### Chapter 5: Persuading Li Rong

### Chapter 5: Persuading Li Rong

Fan Xueyao had already understood what Li Rong wanted to say from her thoughts, but she did not interrupt Li Rong. Instead, she held Li Rong's hand and listened quietly as Li Rong continued.

"This Empress might have lost the battle for the Emperor's affection to the favored concubine, but her son was the legitimate Crown Prince, whose position could not be easily shaken. When the Emperor fell ill, he had no choice but to bestow the title of Xin Wang on the prince born to the favored concubine and entrusted him to loyal ministers who accompanied him to his fiefdom to ensure his safety. However, after the Emperor passed away and the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the Empress became the Empress Dowager. Her first decree was to send the favored concubine to the cold palace. She pulled out the concubine's hair strand by strand, chained her neck like a dog, dressed her in coarse prisoner's clothes, and made her wash the clothes of the palace slaves. To prevent her from committing suicide, eunuchs were assigned to watch over her day and night. The favored concubine could not bear the torment and soon withered away, her once delicate hands now rotting to the bone, a pitiful sight."

"Xin Wang heard about this and sought help from his elder brother, the newly enthroned Emperor. Upon learning this, the Empress Dowager sent someone to poison Xin Wang. She then had the favored concubine's eyes gouged out, her ears pierced, and her voice silenced. She was forced to crawl on the ground like a dog, eating spoiled food. Finally, the once glorious favored concubine was thrown into a latrine to drown in filth."

At this point, Li Rong gazed deeply into Fan Xueyao's eyes before continuing.

"The favored concubine, once so powerful that even the Empress had to yield to her, met such a tragic end. Who would have thought it possible when she was at the height of her glory? The Empress, although not favored, still held the status of a wife, which gave her the respect due to her position. Even though the Emperor had grown cold towards her, upon his death, loyal ministers supported her. When the favored concubine was in favor, everyone fawned over her, eager to curry favor. But once she fell from grace, they all disappeared! Those who had been so eager to please were merely sycophants. When you are in favor, they will be more devoted than your own kin, but once you lose favor, they will turn their backs on you. Some may even kick you while you're down."

"A woman who relies on her beauty will lose favor when her beauty fades. Look at your father; he has four wives and concubines, and among them, Lin Concubine is the most beautiful." Li Rong used herself as an example without hesitation, disregarding maternal propriety and openly discussing intimate matters between her and her husband.

"When I first married into the Fan family, I heard that Lin Concubine had also received some favor from your father. Even after I entered the household, your father never neglected Lin Concubine. During festivals, she always received what was due to her, and sometimes even more. Whenever fresh fruits were available, Lin Concubine would receive her share. Sometimes there wasn't much left for my mother-in-law or our branch of the family. Your father would still send some to Lin Concubine. This level of care was quite rare. Yet, every time your father spent the night with her, he would send cooling medicine the next day without fail."

"Later, Wang Concubine and Liu Concubine came along. Neither was as beautiful as Lin Concubine. Wang Concubine was kind and well-behaved, a rare good woman. I thought she would be favored, but it was the cunning Liu Concubine who gained favor. After that, both Wang Concubine and Lin Concubine were forgotten. Sometimes, when I saw them, their eyes were as cold as strangers'. If not for my frequent inquiries and care, their lives would have been unbearable."

Finally, Li Rong smiled meaningfully, a mix of disdain and something else.

"You see, men are like that. They can discard what they once cherished. Sometimes it's not because you've done anything wrong, but simply because their affection wanes and they seek new pleasures."

At this moment, Fan Xueyao heard Li Rong's inner sneer: "Hmph, only now do they realize their mistakes when the children are grown. It's just that they've grown tired of their mistresses and remembered the virtuous wife who manages the household."

Fan Xueyao understood that despite Li Rong and Fan Minghui reconciling long ago, resentment still lingered within her. She knew that reconciliation could never fully heal past wounds. No matter how much they tried to mend things, the scars remained.

Water spilled cannot be收回。Once the damage is done, even if it heals, the scar remains. A woman's youth is so precious, and Li Rong's ten years were wasted in Fan Minghui's doting on his concubine. Even later, when Liu Yiniang's true colors were exposed through her machinations and Fan Minghui came to his senses, it could not reclaim the lost decade.

Li Rong's heart had long since grown cold over the course of those ten years. Even after they reconciled and appeared to be a loving couple, resentment still lingered in her heart. She resented Fan Minghui for doting on his concubine, for believing the concubine's provocations and neglecting her, making her feel humiliated. She tasted the bitterness of countless lonely, sleepless nights.

Fan Xueyao felt a twinge of pain in her heart. As a woman, she truly understood Li Rong's feelings all too well. However, Fan Xueyao had a calm disposition and was adept at analyzing pros and cons with reason. She knew that Li Rong could never let go of that tangled resentment, but it would be better for Li Rong to reconcile with Fan Minghui than to live for decades in the cold embrace of neglect.

