Chapter 92

Chapter 92

◎Update◎

Guo Zhao had risen through the ranks in a perilous environment; he was no ordinary man. He held almost complete control within his household, but never had he imagined that just before going to receive his bride, his son would disappear.

Jiang Bipbo handed him a letter and said, "This is from the heir."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, and she couldn't help but cover her face and weep. The failed marriage with the Yuwen family would disgrace both households, and she had been the one responsible for arranging the wedding.

Upon reading the letter, Guo Zhao was so furious that he nearly fainted. Jiang Bipbo quickly stepped forward to support him, saying, "My lord, are you alright? Please take care of yourself!"

"This wretch is driving me to madness. I don't know how to resolve this mess now," Guo Zhao felt so dizzy he could barely stand.

Jiang Bipbo then said, "My lord, please allow me to speak frankly. Since things have already reached this point, we should send people to find the heir slowly. We only have this one son. We can't let this push him to his death. If we find him, we should let him stay away for a while, and we, your wife and you, can personally go to the Yuwen family to apologize."

Though Guo Zhao had spoken harshly and threatened to beat Guo Xing to death, Jiang Bipbo's words hit home. To be fair, Guo Xing was quite outstanding, had a good relationship with the crown prince, and was well-versed in both literary and martial arts.

Seeing that Guo Zhao's attitude had softened, Jiang Bipbo continued, "But before that, I need to visit the palace. The crown prince personally attended the ceremony, and now that such a situation has occurred, many matters have reached the palace. If the emperor and empress formed a bad impression of the heir, it would be problematic."

In reality, Jiang Bipbo's relationship with the empress was not as close as outsiders believed. However, she skillfully used this connection to her advantage, always publicly respecting the empress to let others know that her patron was the empress.

With this series of actions, Guo Zhao also considered this to be the best solution.

The next morning, Huiyin heard of Jiang Bipbo's visit to the palace and immediately summoned her. As Jiang Bipbo entered the hall, she knelt down and begged for forgiveness, saying, "It is all my fault. Yesterday, when the crown prince attended the ceremony, such a thing happened in our household."

Huiyin quickly responded, "This is not your fault. Guo Xing just... ran away, leaving you to clean up the mess. How is the Yuwen family?"

"By late yesterday afternoon, he had disappeared. We had to calm the guests and send people to search for him. I have come to the palace to both admit fault and to ask you to send people to search for the heir," Jiang Bipbo said, looking utterly exhausted.

Huiyin, who had also raised Guo Xing, couldn't help but say, "Even though Guo Xing has disappointed you, he’s still young and acted impulsively. Rest assured, after the crown prince returned yesterday, the emperor ordered everyone to keep an eye out."

Jiang Bipbo knelt down again to express her gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness. We can never repay the great kindness you have shown our family."

Huiyin replied, "Your husband has served the country loyally, and you are like a sister to me. Whether it's for official or personal reasons, we will help wherever we can. As the old saying goes, cultivate oneself, manage the family, and govern the country. It is best for your family matters to be resolved quickly to avoid further gossip."

Jiang Bipbo, hearing that the empress's tone held no blame but only earnest advice, felt relieved. After leaving the palace, she and Guo Zhao went to the Yuwen family to apologize.

Regardless of how humiliated the Yuwen family felt or how they feared that the Yuwen girl might harm herself and thus kept watch over her day and night, the Guo couple apologized sincerely.

Although the two families appeared harmonious on the surface, they could never return to how they were before. Huiyin couldn't help but sigh, "Since there were already dissatisfactions from the start and the marriage was forced, it's no wonder Guo Xing has now joined the army. In a couple of years, when things have settled, we can arrange another marriage."

"Has Fugui sent the items to the Yuwen family?" Huiyin asked.

Fugui replied, "In response to Your Highness, this servant has delivered the pair of fine jade bracelets as instructed and offered some words of comfort."

"Yes, the Yuwen girl has been through a lot," Huiyin said.

Fugui thought to herself that both the Guo and Yuwen families were now vying to curry favor with the empress, which was indeed clever. At her level, some might wonder why she hadn't stopped the marriage from the beginning. But she knew very well that interfering without reason would have made both families resent the empress, which would not have been worth it.

This was the perfect timing.

"Your Highness has a bodhisattva heart," Fugui praised.

Huiyin shook her head, "If I were truly a bodhisattva, I wouldn't be standing here. Anyway, Guo Xing has been sent to the army by Guo Zhao. It will be a life's trial for him."

As they were speaking, they heard a soft clapping sound outside. Huiyin knew it was Li Cheng's arrival and hurriedly stood up to receive him. Fugui and the others prepared to bow as well.

When Li Cheng entered, he led Huiyin back to her seat, saying, "Guo Xing's actions were truly outrageous, but fortunately, he has the resolve to go to the harshest places. This way, the Yuwen family can't say much, and the marriage has been called off." "Actually, it was Guo Furen who handled everything skillfully," Huiyin praised Jiang Bipbo as well.

