Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 799 - 0750: No Rebuttal (1)
Mu Yuanxiu tugged at his sleeve, smiling slightly, "I was just standing by the window on the second floor, looking at the view outside. Maybe when I pulled my hand back, my sleeve accidentally got caught on the window pane and tore."
Pei Shenyan had just woken up and was still a bit dazed.
Without thinking much, he muttered, "Oh, when the eunuchs arrive, I’ll have them find you a new robe."
"Thank you, brother-in-law," Mu Yuanxiu said.
Pei Shenyan waved his hand with a smile, "No need to be polite, we are brothers-in-law."
.
The next morning, the four members of the Li family brazenly left the Wei Mansion together in a carriage heading for the Imperial Palace.
At the palace gates, they encountered the Yu Wen father and son from the Duke Zhongyi Mansion.
The Yu Wen father and son were wide-eyed at the sight of the four Li family members.
Yu Wenbo and Yu Wen Zan exchanged looks, both eyes filled with doubt.
The Li family had been in the Capital for a while? Or had they just arrived? Had those ten people not run into the Li family?
The easily agitated and hot-tempered Li Xing’an immediately shouted loudly, "Father, are those two ahead of us the Marquis Zhongyi and his Second Young Master, who borrowed silver from our family years ago to repair the main gate?"
Prince Luling gave him a glance and rebuked, "Third, do not be rude! It isn’t very dignified for the Marquis Zhongyi to resort to borrowing silver. How can you bring it up in public?"
Yu Wenbo cursed inwardly, Old fox, then why are you even talking?
Li Xing’an chuckled, "Yes, yes, Father is right to admonish. From now on, I won’t mention that the Marquis Zhongyi borrowed silver from our family."
Yu Wenbo glared, "..."
Yu Wen Zan wore a sullen expression, "..."
Li Xingmao, being more stable in nature, only slightly curled the corner of his mouth and said nothing.
Li Xingsheng, being much more sly, sighed and looked concerned, "Marquis Zhongyi, I heard that you both recently earned favor with the new Emperor and were quite appreciated by the Empress Dowager. Surely the rewards were significant, so in the future, you won’t need to borrow silver from Lu Ling Royal Mansion to repair the main gate, right?"
Yu Wenbo ground his teeth in anger.
Prince Luling turned and glared, "Second, watch your words! Nowadays, Marquis Zhongyi is much wealthier than our family and wouldn’t care for our meager silver, let alone our old ruined house, right, Marquis Zhongyi?"
Prince Luling then looked in Yu Wenbo’s direction.
The Yu Wen father and son had aspirations for the old mansion of Lu Ling Royal Mansion, which Li Can had already promised, but it abruptly fell through when Li Can died suddenly.
Prince Luling had learned of this incident from the Pei Mansion and had slammed his fist on the table, scolding Yu Wenbo for a long time.
Yu Wenbo’s heart was burning with anger as he coldly said, "Prince Luling, the four of you left the Capital without an imperial decree. What crime should that be?"
Prince Luling took out an imperial decree from the Empress Dowager from his sleeve, "Isn’t this it? Yu Wenbo, don’t you go to the palace every day? Don’t you know the Empress Dowager issued an edict?"
"The Empress Dowager’s edict was issued only yesterday evening. You all are in the Capital today—did you fly here? If not, you left the Capital without permission!" Yu Wenbo sneered.
Prince Luling straightened his neck and snorted, "We of the Li Family value loyalty and kindness! I sensed that the Emperor was in great danger, so I risked my life to return to the Capital, not expecting to miss the timing and not see the Emperor’s nephew one last time! Yu Wenbo, do you think everyone in the Li Family is as cold-hearted as you and your father? When your family member dies, you don’t mourn but instead indulge in lavish partying and keep a mistress? Even lost your fiancée?"
Yu Wen Zan kept a mistress during his older brother’s mourning period and was caught red-handed by his future mother-in-law, Madam Jiang Taifu. This scandal was no secret in the Capital.
This incident was a major embarrassment for Yu Wen Zan, and the last thing he wanted was to have it brought up.
With Prince Luling shouting loudly, Yu Wen Zan was both ashamed and angry but dared not retort.
Because at this time, several officials who were waiting to enter the palace to keep vigil also arrived.
Hearing the commotion ahead between the Yu Wen and Li families, they refrained from approaching, watching the spectacle from afar.
Most of those present, in turn, directed strange glances at Yu Wen father and son. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Enraged, the Yu Wen father and son brushed their sleeves, left without a word.
Prince Luling nodded to his sons, "Let’s go, we’re going into the palace too."
Some onlookers, who were acquainted with Prince Luling, stepped over to greet the Li family, "Prince, long time no see, how have you been lately?"
While they were speaking, their eyes were assessing the four members of the Li family.
Each thought to themselves, wasn’t forced labor supposed to be hard?
Why did Prince Luling not seem to have suffered at all, still looking so plump?
