DCPRT Chapter 58

When the small palanquin arrived at Xuande Hall, Li Xiyue had already learned roughly what had happened from An Hai’s account along the way.

You Yuyi, in order to gain a reputation for virtue, had used her dowry to build a book pavilion where scholars from across the realm could read freely. On the day of the pavilion’s opening, it had been discovered that someone from Prince Yan’s estate had pawned her dowry items. Her family, seeking to suppress You Yuyi, had remembered her — this daughter they had cast aside — and personally brought the matter before the Emperor to seek justice on her behalf. You Yuyi, meanwhile, had insisted over and over that she herself had given him the money and asked him to build the book pavilion for the scholars of the realm, and therefore it was she who had pawned the dowry.

All the way to Xuande Hall, Li Xiyue had been thinking: if she and You Yuyi separated and she returned to the Li family, what would become of her?

As a Li family daughter whose reputation was already ruined — having fallen pregnant before marriage — her very existence was a source of shame to the family and a cause of endless reproach for the women of the Li family. If she returned to the Li family, her fate would be little better than remaining in Prince Yan’s estate. They would most likely announce that she had fallen gravely ill, and after a year or so, announce that she had died of her illness.

But if she chose, at this very moment, to say that she herself had arranged for the dowry items to be pawned and personally handed the money to You Yuyi to build the book pavilion for the benefit of scholars everywhere — what then would become of her?

Knowing how much You Yuyi valued his reputation, he would at least not have her suddenly die of an illness. The moment she died, the Li family would seize the opportunity to attack You Yuyi, and his name would only grow fouler. As long as she could get out of Prince Yan’s estate, she would have a chance to take revenge on You Yuyi.

In that moment, Li Xiyue desperately yearned to live. She was making a gamble: returning to the Li family was a dead end, whereas supporting You Yuyi offered at least one path to survival.

After Li Xiyue stepped out of the palanquin, two palace maids personally helped her into Xuande Hall, where a crowd of people had already gathered, awaiting her arrival.

When the Grand Princess saw Li Xiyue arrive, she immediately put on a gentle, warm smile. “Good child,” she said, “whatever grievances you have, speak openly to your Aunt Cousin. I will see it through to the end.”

Li Xiyue forced a stiff smile onto her face. She had never forgotten how, after losing her child, she had rushed out of Prince Yan’s estate in a moment of anguished desperation, seeking someone to help her find justice — and had encountered the Grand Princess.

She had thought she had found an elder she could lean on. Little had she known that the Grand Princess had been using her all along — using her to suppress Prince Yan, and then casting her aside the moment she was no longer of any use.

Li Xiyue refused to believe that the Grand Princess had not known what awaited her upon returning to Prince Yan’s estate. The Grand Princess could have saved her — and yet she had done nothing.

The Grand Princess — no serpent could be more venomous than she.

Li Xiyue then let her gaze fall on Minister of Justice Li — the grandfather who had once cherished her most dearly — who now looked upon her wretched state without the slightest trace of pity.

And her cousin Li Yuan, when he looked at her, wore an expression of nothing but contempt.

Even though she had long known that the Li family had severed all ties with her, seeing them again and being met with such expressions still dealt Li Xiyue a heavy blow.

At that moment, You Yuyi, who had been standing nearby, immediately stepped forward. He reached out and took Li Xiyue’s hand, his expression gentle. “I told you your health was poor and asked them not to send for you,” he said, “but I couldn’t persuade them — they insisted on having you here to explain the matter of the dowry.”

As he spoke, You Yuyi tightened his grip on Li Xiyue’s hand, squeezing covertly with increasing force, threatening her again and again.

Li Xiyue’s face showed a flicker of pain. She looked at You Yuyi and said, “Your Highness, what dowry? Are you saying you knew that the money I gave you came from pawning my dowry items?”

Having spoken, Li Xiyue assumed an expression of flustered confusion — which neatly concealed the pain she felt.

