If they had been married off to another country, their fate might have been better than it is now.
"Then let me ask you," Yanran said bluntly, "What were your motives when you came out of my brother's study, so eager to find my sister-in-law? To show off?"
Lang Xuan looked at Yanran gratefully.
Actually, she is capable of speaking herself.
Yuwen Duo was like a pillar of strength in her heart.
He doesn't stray, so she doesn't panic.
Zhao Yingzhu's smile suddenly turned bitter.
"The princess spoke of a demonstration, but I took it as a sign of weakness. The prince arranged for someone to receive me, and even though I knew it wasn't the prince, I still tried my best to flatter him... I've become so humble. The princess's statement of a demonstration is something I can't possibly bear."
Yanran and Lang Xuan were both stunned by what they heard.
So, Zhao Yingzhu knew all along, but was just cooperating?
That woman is a bit scary.
By enduring this much, the rebound will surely be fierce once the power is restored.
Zhao Yingzhu recounted her suffering—a husband who favored his concubine over his wife, and couldn't even tolerate her child, leaving her with no choice but to seek her own survival.
She and the Goryeo emperor were now irreconcilable enemies, locked in a life-or-death standoff.
So in order to survive, she had no choice but to fight back.
In short, Zhao Yingzhu humbled herself greatly, describing herself as a bitter flower.
Lang Xuan's eyes welled up with tears as she listened.
Yanran: Sigh, my sister-in-law is still too naive.
She didn't believe a single word Zhao Yingzhu said.
It might be extreme, but never believe what a woman like that says, or you could easily be led astray.
Zhao Yingzhu cried pitifully, "Princess Consort, I also have a sense of shame. If I hadn't been desperate, I wouldn't have been so shameless as to try every means to beg the Prince for help; please, Princess Consort, plead my case before the Prince on my behalf, I would be eternally grateful."
As she spoke, she knelt down and bowed.
Lang Xuan quickly reached out to help her up. "Your Majesty, you flatter me. You must be tired; go back and rest. I'll discuss what you mentioned with the Prince tonight."
Zhao Yingzhu was extremely grateful.
She cried Zidu went limp, and she had to be helped out.
Yanran sighed inwardly, and was about to speak about Lang Xuan when she saw the latter quickly wipe away her tears with a handkerchief, showing no Zidu of sadness.
Yanran: "???"
"What were we talking about just now?" Lang Xuan asked Yanran with a smile, "What does the Prince like to eat... and what kind of tea does he like?"
In her past life, she hadn't discerned any of his preferences.
Thinking about it, she was too foolish to realize in this life that she had actually received a lot of silent care from him in her previous life, otherwise her life wouldn't have been so peaceful.
In her memory, Yuwen Duo was always a man without desires or wants, seemingly capable of anything and without any particular preference.
Yanran was shocked.
My sister-in-law is really something else!
Her acting skills are such a perfect match for her older brother.
I was completely fooled by her.
"My older brother can handle any kind of tea," Yanran said. "I just want to ask you, why did you agree to speak up for Zhao Yingzhu just now?"
Yanran had actually noticed these past few days that Lang Xuan both admired and feared her older brother.
She doesn't seem like the type to readily agree to something like that.
Lang Xuan lowered her eyes, not daring to look into her gaze, and stammered, "I only promised to mention it to her; whether I agree or not is up to the Prince."
What she was really thinking was, if Yuwen Duo wasn't susceptible to seduction at fourteen, how could he lose control a few years later?
Therefore, it is evident that the legendary night of lovemaking that changed the Goryeo was probably a negotiation filled with heated debates.
Yuwen Duo would not do business at a loss.
If we could cooperate in our past lives, why not in this one?
If she were to refuse outright, it wouldn't be worth it for Zhao Yingzhu to seek refuge with someone else.
Therefore, she needed to keep Zhao Yingzhu calm.
Yanran laughed heartily, "Sister-in-law, I'm truly impressed with you today."
Big brother has good taste!
Lang Xuan felt a little embarrassed by her praise.
I've lived an extra lifetime and eaten so much more rice, and only now am I realizing it—that's incredibly foolish.
I wish I could help Yuwen Duo more in this lifetime.
When Linlin returned home that evening, the house was filled with the aroma of porridge.
"I made chicken porridge," Lang Xuan said timidly, holding a spoon and biting her lip. "It'll be ready soon."
Linlin initially wanted to say that she had already eaten, but seeing the expectant look in her eyes, she nodded instead. "Yeah, no rush."
There was a small stove in the room, so Lang Xuan put a clay pot on the stove and cooked a pot of porridge.
The lights were dim, her black hair was piled high, her profile was serene and beautiful, and she rolled up her sleeves, revealing half of her snow-white forearm, as she gently stirred the fragrant porridge.
Linlin smiled and said, "It smells wonderful."
Hearing his praise, Lang Xuan was both happy and nervous. "I only started learning to cook in the last year, and I'm not very good at it..."
I'm not a picky eater.
Once the porridge was cooked, Lang Xuan ladled out two bowls and then had someone bring more food.
Linlin only drank one bowl of porridge.
Lang Xuan asked him, and he said his stomach was upset.
He was worried she would be nervous, so he made sure to eat out before coming home; to his surprise, she was quite happy to have him keep her company.
Then he'll know.
But dampening enthusiasm is unacceptable, so lying is the only option.
Lang Xuan: His stomach is indeed not good. I will cook porridge for him every night from now on.
From then on, Linlin began her "happy" life of drinking porridge every night.
Later, Lang Xuan discovered that her porridge also had medicinal uses.
Because Yuwen Duo's stomach seems to be getting better, he can eat hard foods without having an attack anymore.
Yes, I'll keep at it and not give up on making porridge.
Linlin: I had to endure the lie I told, even if it meant starving, because I'm dealing with someone so honest.
I suddenly feel a little envious of Cui Xiaoqiu.
After all, whatever lies he told, Yanran would believe them all, and then she would never remember them the next day.
Of course, these are all things to be discussed later, so let's leave them aside for now.
After dinner, Linlin told Lang Xuan to go use the bathroom first.
Lang Xuan quickly replied, "No need, I already washed during the day. I'll have someone bring water!"
Linlin took out her nightgown from the trunk and went inside.
Lang Xuan thought to herself, she really wasn't a good wife.
Should she tidy up his things tomorrow so he won't have to do anything for her in the future?
But I'm also worried that he doesn't like me touching his things.
Ugh, this is so frustrating.
Even after Linlin came out, she still hadn't figured out the reason.
That evening, after the two lay down on their respective beds and couches, Lang Xuan told Linlin about what had happened during the day.
She spoke in great detail, repeating almost every word Zhao Yingzhu said, as if afraid of missing anything.
Linlin already knew, after all, someone was probably still being punished for trespassing into her study and had already confessed everything.
But he was willing to listen to her.
Her voice was soft Ruanruan, sweet and obedient; after she finished speaking, I still felt like I hadn't heard enough.
Lang Xuan asked nervously, "Your Highness, am I doing the right thing?"
"Yes, very good." Linlin was generous with her encouragement.
Meanwhile, Yanran watched as Cui Xiaoqiu could imitate her handwriting with both hands, and she was filled with admiration.
That idiot didn't even remember that Cui Xiaoqiu had been pretending to have a disabled right hand for so long!
"I'm luckier than my sister-in-law; at least I have you as a helper. My sister-in-law is in a terrible situation; right now, it's definitely my brother watching her write," Yanran said gloatingly.
Cui Xiaoqiu said quietly, "Perhaps I'm the only one who's being punished by having to write more."