t help him, at least don’t hold him back. If you can’t see this clearly, you won’t earn your daughter-in-law’s respect and will only bring trouble upon yourself!”
Madam Cui bit her lip, unable to refute his words. She lowered her head and wept silently. Inwardly, she began to resent the Nineteenth Lady, thinking her clever but cunning. Everyone sided with her, praising her and finding fault with Madam Cui. Though she understood she had to endure this anger, she couldn’t express it openly. The Wu family, once far above them, still held sway. She could nurse her grudge in silence but couldn’t act on it openly.
Li Yuan sighed and continued, “I’m not just saying this—you’ve been too harsh with the Nineteenth Lady. Do you want to raise an enemy or family? There’s plenty of time ahead, why rush? You’re forcing our son into a difficult position. Think long-term, please. If you leave no room for reconciliation, you’ll be the one to suffer.”
Madam Cui pressed her lips together and turned away without a word.
When the elderly couple returned home, they found the heavily pregnant Nineteenth Lady coming out to greet them, one hand holding Jin’er and the other supporting her back. Her face was full of sweet smiles as she inquired about their well-being. Her every move was comforting. Li Yuan mentioned how tired he was, explained where Li Xing had gone, and then cheerfully picked up Jin’er. As he went inside to play with the child, he left Madam Cui alone with the Nineteenth Lady.
The Nineteenth Lady looked calmly at Madam Cui with a smile, casually taking her hand and asking warmly, “Mother, did everything go smoothly?”
Madam Cui gazed at the Nineteenth Lady with complex emotions before finally saying, “It went fairly well.” She couldn’t bring herself to describe how she had been berated and humiliated at the He family’s house in front of her daughter-in-law. Her eyes fell on the Nineteenth Lady’s belly as she said earnestly, “Take good care of yourself, and don’t overexert. Didn’t the doctor say you should rest in bed more?”
“Lying down all day is uncomfortable. I wanted to move around a bit,” the Nineteenth Lady replied, a shadow passing over her eyes. This pregnancy had been difficult. She was originally delicate, and giving birth to the large Jin’er had taken a toll. She should have rested for a year, but pressured by Madam Cui, she dared not delay and became pregnant again after just a few months. Inevitably, she often felt unwell and suffered greatly. Only in the past month had things stabilized. But the physical and emotional pain she had endured during this time would never be forgotten.
Madam Cui wanted to insist that she lie down, but hearing the hint of anger in the Nineteenth Lady’s voice, she fell silent. Instead, she casually mentioned, “Today at the He family’s house, I saw Dan’er’s children. Although they’re clever and pretty, they’re much smaller than Jin’er was at the same age.”
Was this an indirect compliment? The Nineteenth Lady merely gave a soft “Mm” without further comment. Madam Cui then dismissed her, “Go about your business. Don’t worry about me.”
The Nineteenth Lady took the opportunity to return to her room. Soon after, her maid told her about Madam Cui’s treatment at the He family’s house, with a hint of schadenfreude in her voice. The Nineteenth Lady showed no joy, simply saying, “What goes around comes around. It’s only right.”
As night fell, Li Xing returned home to find a small gauze lamp lit in the room. The Nineteenth Lady was reclining alone on the couch, her beautiful face pale and haggard, with some swelling. Her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, exuding loneliness. His heart suddenly softened, and he called out softly, “Nineteenth Lady…”
The Nineteenth Lady turned her head to see Li Xing standing straight at the curtain, his dark eyes gazing at her with compassion and pity. She smiled and prepared to get up, saying, “You’re back? Are you hungry? I’ve kept some hot food for you. I’ll have someone bring it now.”
Li Xing quickly went to her side, helping her up and bending to put on her shoes. He said softly, “Nineteenth Lady…”
He had always treated her well, but there seemed to be a barrier between them. This was the first time he had been so attentive, putting on shoes for her during her pregnancy. Although there were maids to serve her, this was different. The Nineteenth Lady looked down at Li Xing’s actions, her heart suddenly constricting with both pain and warmth. Tears flowed down her face without her realizing it. She heard Li Xing say, “Nineteenth Lady, please don’t worry. We have a long future ahead. Even if this child is another daughter, I will still treat you well. I promise.”
This man understood everything in his heart. The Nineteenth Lady held back her tears and said softly, “Alright. Xing’er, if you treat me well, I won’t let you down either.”