Seeing Empress Dowager Yang let Cheng Yujin back unscathed, Dou Xiyin was immediately anxious. Seeing this, Empress Dowager Yang became annoyed. She frowned and didn’t let her annoyance be exposed as she said in a grave voice: “Imperial family is different from others. Here, appearance is the most important. The Crown Princess entered Cining Palace openly under the public view. Can This Dowager do something to her?”
“But…” Dou Xiyin was not reconciled, “Why did you let her help with the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet? Second biao brother has worked so hard all these years. Obviously, second biao brother should be…”
Before Dou Xiyin finished her words, she was frightened to silence by the look in Empress Dowager Yang’s eyes. The Empress Dowager retracted her gaze; her voice was full of gloom: “You aren’t a child anymore. Why are you still so careless? Do you think you can say something like this?”
Dou Xiyin bit her lip aggrievedly, but she still lowered her head, not daring to refute. Yang Yan looked around and then smiled dryly to pacify the scene: “Aunt, Xiyin is thinking for the good of our Yang family. She grew up under your eyes. You know her the best. Although she might be a little careless, everything she does is for our family.” Yang Yan turned to Empress Yang: “Second younger sister, don’t you think so?”
Empress Yang lowered her head in silence, but her expression was slightly gloomy. The Emperor suddenly had another son, but the matter was passed down smoothly. Empress Yang wanted to lie to herself that the Emperor had just learned about it, yet she couldn’t.
The emperor probably knew that Zhong-shi’s son was still alive very early. From the beginning, he didn’t plan to pass the throne to Jun’er.
After so many years, he was still affectionate towards Zhong-shi mother and son. She and he had been married for many years. Why was she still couldn’t win against a dead person?
Empress Dowager Yang saw Empress Yang’s expression and immediately saw through the latter’s thought. Empress Dowager Yang sighed. Her younger niece Yang Miao had a deep affection for Li Huan. Even though her age was becoming too late to marry, she still waited for Li Huan. After Zhong-shi’s death, Li Huan observed the mourning for one full year before he finally married Yang Miao.
Yang Miao was so affectionate for Li Huan, but Li Huan didn’t cherish it. He even planned to pass on the throne to another woman’s son? He didn’t care about the great kindness Yang Family did to him and Yang Miao’s affection.
With Yang Fucheng’s authority, the Yang family quickly found out the in and out of the event during the trip to Xiangji Temple. Although there was no evidence that the Emperor had known that Cheng Yuanjing was Li Chengjing early on, the instinct she had honed in the palace for many years told Empress Dowager Yang that the Emperor was lying.
It was impossible for him not to know, and it was also inconceivable that Li Chengjing had truly forgotten his childhood memories.
This father and son played their Yang family as a fool from start to finish. Empress Dowager had stood at the peak for many years. How could she tolerate others’ provocation of her authority?
Yang Fucheng would teach Li Chengjing a lesson. But there was still another crown princess in the palace, and Empress Dowager Yang wouldn’t let her go.
Empress Dowager said solemnly, “Empress, you don’t have to be sad. Things that belong to the Yang family will always fall into the Yang family’s hands. The ones who can get everything in the end are us.”
The implied meaning couldn’t be more obvious. Yang Yan and Dou Xiyin were shocked, and even Empress Yang raised her head in surprise: “Empress Dowager…”
Empress Dowager Yang raised her hand, indicating that they shouldn’t say more. She had her own plan. Empress Dowager Yang was a little tired from sitting straightly for a long time. She leaned back on the soft cushions and slowly said: “The future is long. Those two are alone and without support. To want to fight with Jun’er under such a situation is no more than an idiotic dream.”
After receiving Empress Dowager’s words, Empress Yang’s expression improved somewhat. She cared about the emperor’s feelings, but she cared more about her son.
The Emperor has three thousand beauties in the inner palace, and there was also Empress Zhong before her. Only Jun’er belonged to her completely.
Yang Yan’s expression moved slightly. She glanced at Dou Xiyin and then said lightly: “Aunt, although the two in the Eastern Palace cannot make a splash, there is still a difference between a married prince and an unmarried prince. The Second Prince is still single so far. Without a wife, he has no help to deal with many matters.”
Yang Yan’s implication was very obvious. Both Empress Dowager and Empress surnamed Yang, so the Second Prince’s wife of course should also come from Yang family. Her younger brother didn’t have a daughter under his knees, so it was a given that Dou Xiyin should enter the palace.
Dou Xiyin dreamed of marrying the Second Prince since she was very young. Although another crown prince with his crown princess appeared out of thin air and shattered her dream of becoming the crown princess, the position of Li Chengjun’s wife was still vacant. Dou Xiyin regained her vigor, but she was not in a hurry.
She knew that the seat of the next emperor would sooner or later belong to her second biao brother and that the future empress must also be her.
Both Yang Yan and Dou Xiyin looked at Empress Dowager Yang eagerly, expecting her to speak up. Empress Dowager Yang fell into silence and finally said: “Marrying a wife is not an overnight matter. We will discuss it later.”
Yang Yan was undoubtedly very disappointed. Her fate was not as good as her younger sister’s, and She married before Yang family’s rapid rose. As a result, her husband and her sister’s husband were totally incomparable. Dou Da was too ordinary, unworthy as the son-in-law of Senior Grand Secretary Yang. The whole Dou family fawned over Yang Yan, but she disliked them very much. She always ran back to her natal family house or the palace, treating herself still as a part of the Yang family and actively promoting her daughter Dou Xiyin’s existence in front of Empress Dowager and Empress Yang.
They were all Yang family women. Why couldn’t she also achieve what her sister and aunt achieved? She married early and missed the opportunity, but she still had a daughter. Dou Xiyin was at the right age and was also the Second Prince’s childhood sweetheart. Wasn’t she a perfect, ready-made candidate for his wife?
However, Empress Dowager Yang did not say a word.
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