Not only just as plump as before, but even more radiant and full-faced? Did the water and soil of Zhen An Prefecture nourish people so?
Moreover, Prince Luling’s sons didn’t look like they had been through forced labor outside.
They seemed just as they were before.
Prince Luling returned their smiles with his own to those who greeted him.
He replied with a smile, "It’s been a long time, indeed."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, they entered the palace gates together.
The Prince Luling and his sons followed everyone into the palace hall where Li Can’s body was lying in state.
The hall was solemnly and austerely arranged.
The Empress and the imperial concubine knelt on the left side, weeping in mourning.
Behind them were quite a few other concubines and beauties.
Tomorrow is the day of the funeral procession, so more ministers attended today than usual.
When Prince Luling’s family entered the main hall, all eyes turned to them.
Their gaze was filled with surprise.
Their expressions, like those of the ministers at the palace gates, showed disbelief that this was a family that had endured hard labor.
Empress Cui saw Prince Luling and his family, and a light sense of relief washed over her heart.
The Princess Consort Yu Wen knelt beside her and softened her cries, her eyes flickering, deep in thought about something.
After paying their respects to Li Can, Prince Luling and his sons approached Empress Cui, "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself."
"Prince, you’ve had a hard journey," Empress Cui replied with courtesy.
As for the Princess Consort Yu Wen, Prince Luling paid her no heed.
After paying respects to Empress Cui, Prince Luling went over to Prince Xiangyang.
Prince Xiangyang’s son was chosen by the Empress Dowager to be the new Emperor and would ascend the throne next year.
Now, Prince Xiangyang had become the Regent King.
The not-tall Prince Xiangyang appeared diminutive in front of Prince Luling.
"How has Prince Xiangyang been?" Prince Luling cupped his hands.
Prince Xiangyang and Prince Luling were of the same generation, only a few months younger than Prince Luling.
However, his family’s descendants were not as prosperous as those of the Lu Ling Royal Mansion, with only one son and two grandsons.
The younger grandson was selected as the new Emperor, instantly stiffening the once-overlooked Prince Xiangyang’s spine.
He faced Prince Luling, no longer timidly, and dared to speak directly, "The Emperor has passed away, so what good is there? Here we are, assigned to the palace."
"Prince Xiangyang, your efforts are appreciated," Prince Luling nodded.
After meeting the old ministers of past days, Prince Luling and his sons headed to the Empress Dowager Palace to meet the Empress Dowager.
Entering the grand hall of the Empress Dowager Palace, Prince Luling’s family found not only the Yu Wen father and son present but also several old ministers of the Hanlin Academy and some ministers from the Imperial College.
They were eloquent and ill-tempered civil servants.
Li Xingsheng whispered a reminder to Prince Luling, "Father, it seems the Yu Wen family not only came to complain but also brought reinforcements."
"As if I would fear him? Hmph!"
Prince Luling and his sons stepped forward and bowed to the Empress Dowager, "Your subject, Li Boxuan, pays respect to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager said indifferently, "Prince Luling, it is my memory that the decree was issued only last evening, and yet here you are already in the Capital by morning? I recall when the Emperor sent you to Zhen An Prefecture to reflect, it was stated before all the civil and military officials—not to return to the Capital without his decree. How did you return without authorization?"
Prince Luling stood up, squared his shoulders, and replied loudly, "Empress Dowager, you only remember that one sentence. Why do you not mention the other phrase?"
"What other phrase?" The Empress Dowager frowned, her eyes narrowed.
Prince Luling said, "Back then, the Emperor pointed at my nose and said that unless he died, I was not to return to the Capital without a decree. Now that he is dead, how could my family not return to the Capital?"
The Empress Dowager was taken aback, "..."
The other ministers were stunned, "..."
Prince Luling looked at the other ministers, "Did you not all hear it at the time? Oh, yes, Grand Tutor Jiang tried to persuade the Emperor not to utter the word ’death’ for it was inauspicious, yet the Emperor refused to listen—not once but thrice, and had the court ministers repeat it once more."
The ministers who had been brought by the Yu Wen family to back their stance were all left speechless, exchanging glances without a word.
Prince Luling had left no room for argument from the start, what else could be said?
Except for the Emperor’s death or a decree from the Emperor, only then could Prince Luling’s family return to the Capital.
And indeed, the Emperor had already passed; where then was a decree necessary?
The Empress Dowager was rendered speechless for criticism.
Thus, the matter of Prince Luling and his family’s return to the Capital was left unchallenged.
They mourned for Li Can in the palace and did not return to the Wei family until dusk.
.
Yu Wen family.
The Yu Wen father and son, defeated before Prince Luling today, returned home in near fury.
"Father, who would have thought that Prince Luling would be so cunning? With him in the Capital, he will surely ruin our family’s affairs," Yu Wen Zan sneered, "We must find a way to silence them!"