A moment later, You Yuyi loosened his grip, holding her hand only lightly now, the corners of his mouth curling slightly upward, as though quietly pleased with himself.

The Grand Princess and Minister of Justice Li, hearing this, showed expressions of furious shock. Li Yuan spoke up. “Are you saying it was not Prince Yan who secretly pawned your dowry items?”

“Xiyue, whatever grievances you have suffered in Prince Yan’s estate, tell us plainly,” said Minister of Justice Li, attempting to get Li Xiyue to change her account.

The Grand Princess added, “Xiyue, you suffered a miscarriage before. If he truly treated you well, why do you look so wan and haggard?”

Li Xiyue then put on a look of bewildered helplessness. “Grandfather, Aunt Cousin, whatever do you mean?”

“I heard that my husband wished to build a book pavilion for the scholars of the realm, but had been fretting constantly because the funds were insufficient. Privately, I thought I might help, so I pawned a few pieces of jewellery that I had no use for to raise money for him. It was absolutely not the case that my husband secretly pawned my dowry — he knew nothing of the matter whatsoever.”

The Grand Princess stared at Li Xiyue’s expression of innocent simplicity and exhaled sharply through gritted teeth. This Li girl was hopelessly besotted with You Yuyi. After everything You Yuyi had done to her, she was still shielding him at a moment like this.

Minister of Justice Li’s eyes widened. What a fine daughter the Li family had raised indeed. If she dared to formally separate from Prince Yan, he would make sure she knelt herself to death before the family shrine.

“Impossible,” said Li Yuan, gripping the jewellery in his hand. “These pieces all bear the Li family crest. They could not be easily pawned — if you had pawned anything, you would have chosen pieces without these markings.”

Faced with Li Yuan’s relentless questioning, Li Xiyue put on a troubled expression. “My dowry — which piece of it does not bear the Li family’s mark?”

Li Yuan fell momentarily silent upon hearing this. “…”

These valuable jewels — apart from those purchased from outside — bore the Li family’s mark on virtually every single piece.

You Fengyun, seated in the place of honour, had watched enough of this performance. He then spoke in a measured, unhurried tone. “Since those present at the time all say that it was she herself who pawned the dowry, Maternal Uncle need not pursue Prince Yan’s responsibility in this matter — after all, Prince Yan had no knowledge of it.”

You Fengyun had been thinking beforehand about how he might help You Yuyi smooth things over if Li Xiyue did not follow the hint that An Hai had given her.

Now that Li Xiyue had voluntarily covered for You Yuyi, all he needed to do was say a few words and the matter could be set aside.

“Imperial Brother, this is a disgraceful affair — a husband secretly pawning his wife’s dowry!” the Grand Princess said loudly.

You Fengyun cast a light glance at the Grand Princess. Seeing it, she immediately lowered her head and stepped back half a pace.

“Since you were unaware of the dowry matter, it shows that your management of the household was lax — that too must be punished,” You Fengyun said, looking at You Yuyi.

Compared to the charge of pawning one’s wife’s dowry to court a reputation for virtue, poor household management was already a very light penalty.

Upon hearing this, You Yuyi let out a quiet breath of relief and knelt. “This son accepts the punishment.”

“You are to redeem Princess Yan’s dowry within three days,” said You Fengyun, looking down at You Yuyi kneeling on the ground. “As for the books in your book pavilion — so that Prime Minister Su’s life’s work does not go to waste, they shall be transferred to Lingchuan Grand Academy.”

“What?” You Yuyi jerked his head up. He could not understand how all his efforts could have been rendered worthless in an instant, with every bit of the credit delivered entirely into the Crown Prince’s hands.

Just as You Yuyi was about to argue, he met You Fengyun’s cold, severe gaze — and found he could say nothing at all.

In the end, every word You Yuyi had meant to say became nothing more than a single “Yes.”

