TGP Chapter 46: Down to the Bone

“It’s not that you are being stubborn—it’s just that you are just not strong enough.”

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Original title 反骨 Fǎngǔ – (physiognomy) referring to the protruding bone at the back of the head, regarded as a sign of a rebellious or even treasonous nature.

Considered to be part of one’s nature, deeply ingrained down to the bone.

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Li Rong slept for a night at the Princess’s mansion and received a summons from the palace the next morning.

She had already made preparations beforehand. As soon as the people from the imperial palace arrived, she followed those attendants into the palace at once. She knew in her heart that she had forcibly interfered with the Empress and Consort Rou’s plans yesterday, so this matter could not simply end like that.

On the way, she thought about how to respond to the Empress’s questions, and soon she arrived at the palace. As soon as she entered Wei Yang Palace, she saw Li Chuan kneeling on the ground and the Empress seated on her throne high above, clutching her forehead as if she was having another headache. The people in the palace hall had already withdrawn, leaving just mother and son, one sitting and the other kneeling in the center of the hall. Li Rong smiled when she came in and saw the two of them like that: “What is going on here? It was like this the last time I came, and it’s no different this time. Are you two quarreling again?”

“You still dare speak?!” Shangguan Ya heard the sound of Li Rong’s voice and loudly shouted: “Kneel down!”

If Li Rong was still young, she would have started panicking a long time ago when she heard Shangguan Yue getting angry like this, but fortunately, her temperament was already that of someone at fifty years of age, so she calmly knelt down and asked with a smile: “Why has made Mother Empress so angry today?”

Shangguan Yue heard Li Rong feign ignorance as if not understanding a single thing. She raised her head with a cold look in her eyes, facing Li Rong with a fixated stare: “You and I are mother and daughter. Do you have to keep pretending like this?”

Li Rong saw Shangguan Yue’s cold expression and put her smile away as well.

“What were your intentions last night?”

“I should be asking Mother Empress this,” Li Rong calmly said, “What were your intentions, Mother Empress?”

“Bengong’s intentions are all too clear!” Shangguan Ya shouted: “Bengong wants Shangguan Ya to be Crown Princess! I already told Chuan’er to choose Ya’er’s incense, so why did you blindly jump into this mess? He is the Crown Prince!” Shangguan Yue raised a finger and pointed at Li Chuan, glaring at Li Rong as she angrily shouted, “He acted willfully, making a fool of himself, so are you going to follow his example and make a fool of yourself too?!”

“This is erchen’s fault,” Li Chuan heard Shangguan Yue scolding Li Rong and immediately kowtowed on the ground and hastily said: “Jiejie didn’t have anything to do with it. Erchen already said that erchen was the one who asked jiejie for help. Please ease your anger, Mother Empress.”

Li Rong heard this and understood. Li Chuan wanted to take responsibility for everything and said that what happened last night was something that he had asked her to.

Shangguan Yue became even more furious when she heard this. She immediately stood up and paced back and forth on the high platform, scolding as she walked: “Such a great opportunity last night and yet wasted like this because of you! Are you mad or are you still that foolish? Your Father Emperor has been keeping a finger on your marriage with A-ya. We were all prepared last night. As long as you chose A-ya’s sandalwood, your uncle would have had someone come forward and force a marriage decree on the spot, so what did you choose your sister’s incense for? Do you know how much effort it will take to have another chance like this again?!”

“This is erchen’s fault. Please ease your anger, Mother Empress.” Li Chuan repeatedly apathetically as he knelt on the ground, not getting up yet.

Li Rong watched as Shangguan Yue grew enraged on the high platform, and suddenly, an unspeakable sense of humiliation surged in her heart. Even if this person was her mother, she didn’t understand why but when she saw Li Chuan silently kneeling and receiving discipline like he was now, she felt that it was pitiful and regrettable.

“What exactly were you two thinking? You refused to cooperate with the Yang family, and that was no matter, but now that it’s the Shangguan family, do you intend to abandon them as well? Binding clans through marriage is no trivial matter, and if you don’t marry Ya’er, how can your uncle trust you?”

“So he won’t trust us simply for not marrying a woman?”

Li Rong suddenly spoke up. Shangguan Yue and Li Chuan were both stunned. Li Chuan blankly looked up at Li Rong and asked in an astonished voice: “Jie?”

“What did Chuan’er do wrong?” Li Rong looked at Shangguan Yue as she calmly said, “The Shangguan family has already enthroned an Empress for three generations. As of now, do you still not know where the conflicts between Father Emperor and us originate from?!” 

“That is why we must be brought closer together!” Shangguan Yue leaned forward as she stared intently at Li Rong: “Do you think that there is still a way out for Chuan’er? He is a descendant of the Shangguan family, he is already destined to have no way out of this!”

“Since we are already bound to die together, we have to rely on the Shangguan family anyways, so then what is there for Uncle to be worried about? What is the point in forcing them together for marriage? What is the meaning of this?”