Li Cheng said, "This shows that forcing things never turns out well. As parents, we should listen more to what our children want."

Huiyin nodded. "That's only natural."

However, Li Cheng soon added, "I heard that Xie Jiuyi and Yin Liyi have come to the capital. It was previously thought that they were missing, but now they have turned up in ragged clothes, seeking refuge with Yin Cifei."

"Do you think they're planning to back the Yuzhang Prince again?" Huiyin asked.

Li Cheng dismissed the concern, "They're already down and out. What do they have to support him with? If they don't even have the confidence to survive, why bother keeping them alive? Besides, it was Yin Cifei who proactively reported the situation to the court, so I can't say much about it."

In truth, Li Cheng was now the ruler of the realm, and he had to be wary of those who still held some power. Xie Jiuyi was no longer a threat, just barely surviving. Li Cheng didn't feel the need to kick him while he was down.

"Well, since the Emperor’s made up his mind, I won’t say anything else. A few days from now, it’ll be my birthday. Have you thought about what gift you’re giving me?" Huiyin coquettishly tried to lighten the mood.

Li Cheng patted his forehead. "I actually forgot about it."

Huiyin poked his forehead. "If you don't give me a gift, I won't talk to you anymore."

"Don't worry, everything is prepared," Li Cheng said with a smile.

At the Yuzhang Prince's mansion, a lively gathering was taking place. Everyone was laughing. Yin Lifang was holding her younger sister's hand and said, "You two should stay at my place for now. After a while, I’ll help you get a proper house, and we’ll all live our lives well."

The two sisters hadn't expected to see each other again. Yin Liyi said, "It’s only been seven or eight years, but it feels like forever since we last saw each other."

Looking at her carefree younger sister, Yin Lifang noticed that her temples had started to gray, even though she wasn't that old. Compared to the Queen, who was of similar age but had jet-black, lustrous hair and a youthful appearance from living in luxury, her sister looked completely different.

"You’ve had a rough few years. It will be better from now on, living by my side," Yin Lifang said with concern.

Yin Liyi thought about the treatment she had endured in the Xie family and couldn't bring herself to tell her sister. Xie Jiuyi's relationship with her had deteriorated to the point of no return, but now that he knew her sister was the Yuzhang Princess, he treated her as before.

It seemed that no relationship could withstand the test of time. She had once thought Xie Jiuyi would always treat her well, but over time, he had grown cold.

"Sister, I don't ask for anything else. I only have one wish, that you help Fangjie find a good marriage. If you can do that, I'll be grateful," Yin Liyi said, having lost interest in everything else.

Seeing her sister's downcast expression, Yin Lifang knew she must have gone through a lot and decided not to pry further.

That night, Yin Liyi returned to the courtyard of the prince's mansion. She hadn't lived in such a luxurious place for a long time, and it felt like a dream. Her husband sat in a reclining chair, still resembling the aristocratic young man he once was. Seeing him, her resentment just melted away.

She used to look down on people who loved wealth and thought she could live in poverty with contentment. But after living in the countryside for so many years, being in such a place now gave her a sense of belonging. She seemed to understand something and then looked at Xie Jiuyi. "In the past, I wrongly blamed you. I always expected a lot from others and thought I didn’t care about fame and fortune. But now, when my sister offered to prepare a house for us and suggested we stay in touch, I didn’t hesitate at all."

Xie Jiuyi had also noticed the change in Yin Liyi. He too couldn't truly accept a life of seclusion. Even without power, living in a bustling area felt more alive.

"Who says otherwise?" After all these years, he was still grateful for his wife's sincerity. Any other woman might have tried to scheme against him.

Yin Liyi looked at him and said, "When we were very young, thanks to the favor of the Wu Prince's wife, we lived in that mansion. Our daily necessities were of the best quality. Later, we learned to read and write, and studied proper etiquette all within the mansion. When we grew up, we went to the Prince of Wei’s mansion. Both my sister and I married into wealthy and prestigious families. In fact, we were always part of the elite, and now we realize that we can't bear any hardship. Isn't that absurd?"

For Xie Jiuyi, it wasn't about whether he could endure hardship. A man without power was like a walking corpse.

Unfortunately, he knew very well that although Li Cheng might have allowed him to seek refuge with the Yuzhang Prince, he would never be given an official position again.

So, he deeply resonated with his wife's words. "It was my incompetence that lost the Wei territory. Once it was taken by others, I fell to this state."

"Let’s leave the past behind and open a few shops to live comfortably," Yin Liyi said with a smile.

Xie Jiuyi nodded heavily.

The author has something to say:

First, let me clarify that some readers have been discussing the female lead. This book was always meant to be a strong female lead story. The female lead, both in her previous life and this one, is more of a dark lotus. She is not the type to be overly kind or empathetic. So, if you find this off-putting, I apologize, but the character's personality was set this way from the beginning.

The reason for not having double updates is that I didn't make any charts this time, and my back has been aching a bit. Consider it a few days of rest. Once I'm on the charts again, I'll try to update more frequently. Please rest assured.