Madam He despised her two sons and made no effort to hide it. Nowadays, she was living comfortably, and the idea of those two families getting involved again was simply unbearable.
Old Man Ye had his reasons, "Eldest and Second used to be quite crafty, but haven’t they recently reformed?
Besides, they’re our own children. It’s better when they live together; it’s warmer, and they can help in times of need. Your mother just doesn’t want your elder brothers building houses near ours. Isn’t this just looking for trouble without cause!"
"Yes, I’m looking for trouble without cause. Then in the future, you can go and stay with your eldest son, and I will stay here with Xiaojiu and our fourth son," Madam He said.
Old Man Ye felt helpless and was so angry he felt a pain in his teeth, "I don’t get what you’re thinking all day. Doesn’t every family hope for a reunion, with all the children close by? Isn’t it better having a lively and blessed household? But you think differently from everyone else. You just have to push the kids away!"
"Haven’t you heard of ’far fragrances and close stenches’? If they are a bit distant, you feel their closeness when they occasionally visit, but having them constantly in front of you only brings about unnecessary irritation. Can you even stand that?" When it came to arguing, Madam He truly hadn’t lost to anyone.
Seeing that Old Man Ye was at a loss for words, Ye Jiu hurriedly stepped forward to stop the quarrel from continuing, "Dad, Mom, if eldest brother and second brother want to build their houses, just let them choose for themselves. We have already split the family, so let’s not worry too much about this, okay..."
With Ye Jiu speaking up, Madam He finally dropped the issue.
However, suddenly noticing Ye Jiu’s clothes, she said, "Oh right. I haven’t had the chance to ask you; during such a festive season, why aren’t you wearing those beautiful clothes you have? Why are you wearing this?"
Although she made them herself, honestly speaking, they couldn’t compare with the precious clothes sent by the Prince Jing’s emissaries.
"Mom, the clothes you made are beautiful too—plus, these are new. I only wore them once at fourth brother’s wedding. I’ve been saving them, waiting to wear them today for New Year’s," Ye Jiu said.
Instantly, Madam He felt warmed in heart and forgot the anger that had filled her just moments before from Old Man Ye.
Ye Jiu had an extremely joyful New Year, but far away in the capital city, it was a bleak time for Prince Jing.
Before the New Year, Prince Jing had hastened back to the capital city, as matters concerning the Liu Family and the Princess Consort needed to be dealt with.
Yet, when the moment arrived, he always felt somewhat at a loss.
Ever since he admitted everything to the palace, he had been trying to procrastinate dealing with the Princess Consort’s issue, and even during the New Year, he couldn’t calm his heart.
After returning from the palace’s banquet, it was time for a family reunion. In the past years, Prince Jing invariably spent it with the Princess Consort. This year, however, after much hesitation, he still went to the small Buddhist temple where she was.
Standing outside the temple for a long time, listening to the intermittent sounds of the wooden fish, Prince Jing couldn’t make up his mind to push the door open.
It wasn’t until the beating of the wooden fish finally stopped that Prince Jing, having waited a bit longer, finally lost his patience and pushed the door open.
However, the scene inside the small temple immediately threw Prince Jing into panic.
There, inside the small Buddhist temple, the Princess Consort, who was originally kneeling on a mat, had collapsed to one side, her eyes tearful as she looked towards the door, her mouth still bleeding.
In a panic and rush, Prince Jing ran over, scooped the Princess Consort into his arms, and dashed outside, "Someone come quick, summon the Imperial Physician..."