These words stunned Shangguan Yue. Li Rong looked at her and calmly said: “Mother Empress, the truth is, we all know that what Uncle wants is not the title of Crown Princess but the title of the Empress. That is so half of the Li clan’s bloodline remains with the Shangguan family in each generation. You are already from the Shangguan family, so what Uncle wants is Chuan’er to give his word and promise the future.”

“But these lands belong to the Li clan,” Li Rong looked at Shangguan Yue in all seriousness, “It is time for the Shangguan family to retreat.”

“What did you say?” Shangguan Yue looked at Li Rong in disbelief, “Say it again?”

“I said,” Li Rong raised her voice, “If the Shangguan family still wishes to prosper, they should retreat!”

The palace hall suddenly fell silent. Shangguan Yue blankly stared at Li Rong as LI Rong rose to her feet with a calm, unhurried expression: “When filled with water to the brim, it will overflow, and the decline of prosperity is inevitable.”

She looked at Shangguan Yue with an unperturbed expression: “Mother Empress, Father Emperor will not allow Shangguan Ya to become Chuan’er’s Crown Princess. The day that Shangguan Ya becomes Chuan’er’s Crown Prince is the day Father Emperor will never allow Chuan’er to ascend the throne because he cannot tolerate the fact that the next Emperor will still have an Empress from the Shangguan clan.”

“Let the Shangguan clan gradually leave the imperial city, Mother Empress,” Li Rong said in a low voice, “This will be for the better of everyone’s sakes.”

Shangguan Yue absentmindedly stood atop the high platform as Li Rong turned to look at Li Chuan and said in a mild tone: “Stand up, we’re leaving.”

Li Chuan glanced over at Shangguan Yue. Li Rong saw him hesitate and shouted: “Stand up!”

Li Chuan stood up in a hurry after Li Rong shouted. Li Rong slightly nodded towards Shangguan Yue, then she said, “Mother Empress, we will head back first.”

With that said, Li Rong led Li Chuan out of the hall.

Li Chuan still had not recovered even after leaving Wei Yang Palace. It was not until he had walked some distance that Li Chuan suddenly reacted and excitedly said: “Jie, you were amazing just now!”

Li Rong glared at him and knocked him upside the head with her fan: “You’re hopeless.”

Li Chuan had been knocked on the head, but he was still just as happy as before. He chased after Li Rong and fell in step beside her, and even though he tried his best to restrain himself, his excitement could still be heard in his voice: “I never really expected you to say something like that. I always thought that you would also feel that I was wrong, A-jie, and come to persuade me later on Mother Empress’s behalf.”

As Li Rong and Li Chuan strolled through the imperial garden, she was a little absentminded when she heard Li Chuan’s words.

In fact, in the previous life, Li Chuan had married Shangguan Ya and four Side Consorts because she did indeed persuade him.

At that time, she felt that Li Chuan was too willful, but now that she thought about it, she felt that she was naive.

No one is willing to give their support and everything through just a simple marriage.

The good between Qin and Jin only came into existence from ulterior motives.^[1] However, during a conflict of interests, what is a mere woman worth?

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[1] “The good between Qin and Jin” refers to the marriage of two families, originating from the marriage alliance between Qin and Jin in the Spring and Autumn period. Duke Mu of Qin and Duke Hui of Jin had political ambitions and sought to work together, but Duke Hui repeatedly failed to live up to his promises. Duke Mu still helped Duke Hui’s son to the throne and married his daughter to him. It is said that it was Duke Mu’s generosity that made this marriage alliance work.

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Regardless of whether Li Chuan married someone from the Shangguan family, as long as their interests at heart were the same, the Shangguan family will certainly be tied to Li Chuan.

Speaking of which, being married to the Shangguan clan had hundreds of disadvantages and yet no advantages for Li Chuan.

It was only because back then, the Shangguan family took advantage of them because they were young and threatened not to support Li Chuan. However, at the time, she still had not seen through the true intentions of the factions of the imperial court, and so she had been manipulated at the hands of others.

Her thoughts were in disarray the entire time. Li Chuan walked beside her as he idly rambled about the situation last night. After talking for a long time, he cautiously ventured: “Jie, why are you suddenly helping me?”

“Haven’t I been helping you all this time?”

“It wasn’t in this kind of way,” Li Chuan thought about it for a moment before trying to describe it, “It’s just that you suddenly seem to understand my thoughts. You certainly wouldn’t have helped me with these things in the past. Instead, you would have stood by Mother Empress’s side and made things difficult for me.”

“I made things difficult for you, and you just accepted it?”

Li Chuan made no sound after hearing this. Li Rong heard his silence and turned to see Li Chuan with his head bowed, as if feeling a little guilty.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Actually, it is true that I am just being stubborn,”Li Chuan smiled bitterly, “You didn’t get to choose who you married, so how could I ask to have such a privilege? Forget it, let’s not talk about it anymore. I’m just really happy that you could help me. When you find the time, why don’t you let me invite you to share a meal?”

