Chapter 1260: Chapter 1069: Poor Eyesight
Prince Residence of Ping.
After returning from the palace, Prince Ping shared with Xiao Yeyang and Daohua the incident involving the twins in the palace.
When the two heard about how Noble Consort An had reprimanded Daomiao in the Imperial Garden, their expressions turned grim.
Prince Ping said, “Our family has already fallen out with the An Family. If you encounter them in the future, there’s no need to save face. Hmph, even daring to bully my grandsons—do they really think the Crown Prince will make the eldest prince the heir? Wishful thinking!”
Upon hearing this, Daohua and Xiao Yeyang both turned to look at Prince Ping.
They couldn’t help it—the prince’s tone was too certain. Even Xiao Yeyang, who had speculated that it was unlikely for the emperor to appoint the eldest prince as the heir, didn’t dare to express it so definitively.
Noticing the surprise on the faces of his son and daughter-in-law, Prince Ping snorted in satisfaction.
Who was he, after all? The emperor’s own brother! Although he had never ddled in any affairs, he prided himself on being second to none in understanding the emperor’s thoughts.
Given the antics of the eldest prince and the An Family, behaving like jumping monkeys, handing over the country to such people would be inconceivable for the emperor!
Knowing that Prince Ping would be frequently visiting the palace to accompany the twins in the future, Daohua and Xiao Yeyang felt much more at ease.
With the three children off to the palace and Xiao Yeyang busy entertaining friends, Daohua found herself with more free ti and began visiting the Yan Residence more frequently.
After April began, officials from various regions started arriving in Beijing to celebrate the emperor’s 60th birthday. Yan Wenkai also returned from the South Sea with his wife and children.
Having not seen each other for years, the family gathered, and it was a lively reunion.
After Daohua had presented greeting gifts to her four nieces and nephews, she joined Zhou Jingwan and Su Shiyu in the courtyard pavilion for a private chat.
“It’s been more than ten years since we last t. Yiyi hasn’t changed a bit, while I seem to have aged considerably.”
Su Shiyu stroked the wrinkles on her face. The southern winds were fierce, and the sunlight was harsh; no matter how well one maintained their skin, it could never return to its forr state.
Zhou Jingwan fared better; she had simply gained so weight and appeared rounder than before.
Daohua chuckled and said, “How could I have not changed at all? Otherwise, I’d be an old witch! Perhaps I’m in better shape than you two, but I think it’s because I started having children later and didn’t have as many.”
Zhou Jingwan and Su Shiyu had started having children at seventeen or eighteen, and each had birthed four. Daohua didn’t have her first child, Daozi, until the age of twenty-one, and then waited several more years before having the twins—only two children in total.
Upon hearing this, Su Shiyu and Zhou Jingwan both looked envious.
Zhou Jingwan said, “Back when you hadn’t conceived for a long ti, Grandmother and Aunt were quite worried. Turns out you had the right idea all along—having children takes a toll on the body.”
“Luckily, I followed your advice and spaced out each pregnancy by two or three years before conceiving again.”
“You might not be aware, being out of town, but in Beijing, many families have their daughters-in-law bearing children year after year without a break. At gatherings, when I see how fragile and weak these won appear, practically ready to collapse at any mont, I can’t help but worry for them.”
Su Shiyu sighed, “As won, we must learn to care for our bodies. Down south, I’ve seen several cases where the main wife of an official household lost her life trying to give birth to children.”
“Failing to protect herself, she handed the position of main wife to another. Ultimately, the children she fought hard to birth can only live fearfully under their stepmother’s care, unable to make decisions for themselves. Thinking about it is truly pitiful.”
Daohua said, “If one doesn’t love oneself, how can others care for them? The ones who suffer most are the children.”
The three shared a mont of lant before changing the topic.
Zhou Jingwan asked, “By the way, Yiyi, how is Yuanyao doing? Is she alright?”
Daohua smiled and nodded, “She’s doing well. In the second year after we arrived in Xiliang, Sun Changze brought Yuanyao over. The two had initially planned to settle in Xiliang, but regrettably, two years later, war broke out between Xiliang and Xiliao, forcing them to delay their plans.”
“Later, Yuanyao beca pregnant. Given the harsher conditions in Xiliang, she worried it wouldn’t be good for the child, so she stayed with her in-laws to care for the baby.”
“Over the years, Sun Changze’s business in Xiliang has grown significantly. He even brought his parents, wife, and children over. Now the Dong Family and Yuanyao’s family are all in Ganzhou, so they’re reunited as a family.”
Zhou Jingwan and Su Shiyu were genuinely happy for Dong Yuanyao after hearing this.
After chatting about Dong Yuanyao for a while, Zhou Jingwan suddenly lowered her voice, “Yile remarried. You probably haven’t heard about it yet, have you?”
Daohua and Su Shiyu imdiately turned to Zhou Jingwan in surprise; indeed, they hadn’t heard this news.
Su Shiyu asked, “When did this happen? Why didn’t the second branch notify anyone?”
Zhou Jingwan sighed, “Because it was disgraceful, of course.”
Daohua and Su Shiyu exchanged baffled looks. “What trouble has Yile caused now?”
Zhou Jingwan explained the situation in detail, “Second Uncle and Second Aunt took Yile back to their hotown and originally planned to arrange a marriage for her with a wealthy local family. But unfortunately, Yile wasn’t interested.”
“Because of our family’s Imperially Bestowed Plaque, the hotown has prospered over the years, attracting wealthy gentlen and young masters who visit just to catch a glimpse of the plaque, hoping to borrow so imperial prestige.”
At this point, Daohua could already guess what happened next. “So, Yile found herself a husband again?”
Zhou Jingwan nodded, “Second Uncle and Second Aunt have been quite indulgent with Yile. They wouldn’t force her to accept anything she didn’t like, so she didn’t need to personally search for a match.”
“But search she did, and her judgnt was poor to boot.”
Speaking of this, Zhou Jingwan’s face was full of exasperation: “Our fourth brother-in-law is from a rchant family. They have so wealth and are considered one of the prominent families in the county.”
Daohua frowned, “Yile wouldn’t settle for even seventh-rank officials—why would she choose a rchant? Could there have been so misunderstanding?”
Zhou Jingwan shook her head, “That’s exactly what your third brother asked your second brother. But alas, the second brother didn’t elaborate much—he simply said the matter was settled, and Yile had gotten married earlier this month.”
“So soon?!”
Daohua and Su Shiyu exchanged shocked looks.
Zhou Jingwan nodded, “Yile remarried, but even Second Uncle and Second Aunt didn’t make much of a fuss about it. There’s clearly sothing deeper behind the scenes. However, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are tight-lipped, and it’s hard to ask questions.”
“As for the reasons, Grandmother and Aunt likely know. Those of us siblings had planned to contribute so pieces for Yile’s dowry, but Grandmother declined, saying Aunt had already prepared a set and sent it over.”
Daohua and Su Shiyu were left unsure how to respond.
The matriarch’s attitude clearly indicated her reluctance to discuss the matter. Yile’s remarriage surely wasn’t as simple as privately seeking out a match.
Su Shiyu sighed, “Back then, Mother wanted to match Fourth Sister with Third Cousin, but she wasn’t interested. Who would’ve thought that, after all this ti, she’d end up marrying a rchant? If she had agreed back then, she wouldn’t have gained such a bad reputation.”
Daohua said, “So lessons can only be learned through personal experience. No matter how others try to advise, the person involved won’t listen. Let’s hope that after this, Yile can settle down and live her life properly.”
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