0p0 Chapter 813 Discussion at the Li Residence!
Chapter 813 Discussion at the Li Residence!
"Your Majesty did this for two reasons: first, to sow discord between the Second Branch and this Fourth Miss; and second, to prevent the Second Branch from knowing the truth. Or perhaps, Your Majesty only wants the Second Master to know, while the rest of the Second Branch need not know."
Mu Xin Nuan gave Aunt Fang an appreciative look, "Indeed, Aunt Fang understands me best."
"This servant does not understand."
"You're right, you just don't understand."
Mu Xin Nuan glared at her and went straight back to her bedchamber to see if the Crown Prince was really alright now.
Upon returning to the Zhenguo General's Mansion, Madam Liu sent people to guard the main gate. When Li Feng returned, they invited him directly to the old lady's room.
“Mother, judging from this situation, it’s most likely that His Highness the Crown Prince is giving a warning to our Zhenguo General’s Mansion.” Liu was more astute than Xu.
"Actually, I think that when the Crown Princess deliberately said that Fourth Sister was framing Third Sister, it was just to put the Crown Prince at ease. When the Crown Prince was in the room earlier, I really felt the murderous intent emanating from him."
“Yes, you’re right. I noticed the Crown Prince’s coldness earlier. There’s a high chance he’ll mistakenly believe that Li Wanhe’s actions were orchestrated by us. If it weren’t for A’Nuan’s quick thinking this time, I’m afraid our Li family wouldn’t have been able to get past the Crown Prince.”
“Mother, I feel that although Ah Nuan helped us clarify things today, the Crown Prince will inevitably feel some unease. Fortunately, the Crown Princess is currently favored, and the Crown Prince is willing to listen to Ah Nuan's words to some extent. However, if our Li family doesn't make any move, I'm afraid the Crown Prince might…”
The old lady had also thought of this.
Indeed, if the Li family cannot clarify their stance soon, the Crown Prince's suspicions will only grow stronger.
After Li Feng returned to the manor, he heard that the old lady was looking for him, so he rushed over.
When they arrived, they found his wife there as well. Before they could say anything, the old man came over as well.
Li Feng helped the old man to a seat, and then sat down on a stool with his wife, Liu.
Lady Liu recounted everything that had happened at the Eastern Palace that day, word for word, but in the end, she still had some concerns.
"Although the Crown Prince did not pursue the matter today, who knows if he might remember it one day and become dissatisfied with our Li family again?"
The old man's face was also somewhat grim. "The Crown Prince ultimately chose to let A-Nuan handle this matter, which means he has made his stance clear. He will only think that Fourth Sister wanted to climb the social ladder and did such a shameful thing. He shouldn't cause us any more trouble."
“Father is right. The Crown Prince is not such a fool. However, if the Second Branch does not give a response, I am worried that the Crown Prince will indeed remember this matter.”
"Eldest brother, I'm leaving this matter to you. Make sure you explain the seriousness of this to your second brother. Also, the Crown Princess's intentions are quite clear. She doesn't trust Madam Xu and the soft-hearted Third Sister, which is why she deliberately stirred things up between them. Tell Second Brother that this matter must not be known to anyone else."
"Yes, father."
“I’ve long felt that the second branch of the family is somewhat inappropriate. Madam Xu is short-sighted. Look at this third daughter. She’s a perfectly good legitimate daughter, but she’s raised her to be like a little girl who has never seen the world. Today in the Eastern Palace, if it weren’t for A-Nuan protecting her, I’m afraid her reputation would have been damaged.”
The old lady's words reminded the old master.
"Oh, now that you mention it, I'm reminded of Haomin. He's not engaged yet, is he?"
"Father, no. Among the younger generation in our household who are not yet married, Haomin is the only one. Haozheng and Haoxiang are both married, so it's time for them to keep an eye on Haomin."
The old man sighed heavily. Of his four grandsons, only one was born out of wedlock; the other three were born out of wedlock.
To be fair, this grandson born out of wedlock is not bad, but the second daughter-in-law feels that the eldest son's family has no children born out of wedlock, and only their second son's family has one, which is a disgrace to her.
"Alright, you should also help look after him. After all, he is the third young master of our Li family and the eldest son of the second branch. We can't let people laugh at us."
Liu pursed her lips and said nothing.
She knew what Xu was thinking.
She was only thinking about making this illegitimate son lose face, but she didn't consider that he was still bearing the surname Li. If she went too far, wouldn't she be the one to lose face for the Li family?
In this respect, she was far less perceptive than her younger sister.
Look at the Mu family's residence!
For many years, hasn't the Li family always treated Mu Qingyuan as their own son?
Although she hadn't treated him well before, the child was still quite young and didn't understand much back then. Plus, with Ah Nuan's deliberate care, this illegitimate child actually became closer to Li Shi.
Look at the Li family, and then look at this sister-in-law; they're really not on the same level.
Liu glanced at her somewhat troubled husband, and thinking of what Mu Xin Nuan had said in the East Palace, she whispered, "Actually, A Nuan had mentioned Hao Min's marriage before."
"Oh? What did she say?"
"Father, what Anuan means is that although Haomin is a son of a concubine, he is still a descendant of our Li family. In their generation, there are only these four brothers as the direct descendants. Therefore, Anuan's idea is either to marry a concubine's daughter from a high-ranking family, or a legitimate daughter from a family of slightly lower status."
The old lady nodded. "Does Ah Nuan have someone in mind when she says this?"
Liu shook her head. "Anuan said this is something our elders should worry about, so it's inconvenient for us to interfere. Haomin is getting married, which is different from a girl getting married."
The old man raised an eyebrow slightly but remained silent. He thought about how his second daughter-in-law hadn't liked Haomin much before, and he felt conflicted.
“I think we should let the second son make the decisions about his marriage, with the eldest son helping out a bit. We shouldn’t let Madam Xu make all the decisions. Your second brother is a bit slow-witted, and now that he’s back in the capital, we’ll have to keep him in check.”
"Yes, Father. I understand. What about the Crown Prince?"
"After the morning court session tomorrow, you should go to the Eastern Palace in person. Whether you want to apologize or offer repentance, be sincere. Remember, you must make it clear that we are sincere. No daughter from the Li family will marry into the Eastern Palace, so please rest assured."
"Yes, Father. What about Anuan?"
The old lady's heart skipped a beat. She exchanged a glance with Liu, realizing that they had been so preoccupied with the Li family's affairs that they had forgotten to consider Anuan's feelings.
If Anuan also thinks that this was done by Madam Xu or the old lady, then she would be greatly mistaken!
"I'll go talk to Anuan. She's pregnant now, and it's not appropriate for me to keep going to the palace. I'll go to the Mu residence tomorrow to tell my sister about this."