IDWBE -Chapter 433 The Yuan Family

Abandoning life with Yaomei riding on his neck and Yefu roaming the arena, coming to this world without the internet or electricity was already frustrating enough—but he never expected he’d have to deal with the complexities of palace intrigue as well.

The kicker? The villain was his own mother!

From the moment he was born, he thought he knew her temper inside and out. No one in this world understood his mother better than he did.

Yet, he never could have imagined that there was always a “what if.”

His mother actually had such loyalty and affection for the Yuan family!
Her own children were not her first priority!
The top spot was occupied by the Yuan family and their honor!

A classic “support the brothers” and “help the male relatives” fanatic!

He realized he had seriously oversimplified things and underestimated the variety of human thought processes—especially when it came to someone like his mother.

In plain terms, she just couldn’t make things clear.

It was both exasperating and laughable.

Jinglan Palace.

Consort Yuan looked at Xiao Xizi kneeling on the floor, her brow furrowed. After sipping her tea, she spoke slowly, “Is this really His Highness’s intention?”

Xiao Xizi hurriedly replied, “Reporting to Your Highness, after the cabinet drafted the imperial edict, I personally delivered it to His Majesty for the seal.”

Thinking of the imperial jade seal representing supreme authority, Xiao Xizi couldn’t help but feel it had been wronged.

Ever since it ended up in His Highness’s hands, he had barely glanced at it and had directly handed it to Lord He Jixiang.

Such a vital national treasure—how could Lord He dare to handle it casually? Yet, seeing His Highness hold the jade seal while cracking walnuts and muttering,

“Life is like an ant, yet one should aspire to a swan-like ambition. Fate may be as thin as paper, but one must have an unyielding heart. These are all good. The mistake lies in your lack of foresight, insisting on showing off heroics in front of me. Damn it, always going against me. You don’t know this, but when you first spoke, I had already buried your intentions. When the music plays and the cloth is spread, some will cry, some will rise, never to return. Deliberately courting death? Then I won’t spare you. Otherwise, everyone will follow suit, and the team will be unmanageable.”

Lord He Jixiang nearly had a heart attack!
The jade seal was made of jade, not iron!
Smashing walnuts with it could destroy both the walnuts and the seal itself—a national calamity!

He hurriedly grabbed it, promising to safeguard the seal.

He was completely convinced that leaving the jade seal in His Highness’s hands would end badly.

Thus, it remained in the cabinet.

Whenever Lord He used it, he would first bathe and burn incense, then carefully press it onto the drafted edict in front of all eyes.

As for Emperor Delong touching the seal, that was rare.

In the past year, it had only happened once: an hour ago, after Lord He drafted the edict, he personally took it with the jade seal to Qilin Palace for Emperor Delong’s approval.

After all, sending Yuan Zhen to Chuanzhou was the emperor’s decision, not His Highness’s.

To lend credibility, the imperial seal had to be pressed by Emperor Delong.

When the increasingly thin Emperor Delong saw the seal, his chest heaved with excitement.

That was lost youth!
That was a lost throne!
Possibly never to return.

He had tried to console the emperor, only to be scolded along with Lord He: “Traitors to loyalty and righteousness deserve heaven’s punishment, struck by five thunders!”

For him, a eunuch with no family or descendants, reputation was meaningless.

The harsher Delong scolded, the happier he felt. He thought, What can your anger do? Once the supreme power of Daliang Kingdom, now you are powerless against me!

He never imagined he would have a glorious day like this!

Lord He Jixiang didn’t share the same mindset. After being scolded, he knelt and kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming—a grief worse than losing both parents.

“By your account, this is His Majesty’s will?”

Consort Yuan snorted, stood, and slowly walked before Xiao Xizi, eyes cold.

“Reporting to Your Highness,” Xiao Xizi said calmly from his kneeling position, “I dare not speak presumptuously regarding His Majesty’s edict.”

Consort Yuan angrily said, “Xiao Xizi, are even you trying to fool me? Do you think I don’t know this is all the order of my good son?”

She wasn’t truly naive.

