In all fairness, Old Lady He was simply too fierce, whether it was her fervor when she was scolding someone or the way she faced Old Man Ye, it didn’t seem fitting for a woman and a wife.
However, the words that came out of her mouth were exceptionally heartwarming.
They moved Ye Jiu and also calmed down the Prince, who had been scolded for no reason.
Indeed, these words spoke the truth— one must protect their own children. Although this old lady may seem unreasonable, she really was a good mother.
At this thought, the Prince did not yet realize the difference between how Old Lady He treated her daughter and her son.
Just then, Old Man Ye thought he was being subtle when he spoke, "You old hag, come here and start scolding without looking at the clothes on the master and mistress. They are dressed better than us, not like something the He Family’s crumbling household could afford. Hold your tongue, don’t offend our daughter’s benefactor."
Only then did Old Lady He notice and look at the attire of the Prince and the Princess Consort. She was startled at what she saw.
No matter how fearsome the old lady was, she hadn’t seen much of the world; upon seeing such a scene, she immediately sought help by looking at Ye Jiu.
It’s over, these two looked extraordinary, had she caused trouble for her daughter?
Having witnessed Old Lady He’s fierceness, the Prince intended to teach her a lesson, immediately remarked, "They say remote mountains breed shrewish women, today this Prince has indeed witnessed it."
"This Prince?" Old Man Ye’s cheeks twitched twice, then he also turned his gaze to Ye Jiu.
Hoping it wasn’t as he suspected.
Seeing the Prince , Ye Jiu quickly stood in front of Old Lady He, using her slender body to shield the already panicked Old Lady He. "My parents are just ordinary townsfolk, they haven’t seen much of the world, and if they were disrespectful today in front of the Prince and Princess Consort, it might be because they heard something and feared I was being bullied. Please, your Highness and Princess Consort, forgive and spare my mother," she pleaded.
Old Man Ye’s legs began to tremble. He hastily grabbed Old Lady He, wanting to kneel down, "Old woman, kneel quickly and plead for mercy, this is the Prince and Princess Consort, we cannot afford to offend them."
With a thud, the terrified Old Lady He, pulled by Old Man Ye, knelt on the floor; the sound of their knees hitting the floor made Ye Jiu’s expression change.
"Our family courtyard is too small to accommodate the grand presence of the Prince. Please, your Highness, you should leave," Ye Jiu said.
"Are you asking this Prince to leave?" the Prince’s expression darkened.
In his life, apart from his emperor father, no one had ever spoken to him like that. Perhaps he was usually too easygoing, he thought.
But Ye Jiu’s gaze remained firm.
Between the Prince and Old Lady He, she would, of course, choose the Old Lady He, who had carefully raised her from childhood.
Her mother was not young anymore. Kneeling like that, who knows what damage it might have done to her knees.
While the Princess Consort was initially immersed in thoughts of how Ye Jiu cared for Old Lady He, she snapped back to reality upon seeing the tense standoff between the two parties and thought to herself, this was not good.
She was still hoping to acknowledge the child as her own, but she could not let the confrontation with the Prince continue.
Thinking this, the Princess Consort quickly tried to mediate, "Your Highness, although Old Lady Ye’s actions today were somewhat rash, I believe it was because of her excessive worry for her child that she acted so. We should also appreciate an old person’s deep maternal love."
As she spoke, the Princess Consort condescended to help Old Lady He up, "You two shouldn’t kneel. The Prince and I truly adore Xiaojiu and regard her as our own family’s younger generation. Today, it was our fault for not greeting you first when we visited. Please, bear with us."