After crying, Old Madam Xue introduced her daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law to Tang Zhuyun.
Tang Zhuyun was suddenly faced with so many strangers, and her smile almost froze. She received a lot of gifts, but she didn't remember many of the people.
Prince of Jin said, "Madam, it's getting late, you should rest early. A-Yun still has to go back to preside over the baby's third-day celebration, after all, it's Sister Yuan's big day. Tomorrow you and all the aunts will also be there, so there will be plenty of time to talk then."
Xue Lie jumped up. "Are you trying to claim kinship with someone else?!"
The second wife, Lady Deng, glanced at him, and he immediately wilted—he feared nothing but this widowed mother.
Madam Lady Xu, Xue Xian's wife, advised Old Madam Xue a few times, and the latter reluctantly said, "Since that's the case, A-Yun, you should go back first. After Sister Yuan's third-day celebration, come and stay with your maternal grandmother for a while."
After speaking, Old Madam Xue turned to Prince of Jin, her words carrying a hidden barb. "Today, it was also due to the Xue Family's improper handling of the situation, which alarmed Your Highness. However, Your Highness and A-Yun's wedding is approaching, so to avoid criticism, you should still be more careful."
The Prince of Jin was very frustrated; the Xue Family had indeed become a stumbling block on his path to marriage.
He now hates himself for bringing up remarrying her, which has caused so much trouble.
As expected, one reaps what one sows.
Xue Lie said, "That's right, as I said, our Xue Family follows the rules."
Lady Deng said, "The water vat is empty. Lie'er, go and fill it up."
Xue Lie was struck dumb. If he could fill all eighteen large water vats in the mansion, would he still need to sleep?
"Hurry up and go!"
Xue Lie reluctantly agreed, then looked at Tang Zhuyun and said, "Sister, I'll come visit you tomorrow."
Prince of Jin: Go fetch your water!
I plan to send a large timber sack to the Xue Family tomorrow, so that Xue Lie can fill it to the brim!
Tang Zhuyun: "Oh, okay."
Before leaving, she knelt down and kowtowed to Xue Shanting and Old Madam Xue.
"I know it's hard to persuade you to forgive my father, because I'm also a mother—the prince's daughter was raised by me, as you've probably already found out."
"Imagine my daughter suffering the same fate as her mother, I would never forgive her."
"But please, my dear parents, take heart. The deceased is gone, and my father truly loved my mother deeply. If my father were to be destroyed in a state of remorse, my elder brother and I... would have no home left."
"My father, my elder brother, and I—we are all my mother's last concerns."
"If I really am your granddaughter, then allow me to take care of you both in my mother's place."
"My father made a mistake and deserves to be punished, but as his children, my elder brother and I should also take on his mistakes."
"I miss my mother, and I respect my father. Please, both of you, have mercy. I cannot bear to part with my parents, nor can I weigh the importance of either."
There's something she didn't say: the dead are gone, but the living must go on living.
After saying this, the Prince of Jin helped her up.
"A-Yun, get up. If your mother-in-law knew in the afterlife, she would be heartbroken to see you go. Just as the old lady doted on her daughter, your mother-in-law surely loves you the most."
He paused, then continued, "Go and have the old lady's eyes checked, at least so we know what's going on, and you won't have to worry about it when you get back."
The women in the room were all somewhat stunned.
Does this mean Tang Zhuyun also possesses medical skills?
Xue Shanting said, "Let's give it a try."
Tang Zhuyun took Old Madam Xue's pulse and carefully examined her eyes, saying, "Grandmother's eyes are now almost completely blind. I can try to restore some of her vision, but it's probably impossible to restore it to its former state."
Xue Xian said excitedly, "It's good that I can recover somewhat. My original intention in coming to the capital was to seek help from the imperial physicians..."
"Then let the imperial physician take a look. I'll have him come over tomorrow!" said the Prince of Jin.
On the way back, the two still rode in the same carriage.
Tang Zhuyun: "Does Your Highness know quite a few imperial physicians?"
The Prince of Jin calmly replied, "If I summon them, would they dare disobey?"
Tang Zhuyun: Shameless! Are you trying to scare me?!
However, she was grateful to Prince of Jin; if it weren't for him, there might not have been time to prepare today.
Prince of Jin said, "You don't need to worry about things here. Whatever the entanglement between the Xue Family and Tang Family, you are not her."
Who is she?
The Prince of Jin looked into her eyes. "A-Yun, you are not her. Even if you are not a sea monster, you are still not her."
Tang Zhuyun: Okay, so can't she be a human being? Please continue to use your imagination, do whatever you want.
She lay down.
I won't ask you; I'll wait until the day you tell me yourself.
Tang Zhuyun leaned against the side of the carriage and closed her eyes.
Will that day ever come?
When the Prince of Jin stood in front of her today, she was momentarily moved, but that electric feeling was fleeting, and she quickly regained her senses.
She is not alone.
If this were modern times, she might have let herself fall in love. After all, if she loves, she loves. If she steps on broken glass, she can heal her wounds. She was blind, she admitted it, and she accepted any consequences.
But things are different now. She has Linlin, her father and brothers. Any move she makes could affect the family.
Given the Prince of Jin's illustrious status, how could she possibly escape unscathed in the worst-case scenario?
Tang Zhuyun felt her head buzzing.
She's so sleep-deprived, she needs a good night's sleep.
The carriage stopped at the gate, Song Jingyang said, "Your Highness, the Prefect of the Capital is waiting for you here."
The Prefect of the Capital? He's here? Tang Zhuyun was slightly taken aback.
Prince of Jin said, "The Xue Family made such a fuss tonight; the Prefect of the Capital will think it's a brawl. Such a big matter requires his report to the Emperor. I'm here to inform him first, to avoid incurring his wrath."
Tang Zhuyun nodded, indicating that she had learned something new.
The Prince of Jin said coldly, "Send him back and have him write a truthful report."
If this matter blows up, others will know that Tang Zhuyun, besides her father and brothers, also has a powerful maternal family like the Xue Family. In the future, no one will dare to look down on her.
--The matter of recognizing relatives, apart from adding pressure to his own marriage proposal, did not do Tang Zhuyun any harm.
"Yes, yes!" The Prefect of the Capital replied repeatedly without needing Song Jingyang to relay the message.
Prince of Jin helped Tang Zhuyun down from the carriage, then said, "I'll watch you go in from here, and then I won't go in myself."
They need to process what's going on with the Tang Family themselves.
"Thank you for your help today, Your Highness."
Tang Zhuyun thought she was being quite polite, but she didn't know why the Prince of Jin's face turned as long as a donkey's after hearing her words.
Sigh, she doesn't even understand men like that, so why is she even interested?
"Go back and finish what you have to say, then get some more sleep. The Meng Family family won't be here so early tomorrow," Prince of Jin said coldly.
"Oh," Tang Zhuyun replied casually, but in her heart she wondered how the Prince of Jin knew when the Meng Family would arrive.
Judging from the Meng Family's eagerness to replenish the dowry, they must arrive very early tomorrow, right?
The Prince of Jin seemed to see through her thoughts and said, "The Meng Family doesn't want to offend the Xue Family, so they heard about tonight's events and wanted to observe the situation before coming. You can rest assured and get some sleep."
Is it possible?
How can someone be so blatantly opportunistic?
Prince of Jin: "A bet?"
What are we betting on?