“Second Young Master has already been kneeling in the study for two days and nights. Such sleeplessness will eventually take a toll on his body. My Lord has always cherished Second Young Master. Could you truly bear to watch something happen to him?”
Li Yuan’s expression stiffened, then he said coldly: “He refuses to get up himself—who else can be blamed?”
“My Lord.” Lin Shi sighed. “All these years, Second Young Master has disregarded his own safety to campaign east and west for you. Throughout all these years, he has never complained, ultimately helping you conquer this city of Chang’an. Now, he asks only this one thing of you. Can’t you grant it to him?”
Li Yuan said coldly: “I’ve said before, I can agree to him marrying anyone except this woman Jinyang.”
“But Second Young Master only wants to marry Princess Jinyang.” After a pause, she continued: “This consort has watched Second Young Master grow up. His temperament resembles yours greatly. If you don’t agree, he will definitely continue kneeling until he kneels himself to death. The Late Empress only left behind so few children. Third Young Master is already dead—do you really want to force Second Young Master to death as well? Forgive this consort’s boldness in saying this, but if it truly comes to that, when you pass away in the future, the Late Empress on the road to the underworld will probably refuse to see you.”
Lin Shi’s words made Li Yuan’s body tremble. Though he had many concubines, only Dou Shi had accompanied him through the most difficult times. Even now, he still held deep respect for this deceased wife. This was also why, despite clearly favoring Wan Shi so much, he had never elevated her to the position of main wife.
Seeing Li Yuan’s silence, Lin Shi knew she had moved his heart and continued: “To recognize one’s errors and reform is the greatest virtue. These are the words My Lord spoke at Changyue Pavilion. This consort can guarantee that Princess Jinyang has truly repented. My Lord, please give her and Second Young Master a chance. Don’t wait until it’s too late to regret it. I believe if the Late Empress were still here, she would say the same words.”
Li Yuan looked at her with a complex expression. After a long while, he wearily pinched his nose bridge and said: “Leave!”
“My Lord…” Lin Shi had just begun to speak when Li Yuan interrupted: “I told you to leave!”
Lin Shi helplessly swallowed the words on her lips, curtsied to Li Yuan, and withdrew. After she left, Li Yuan opened the window again, gazing at the waning moon in the night sky and murmuring: “Madam, am I really wrong? But I truly cannot accept such a woman as my daughter-in-law. Why must Shimin disappoint me so?”
From the bottom of his heart, he didn’t want Yunyi to enter the Li family’s door, but Lin Shi’s words kept echoing in his ears, impossible to dismiss. After a long time, he suddenly walked out, making his way to the study. After hesitating for a long while, he finally pushed open the door and entered. Under the dim, solitary lamp, Li Shimin knelt on the ground, but his figure was no longer as upright as before. He swayed unsteadily, as if he might collapse at any moment, his eyes half-closed with heavy dark circles beneath them.
Hearing someone enter, Li Shimin struggled to open his eyes wide. Upon seeing it was Li Yuan, he said hoarsely: “Greetings, Father.”
Li Yuan stared at him, a trace of reluctance flashing in his eyes. “How much longer do you plan to kneel?”
“Until Father agrees.” Hearing this response, Li Yuan’s heart filled with myriad emotions. He had previously thought this was just something Li Shimin said casually, that after kneeling for a long time, he would naturally give up in the face of difficulty. Only now did he realize Li Shimin truly intended to kneel until he agreed.
After a long silence, Li Yuan spoke again: “Is she truly so important to you?”
“Your son doesn’t want to fail her.” Hearing Li Shimin’s answer, Li Yuan smiled bitterly: “You don’t want to fail her, so you defy your father?”
“This is not your son’s wish, it’s just…” Li Shimin didn’t continue but instead struggled to kowtow to Li Yuan. Maintaining the same position for so long had left his entire body stiff and aching. “Please forgive your son.”
All words now transformed into a long sigh. “What karmic retribution, truly karmic retribution!”
After saying this, Li Yuan seemed to age ten years in an instant. He stared at Li Shimin and said: “Enough. I agree to it. Get up.”
Li Shimin’s entire body shook violently as he stared at Li Yuan in disbelief: “Father, you… what did you say?”
“I agree to your marriage with Jinyang.” This time, Li Shimin heard clearly. Overcome with joy, he wept and choked out: “Thank you, Father! Thank you, Father!”
Li Yuan said nothing, only: “Get up!”
Li Shimin nodded and tried hard to stand, but having knelt for too long, his legs had long since gone numb and lost all feeling. After several failed attempts, he finally managed to stand with Li Yuan’s support and sit down in a chair.
Li Yuan said gravely: “I won’t interfere in your affairs anymore. You can decide all matters yourselves. Just remember one thing well.”
Li Shimin quickly said: “Please instruct me, Father. Your son will definitely comply.”
“Whatever she calls me now, she will continue to call me the same after entering the family. This cannot change.” Though he agreed to this marriage for the sake of Li Shimin and the deceased Dou Shi, he still couldn’t accept Jinyang as his daughter-in-law in his heart, so he was unwilling to hear her call him father-in-law.
“Father…” Before Li Shimin could continue, Li Yuan said: “If you don’t agree, then this marriage is off, and it must never be mentioned again.”
Hearing this, Li Shimin could only say helplessly: “Your son will remember. Thank you for your approval, Father.”
“Alright, rest here for a while before returning. Let Wugou feel at ease too—she’s worried herself sick over your matter.” After saying this, Li Yuan walked out. Standing in the cold night, he let out a long breath, his eyes showing undisguised disappointment.
Though after much consideration he had ultimately made this concession for Shimin and Yunyi, Shimin—this son who had repeatedly made him proud—had undoubtedly disappointed him this time.
The next day, news of Li Shimin leaving the study where he had knelt for three days and Li Yuan’s agreement to his marriage with Princess Jinyang quickly spread throughout the residence and… to the nearby Crown Prince’s residence not far away.
Li Yuanji said with a face full of anger: “Elder Brother, don’t you think Father has lost his mind, actually agreeing to this marriage?” The Crown Prince’s residence had already been renovated, and Li Jiancheng’s entire family had moved to live there.
Li Jiancheng’s eyes narrowed slightly as he said coolly: “It seems Third Lady’s performance last night was effective.”
“Performance? What performance?” Li Yuanji asked in confusion. He had been busy last night and hadn’t gone to Changyue Pavilion.
After Li Jiancheng finished explaining the previous night’s events, Li Yuanji angrily slammed the table and said irritably: “She really does love meddling in others’ affairs. Now it’s done—she got her way.” Seeing Li Jiancheng playing with an orange without speaking, he said urgently: “Elder Brother, you need to think of a solution quickly.”
Li Jiancheng casually tossed the orange to him. “Father has already agreed—what solution could there be?”
“Are we just going to watch Second Brother marry the murderer who killed Third Brother?” Li Yuanji grew angrier as he thought about it and stood up. “No, I have to go talk to Father. I absolutely cannot let that murderer enter our residence.”