Princess Rong had long held resentment for being kept in the dark by her husband and son. Now, being confronted abruptly in such a manner, her pent-up anger flared. With no servants present, what need was there to maintain the dignity of Prince and Princess?
She too darkened her expression: "You are also Yongping’s father. She is your own flesh and blood. Born after the founding of the country, she was royalty from the moment she was born. Before marriage, she was the apple of our eye, and even after marrying, she remained a prominent Commandery Princess. When has she ever suffered? Now suddenly falling from grace into mud, don’t you feel any pain for her?
"The Emperor and Empress have punished her already. I do not hope to restore her title, just to release her and let her be a proper Assistant Minister’s wife. Is there anything wrong with that?
"Since the incident until now, you haven’t asked nor interfered, that’s fine. You don’t intend to make the Zhang family and the Pei family, who caused her such misery, suffer a bit, that’s fine too, but how can you come to blame me?"
"Is this the time to talk about it?" Prince Rong rebuked, "She made the mistake herself and should bear the consequences. If you feel sorry for her, why didn’t you control her better earlier? Now that the errors have been made, you still want to pull strings to protect her. Well, you’ve protected her alright! But the entire Prince Manor gets dragged down by you both!
Prince Rong finished speaking and slapped his hand on the stone beast of White Moon’s railing, then ordered: "From now on, you’re not allowed to entertain visitors! Even if you go out for social events, you must not associate with relevant families! If I find you still trying these schemes, you’ll see how serious I can be!"
Princess Rong couldn’t believe her ears: "Are you punishing me? After all our decades together as husband and wife, do you really intend to punish me just because I want to save our daughter?"
"After decades with you as my wife, do you think I don’t know what you’re thinking? Without doing this, you would never stop!"
After finishing his words, Prince Rong turned and walked down the stairs.
Princess Rong, in a moment of panic, reached out to catch him. She didn’t catch him but instead pulled on his waist-hung Jade Pendant: "You, you really intend to treat me this way?"
Prince Rong turned his head to look at her, gritted his teeth as he took a deep breath, and turned back: "You are a Princess. If the Prince Manor stands safely in the world, your lifetime of wealth and privilege cannot escape you. The Zhe Family won’t be weakened either. Tell me what you’re striving for day in and day out?"
Princess Rong bowed her head, wiping tears: "It sounds nice, but I am ultimately alone."
Prince Rong sat down and glanced at her with a frown: "You have the nerve to say that? Zhan Er isn’t your own child? Isn’t Mrs. Zhang your daughter-in-law?"
Princess Rong met his gaze as she also sat down: "Children grow up and are beyond their mother’s control. How can I manage him? Besides, he forgets his mother after marrying a wife, you’ve seen it with your own eyes."
At this point, she cast her eyes towards the pouch at his waist: "Your pouch hasn’t been changed for a long time, take it off, let me change it for you."
At Prince Rong’s age, how could he still act stubbornly like a young man? The dignity of the Prince Manor’s matron should be upheld. Seeing the Princess , he stepped down the stairs and peered at her: "Did you make it?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ noⅴelfire.net
Princess Rong said: "Haven’t all your pouches and fan covers over the years been made by me?" Then she added: "Alright, on another day, bring me all the fans you’ve kept, I’ll replace their covers."
Prince Rong chuckled lightly: "Dozens of fans, replacing all their covers, how long will that take you?"
Princess Rong said: "Since you don’t let me go out or see guests, what else can I do?"
Prince Rong stroked his beard: "No need for the fan covers, you’re not that young anymore. Do less needlework and rest your eyes."
Princess Rong opened her mouth, intending to say a few more words. But upon observing Prince Rong’s expression, she swallowed her words and instead pointed at his pouch: "Then take it off."
Prince Rong took off the pouch, picked out several items from it, tucked them into his bosom, and handed it to her: "Take it."
Princess Rong watched intently as he picked through the items, then accepted the pouch in hand and said: "I remember next month is the anniversary of the consort’s memorial day. Will the Prince not go to the ancestral temple to transcribe some scriptures himself?
"Lately the Prince Manor has been quite unsettled. Though it is early, why not make preparations sooner so when the time comes, the ancestors will see your sincerity and bless our Prince Manor."
"You have a point." Prince Rong replied softly, "It is time to make a trip."
Princess Rong said: "Why don’t I have someone clean out the meditation room at the ancestral temple this afternoon?"
Prince Rong nodded and stood up: "That works."
Princess Rong smiled satisfiedly.