She knew who truly held power in Daliang Kingdom.

Her son, increasingly unfamiliar, was decisive.

In Ankang City, even in the whole Daliang Kingdom, no one dared defy him.

Although he had not yet ascended the throne, he was effectively acting on behalf of Heaven.

“Your Highness,” Xiao Xizi declared boldly, “I was wronged! Early this morning, the cabinet delivered the drafted imperial edict to Qilin Palace. After His Majesty sealed it, he even praised the Yuan family for their contribution to the state. Otherwise, there would be no one to use.”

“Nonsense,” Consort Yuan said lightly, “The Yuan family is weak now—how could we have helped His Majesty? The emperor is overestimating us.”

Xiao Xizi forced a smile, “His Majesty’s thoughts are beyond what we servants can fathom.”

“You all,” Consort Yuan returned to her seat, lifted her tea, and said, “The big red tea from Southern Province, supposedly picked from a thousand-year-old tree, was sent to me in such quantity. There must be a reason.”

Xiao Xizi hurriedly said, “Who doesn’t know our prince’s devotion? Whenever there’s something good, he thinks of Your Highness first and sends it immediately. In my humble opinion, Your Highness is truly fortunate to have such a son—someone like him is rare in the world.”

“Do you need to tell me this?”

Consort Yuan said proudly, “Your prince may be small-minded at times, but his nature is good. In this lifetime, don’t expect him to do anything bad.”

“Your Highness speaks rightly,”

Xiao Xizi quickly echoed.

Consort Yuan continued, “Go tell your prince that the chili seedlings in the imperial garden have withered. It’s autumn now. If we’re to save the seeds, he should decide.”

Xiao Xizi was momentarily stunned.

Chili seeds?

Songcheng’s restaurants in Ankang City were booming, attracting people from everywhere to learn.

Chili, like sweet potatoes, corn, and potatoes, was grown all over Daliang Kingdom.
Would the prince really bother with this?
He’d have to go to the imperial garden?

Ridiculous!

Yet, it became clear to him: Consort Yuan was looking for an excuse to bring the prince into the palace!
Yuan Zhen was her brother.
Given her personality, she wouldn’t let her brother go to Chuanzhou to die.

Now, her words were just maintaining face.

“Rest assured, Your Highness, I shall go to the prince immediately.”

Xiao Xizi stood and quietly left Jinglan Palace.

As usual, he met He Lian waiting outside.

“Sir, it’s cold today. I’ve already prepared hot tea for you,” He Lian smiled. “This year’s tribute tea, His Majesty doesn’t like it much, leaving it to go moldy would be a waste.”

“Your audacity grows,” Xiao Xizi rolled his eyes. “If someone with ill intent finds out, they might use it against you. Be careful.”

He Lian laughed, “You manage both palace and outside affairs alone, sir. Drinking some tea is trivial. Moreover, the palace tributes—”

“Silence.”

Xiao Xizi immediately cut him off.

He knew what He Lian was about to say.

Ever since Emperor Delong moved into Qilin Palace, he had finally been entrusted by Chief Steward Hong Ying to manage the inner treasury on behalf of the prince.

The treasury belonged to His Highness, so any tributes entering it naturally belonged to him too!

Thus, without question, the best of all tributes went to the prince’s household, especially teas favored by the prince.

Now, the tea Emperor Delong drank no longer had its former taste.

Even if the tribute was slightly inferior, it was still top-quality.

He dared not drink the prince’s tribute tea, but occasionally tried a sip of the lesser tea Emperor Delong drank—no big deal.

Still, it couldn’t be said aloud; if someone overheard, it would become a problem.

“Yes, sir, understood,” He Lian smiled sheepishly, “I speak only the truth, never to deceive you.”

Xiao Xizi said leisurely, “Fine, we understand. Some truths must stay in your heart. Even if they rot, you cannot speak them.”

He Lian hurriedly said, “I shall obey, sir. But some matters I must mention: Liu Kan was too arrogant yesterday, daring to openly disrespect you. If we do not teach him a lesson, he’ll grow even more reckless.”