You Fengyun then smiled and said, “Since this was all a misunderstanding, Maternal Uncle may take his leave.”

“This old official takes his leave,” said Minister of Justice Li, and had no choice but to withdraw.

“Imperial Brother, allow me to see Maternal Uncle out,” the princess said.

The two members of the Li family departed together with the Grand Princess. You Yuyi rose, then took Li Xiyue with him as he left.

In the carriage, Li Xiyue, seated beside You Yuyi, spoke up, “Your Highness, I no longer wish to live in that courtyard — nor do I wish to continue taking medicine.”

You Yuyi fixed her with a fierce and vicious stare. “What standing do you have to negotiate terms with me?” he asked.

Li Xiyue spoke word by word, slowly and deliberately. “Your Highness, if I were to die, how would the whole world look upon you? Do you still care about your reputation? And do you truly think that if I were dead, the Li family, the Grand Princess, and the Third Prince would not use my death against you?”

You Yuyi fell silent upon hearing this. What Li Xiyue said was not without reason.

“How do I know you won’t betray me?” You Yuyi asked.

Li Xiyue let out a sound somewhere between crying and laughing. “Your Highness, I am a woman who cannot bear children, whose reputation was ruined before she even married. Without you, I have no way to survive at all.”

You Yuyi was silent. What Li Xiyue said was true — even if she made a scene and formally separated from him, the Li family would only let her die of an obscure illness without ever knowing the real reason.

“My being alive is what is most beneficial to Your Highness. I can appear before others and help Your Highness dispel rumours that harm you,” said Li Xiyue. She was making her bid for the chance to leave the estate.

You Yuyi looked her up and down. “I will have people watching you,” he said.

A weight lifted from Li Xiyue’s heart. She had gambled right.

Upon returning to Prince Yan’s estate, a trusted aide of You Yuyi’s hurried over and said quietly, “Your Highness, I followed that carriage, and in the end I saw the woman disappear near the Grand Princess’s residence.”

You Yuyi’s eyes widened upon hearing this. If it had been someone from the Grand Princess’s household, then everything suddenly made sense.

The Li family was the Grand Princess’s maternal family. As the Empress Dowager’s daughter, the Grand Princess was close to the Li family — she would certainly have known what the Li family’s crest looked like.

That way, when she discovered Li family items at Yunji Pawnshop, she had only needed to question the shopkeeper carefully, and nothing would have escaped the Grand Princess’s notice.

What followed was a wealthy merchant purchasing the valuable jewellery for his wife — the merchant’s wife then parading about wearing the pieces along with the pawn ticket, until Li Yuan spotted her and publicly exposed the whole affair before a crowd, pinning on him the charge of having pawned his wife’s dowry.

“The Grand Princess has harmed me twice now. I will not let her go unpunished,” You Yuyi said through gritted teeth.

****

On the other side, Huo Xiling had already known long before that his plan to redirect trouble elsewhere had succeeded. What lay ahead would be a fine spectacle of dogs turning on one another.

And so, with the triumphant air of a young man pleased with himself, Huo Xiling said to You Yusui, “Your Highness should reward me.”

Having said so, he pointed a finger at his own cheek.

“Why not ask this prince to kiss you on the lips?” said You Yusui, setting down the storybook and looking at Huo Xiling.

Huo Xiling’s face reddened. “Naturally,” he said, “wherever Your Highness wishes to kiss is where Your Highness may kiss.”

Just as You Yusui was about to lean over to kiss Huo Xiling, An Hai arrived.

An Hai walked in wearing a face full of smiles. “Your Highness, good news — wonderful news!”

You Yusui: …Can any wonderful news compare to kissing Xiao Huo?

An Hai beamed. “His Majesty intends to send all of the books in Prince Yan’s book pavilion to Lingchuan Grand Academy — and among them is Prime Minister Su’s entire personal collection!”

You Yusui: …I must go tell Grandfather and have him offer double!