At least from now on, she wouldn't have to endure the provocations from the concubines anymore. With a loving husband, she could stand tall when facing Grandma Fan, Lu Shi, and Yu Shi, without being painfully reminded of Concubine Liu and Fan Minghui every time. She truly couldn't bear to hear her own sobs in her heart while maintaining a dignified smile any longer.

Fan Xueyao suddenly felt a surge of pity. Although Li Rong was her mother, when considering both of her lifetimes combined, Li Rong was not much older than her. Moreover, she had always been mature for her age, which made her feel a sense of protectiveness whenever she faced Li Rong.

Unable to resist, Fan Xueyao reached out and placed her hand on Li Rong's hand. Meeting Li Rong's touched gaze, she smiled slightly. "Ye Ye does have a bit of a history with new attractions, but now he is wholeheartedly devoted to Your Majesty. Last time, when Mother suggested giving Cuiyu to Ye Ye, he refused outright. I must say, Cuiyu has clear features and a graceful figure, not inferior to Lady Lin. She is in the prime of her youth, around sixteen or seventeen, and who wouldn't be moved by such beauty? Yet, Ye Ye didn't even hesitate before rejecting her."

It's just that your Yeye has grown old, has had his fill of fluttering among the flowers, and no longer cares. In his youth, don't even mention a single emerald feather; even if seven or eight red, blue, or purple feathers came his way, he would never think they were too many.

But Li Rong merely smiled, not bothering to respond verbally.

She ultimately didn’t wish to thoroughly criticize her husband in front of her daughter; it was better to let her husband maintain his dignified and towering image as a father in her daughter’s heart.

Fan Xueyao couldn't help but laugh. Where was her father's dignified and imposing image in her heart? Ever since she was just a little baby, when she heard from Fan Minghui and Lady Liu's inner thoughts about what they had done the night before, that image of her father ceased to exist.

"You almost had me fooled." Li Rong suddenly remembered her purpose and couldn't help but tap Fan Xueyao's forehead. "I'm not talking about your father; I'm talking about you! Don't think that just because your father now harmonizes with me, it's because Lady Liu went too far and he saw through her. If she had been more cautious and subtle, who knows, your father might never have seen her true colors and would have ended up like the emperor, his heart completely swayed by his concubine and illegitimate children, only caring about their well-being and ignoring the lives of our family of three."

Thinking of this, Li Rong couldn't help but secretly feel fortunate that the man she married wasn't too foolish. Although he favored his concubine, he didn't intend to undermine his wife. Otherwise, as a weak woman, unloved by her husband and uncared for by her mother-in-law, it would be next to impossible to protect her children on her own in her husband's home.

"I am still in a decent position, at least as the legitimate wife, with a proper title. But considering our family's status, if you were to join the royal family, your rank might not be high. At that time, a single word from someone could make you serve, and you would have to obey. If they wanted to punish you to kneel, they wouldn't even need a reason. They might not even bother to find a pretext. You were raised with my favor and indulgence; how could you endure such mistreatment?"

Li Rong shuddered at the thought of the torment that legitimate wives in noble and powerful households might inflict upon their concubines, knowing that one day it could befall her beloved daughter.

She grabbed Fan Xueyao's hand urgently and pleaded, "Let's forget it, Nunu. The palace is really hard to enter. Why don't I find you a good family instead, where you can be a proper and respectable wife? With your beauty, grace, and talents, you could even be a marquise's lady! Then you would enjoy endless glory and wealth. Why take the risk of snatching food from the mouths of tigers in such a dangerous place?"

Fan Xueyao remained calm and composed in her heart. She had long known that Li Rong was not entirely supportive of her decision to enter the palace for the selection, but Li Rong could not resist her and her father's insistence. Moreover, due to the era's twisted expectations that women should instinctively obey their elders and husbands, Li Rong had reluctantly gone along with it up until now.

However, her decision to enter the palace was made long ago and cannot be changed.

Fan Xueyao's face remained calm and composed, her smile soothing Li Rong's agitated emotions. Once Li Rong had calmed down slightly, Fan Xueyao spoke softly and slowly, "What difference is there between a wealthy family and the imperial court? Essentially, they are the same. Even if I marry into the marquis's household, with our family's status, I fear I won't be highly regarded by my in-laws. Instead, my appearance might bring me much trouble. At that time, no matter how deep the marital affection, it would likely be hard to sustain. Not entering the palace doesn't guarantee a good future either. Entering the palace also doesn't mean there won't be a good outcome. Given that both paths are fraught with difficulties, why not choose the supreme one?"

Fan Xueyao had studied psychology in her previous life and was skilled at swaying people's minds, gradually guiding their thoughts to align with her own. Her tone was calm and persuasive, slowly convincing Li Rong that her reasoning was sound. As a mother, however, Li Rong still hesitated to let her daughter enter the palace to compete for favor.

If her daughter were not favored, Li Rong would be heartbroken. If she were favored, Li Rong feared she would be envied, and envy could lead to malice and plots against her.