“Hmph, you’re still too hasty, always wanting to be first, fighting for dominance,”

Xiao Xizi smiled, “In northern Ji, there’s an old saying: The foolish eldest, the sharp second, the pee-wee third—no matter the rank, if you have no skill, all is wrong. Liu Jin is unlucky, but one thing we must learn from him is his patience. This smiling tiger’s authority isn’t all luck.

Liu Kan is just a child; let him be. Life is long; no need for petty quarrels.

As His Highness says, that’s small-mindedness.

We won’t say more. Go to the prince’s household, and be clever with palace matters.”

“Farewell, sir.”

He Lian knelt again, watching Xiao Xizi leave.

Prince’s Mansion.

After finishing lunch, the eldest daughter woke up, crying incessantly. He held her, rocking and singing,

“Everyone is in a rush, won’t rest till drunk. Left hand a beauty, right hand a girl.”

“All roads lead to Ankang City. You were born here, my daughter, lucky to be a princess. Even I envy you—a winner in life.”

“The luckiest part? You have an enlightened father like me. Unlike me, who faced hardships in my youth, loved a girl whose family opposed us…”

The child cried even louder.

Nearby, Mingyue and Zixia laughed louder.

Suddenly, Lin Yi felt warmth and a mysterious stench on his arm.

Mingyue quickly took the child.

“Sigh.”

Lin Yi was helpless and had to find a place to wash again.

When he returned to the living room, Xiao Xizi was kneeling.

He repeated Consort Yuan’s words verbatim, without adding or subtracting a word.

Jiao Zhong listened, amazed, admiring Xiao Xizi even more; few could memorize so much.

Yet he dared not speak—Consort Yuan was involved, speaking out was courting death.

His Highness calmly said, “The chili in the imperial garden should be ripe. We’ve neglected it these years. Since mother mentioned it, I’ll go tomorrow and harvest it for pickled chili.”

Xiao Xizi exclaimed, “Your Highness is wise.”

Lin Yi smiled, “I heard mother wants to bring Chen Kai in as the prince consort. Is that true?”

“Your Highness,” Xiao Xizi carefully said, “Her intention was to invite Chen Kai, but Lord He Jixiang blocked it. Also, as far as I know, Lord Chen Yan might not even agree.”

“He disagrees?”

Lin Yi snorted, “Has he considered whether I agree? Unless the Chen family’s ancestral tombs smoke green, Ning’er isn’t someone they deserve.”

Xiao Xizi chuckled awkwardly, lowered his head, and remained silent.

Seeing Lin Yi wave him off, he cautiously exited the hall.

Spring fatigue, autumn drowsiness, summer naps.

After Xiao Xizi left, Lin Yi dozed for a while; when he woke, the sun had set.

Jiao Zhong and the others, seeing Lin Yi freshened up, hurried over, “Your Highness, we prepared a pound of cooked meat, a pound of sorghum wine, and some peanuts and dried tofu.”

Lin Yi leaned back, holding a tea cup, sipping casually, “That’ll do.”

After half a while, he lazily stood, left the mansion, and rode a donkey out of town.

Carrying the cooked meat in one hand and a jar of sorghum wine in the other, he arrived at Guan Xiaoqi’s house, startling her as she fed sweet potato vines to the cattle.

“You—”

She had planned to meet him at the village entrance.

“I have a mouth, I’ll ask around. Everyone knows where Guan Sheng lives. Your fame is not small,”

Lin Yi lifted the meat and wine, smiling, “Heat these up; no need to cook.”

Guan Xiaoqi blushed, “So sorry to trouble you.”

“Yes,” With a squeak, the low wooden gate opened, and a thin man emerged, cupping his hands to Lin Yi, “Young master, you are too kind. I feel unworthy.”

Lin Yi handed him the food and wine, smiling, “Seeing your spirits so good, I’m relieved. Go warm the dishes and enjoy a good drink tonight.”

He lacked nothing in wine.

What he lacked was someone to drink with.

Everyone was so cautious, making him bored.

Now in his position, he understood why emperors loved incognito visits.