Li Rong lowered her head and laughed when she heard this. They stopped in front of the waterside pavilion, and Li Rong thought of something and slowly began to say: “Chuan’er, in truth, it’s not that you are being stubborn—it’s just that you are just not strong enough.”

Li Chuan turned to look at Li Rong, and Li Rong calmly said: “People only have the right to choose when they are strong enough and have the power to choose. I will always support you in this right as long as you are capable of it.”

“So,” Li Chuan stared at Li Rong, “If I am capable of doing so and won’t harm the innocent, then jiejie, you won’t think that I’m in the wrong, is that right?”

“As long as you think you are in the right,” Li Rong withdrew her gaze and looked over at Li Chuan with a smile, “Even if I think that you are wrong, it will not matter because I am not always right.”

“What if my thoughts are different from yours?” Li Chuan asked in a serious manner with a bit of panic in his eyes.

Li Rong looked at the young man in front of her. She could vaguely see the shadow of the future Li Chuan in him.

She suddenly realized how Li Chuan of that year had struggled to trudge down a lonely road all alone.

His father hated him, his mother used him, and his older sister also stood at opposite ends from him, never supporting him, much less trying to understand him.

Li Rong quietly observed him for a long time before she slowly said: “Even if there is a day when your thoughts are different from mine, you will still be my little brother.”

“I will never abandon you.”

When Li Chuan heard these words from Li Rong, he found his eyes reddening for some reason.

He realized he had lost his composure, so he lowered his head and smiled, seemingly a little embarrassed as he said in a hoarse voice: “I’m sorry, Jie. I’m a little…I’m a little…I just think that you are too good to me, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you,” Li Chuan paused, and after some time, he blurted out, “I’m sorry.”

He worried about Li Rong’s marriage when he was young and dedicated his mind and heart to establishing peace in the future on all four fronts. But before he had the chance to grow up, his older sister had already been forced to marry someone she didn’t love either.

Li Rong heard the guilt in Li Chuan’s words and froze. After some time, she hesitantly said: “Actually…Pei Wenxuan is actually quite good.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Li Rong smiled, “I can marry well.”

Li Chuan laughed aloud: “I can tell.”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow: “Huh?”

“I think ever since you got married,” Li Chuan looked up at her, “You seem to be smiling more these days.”

Li Rong was slightly taken aback, but at this moment, an attendant came running down a small path and respectfully said: “Your Highness the Princess, the Prince Consort is waiting at the doors, saying that he came to escort you back.”

“Is he trying to make trouble?” Hearing this, Li Chuan immediately said, “As if I wouldn’t send my sister back? Tell him to get lost!”

“Your Highness,” The sound of Pei Wenxuan’s voice came from not too far away, “Your Highness is busy with many affairs, we dare not trouble Your Highness.”

“Gu is busy, but you’re not busy? Don’t you have a little too much time? If you have the time, then come and talk to Gu, Gu has plenty for you to do!”

Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh when she heard Li Chuan scolding, but Pei Wenxuan smiled without saying a word, then he turned to look at Li Rong and explained: “Just now, in the imperial court, I heard that you were in the palace, so I wanted to come pick you up and head back together.”

“Alright,” Li Rong nodded, then she turned to Li Chuan and said, “We will be on our way now. You can send me back next time.”

“Jie, let me know when you have the time,” Li Chuan hastily said, “I will invite you out to eat at a restaurant.”

Li Rong turned around and waved a hand back at him: “Anytime.”

The two of them walked out of the palace gates together. Li Chuan watched their retreating figures, and after some time, he couldn’t help but smile.

At this time, Shangguan Yue had been crying for a while in Wei Yang Palace.

She eventually calmed down, and the elderly attendant Cui Yu, who was serving her, told her in a low voice: “You must not be too upset. The Princess and Crown Prince are all grown up now, and this also happens to be the peak of their youth. Don’t mind them, there will be a day when they come to understand your painstaking efforts.”

“Rong’er can act like this,” Shangguan Yue cried, “She is already married anyway and has little to do with the palace, but if Chuan’er is like this too, what do you want me to say to my older brother?”

“Niangniang, please do not think too much of it. His Highness the Crown Prince has always been filial, so there must be other reasons as to why he’s suddenly so rebellious.”

These words seemed to awaken Shangguan Yue. She suddenly reacted and asked: “Why is he so resistant towards this marriage? Could it be that he has someone in his heart?”

Cui Yu brought tea over from the side and respectfully said: “His Highness is no longer young. There will be people around him who are mixed up in many things, so it’s not impossible for others to lead him astray.”

Shangguan Yue continued to ponder over it. After a while, she immediately said: “Have someone go and check if there have been any suspicious women around the Crown Prince lately. His whereabouts, actions and everyone he has met—have people around him report back to me!”

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Autumn: Happy Lunar New Year!

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A Collection of Short Stories

《Body Swap》Don’t Be a Favored Concubine

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