Salted Fish Chapter 23

 Chapter 23

Are You Aggrieved?

"Why do you say that?" Xiao Jin smiled and replied, "Naturally, because Third Brother is an exceptionally clever person."

Liu Jingyi: "..." To be honest, she didn't know what expression to show.

She even suspected that Xiao Jin could say this so effortlessly because he was biased towards Xiao Shan.

Seeing her expression, which was not entirely concealed due to her shock, Xiao Jin knew what she was thinking. He smiled and said, "You don't believe it? But Mother Empress does. That's why over the years, Mother Empress has always let Consort Lan make a fuss and then cleaned up the mess for her. Mother Empress feels guilty towards Third Brother."

These words completely piqued Liu Jingyi's curiosity. She asked, "What do you mean by that, Crown Prince?"

Xiao Jin had long wanted to share his thoughts with her but hadn't found the right time.

When Liu Jingyi wasn't pregnant, she was quite carefree. But ever since she became pregnant, she had been extremely protective of the unborn child, feeling that any slight disturbance was a threat to her baby.

Ever since the incident with the pastries sent by Consort Lan, although the culprit was eventually found, the maid couldn't withstand the torture from the Department of Punishments and died. Before her death, in a delirious state, she uttered, "You will never know who the real culprit is."

The officials from the Department of Punishments didn't dare to conceal anything and naturally reported it to the Emperor and Empress.

The Emperor also ordered a continued search for the mastermind behind the incident, but there were no results.

Thus, this matter became a knot in Liu Jingyi's heart that she couldn't untangle. She didn't want to suspect Consort Lan, but she couldn't help overthinking. Xiao Jin originally thought she had already let it go, but when he occasionally saw her being very resistant to being too close to Consort Lan, he realized she had never gotten over it.

From Liu Jingyi's perspective, Xiao Jin thought being cautious was a good thing. After all, this was the child they had longed for, and if anything were to happen, they wouldn't be able to bear it.

However, he also wanted Liu Jingyi to relax, as Imperial Physician Su had hinted during the last check-up that being overly anxious was not good for her health or the baby.

Today, Xiao Jin had some free time and, hearing Liu Jingyi's suggestive words, decided to have a long talk with his wife to thoroughly analyze the current situation.

Xiao Jin held Liu Jingyi's hand and had her sit down, then began, "You know that both Mother Empress and Consort Lan come from the Gu family, right?"

Liu Jingyi nodded, "This is known throughout the land. Why does Your Highness ask?"

Xiao Jin didn't answer her directly but instead said, "I just mentioned that Third Brother is a clever person, and you don't believe it, do you?"

Liu Jingyi immediately replied, "It's not that I don't believe it, it's just not very apparent."

Xiao Jin smiled, his features exceptionally refined and handsome, and said, "Isn't that the same as not believing?"

Liu Jingyi blushed and found herself at a loss for words.

Xiao Jin patted her hand and continued, "Mother Empress and Consort Lan both come from the Gu family. If Consort Lan and Third Brother truly had ambitions for that position, the two branches of the Gu family wouldn't only support me while completely ignoring Third Brother. After all, Second Uncle is Consort Lan's biological father. If Consort Lan and Third Brother had such intentions, how could Second Uncle not have any thoughts about it?"

Liu Jingyi was momentarily stunned, then her eyes sparkled with realization, showing that she had been enlightened.

Xiao Jin continued, "Over the years, both branches of the Gu family have consistently supported me, and Third Brother has done the same. Don't be fooled by Consort Lan's antics; she acts without a plan and is easily swayed by others. Her ambitions are simple and only concern immediate benefits. She has never thought of pushing Third Brother towards that position."

"As for Third Brother, he has shown through his actions since childhood that he has no intention of vying for that position," Xiao Jin said, his eyes curving with a smile. "I understand the concerns you and Mother Empress have. You're worried that Third Brother might use the opportunity of taking secondary consorts to expand his own influence. In your view, the position of Prince Li's secondary consort is certainly desirable to many. But think about it differently: if Third Brother has the support of the Gu family, why would he take such a roundabout way to achieve his goals? If he truly had ambitions, he would only need to have Second Uncle and the others feign support for me and then strike at a critical moment. Wouldn't that be more effective?"

Liu Jingyi saw that Xiao Jin was genuinely interested in discussing this topic, so she opened up and couldn't help but say, "What if Prince Li is doing this on purpose? He might be distancing himself from the Gu family while secretly forming alliances with others. This way, the Crown Prince wouldn't know and wouldn't suspect him."

"There always has to be a reason for forming alliances with others," Xiao Jin said with a smile. "Third Brother's temperament isn't suited to using secondary consorts as a means to win over external officials. Who would he be secretly contacting? Over the years, has he gotten close to any court officials? He simply doesn't like using such methods."

Liu Jingyi couldn't understand why Xiao Jin was so certain that Xiao Shan wouldn't take secondary consorts.

At this point, Xiao Jin couldn't help but complain, "To be honest, if it weren't for Father Emperor arranging his marriage, I would have thought he would never marry. The reason he hasn't married isn't just because of the rumors; it's more because he doesn't want to marry someone with ties to the previous dynasty. But a prince's marriage can't be taken lightly. Even if Third Brother had such thoughts, Father Emperor wouldn't agree. So, his marriage was delayed until Xie Zhui appeared. Xie Zhui's sensitive status, being a ger, meant Father Emperor couldn't treat him poorly or leave him unattended. Bestowing him to Third Brother as the main consort was a solution. However, both Father Emperor and I know that this arrangement has wronged Third Brother. So, if Third Brother truly wanted to take secondary consorts, no one would stop him. But now, it's clear that Third Brother has feelings for Xie Zhui."

"From what I know of Third Brother, he may seem lazy, but he is deeply emotional and has his own set of principles. Once he has decided on Xie Zhui, he will only keep him by his side. He finds having too many people around noisy and annoying, and secondly, he wouldn't use such methods to gain support." At this point, Xiao Jin felt a bit uncomfortable, as if his own Eastern Palace had quite a few people in the rear courtyard.

It was hard to say if this was like hitting Liu Jingyi's heart with a hammer.

Fortunately, Liu Jingyi's attention wasn't focused on that, so he quickly continued, "Over the years, Third Brother has shown his true heart through his actions. How could I doubt him?"

"Mother Empress may not say it, but she understands Third Brother's intentions. However, sitting in her position, having seen so much betrayal in the harem, she is always cautious and overthinks things. I understand what Mother Empress is thinking. She believes in Third Brother but can't help worrying. When things are resolved, she feels guilty but can't express this guilt to Third Brother, so she ends up protecting Consort Lan even more."

As a son, one cannot casually discuss the faults of one's parents.

Xiao Shan often crossed boundaries, but as the Crown Prince, Xiao Jin could not afford to do so. Otherwise, if someone overheard, it could become a weapon against him.

Today, for Liu Jingyi's sake, he thoroughly analyzed the Empress.

After listening to his words, Liu Jingyi fully understood his intentions. She stood up and solemnly bowed to Xiao Jin, saying, "It was my vision that was too narrow. Today, thanks to the Crown Prince's enlightenment, I will remember this conversation and be mindful of my words in the future."

Xiao Jin helped her up and smiled, "You can't be blamed for this. It's also my fault for not noticing your feelings and not telling you these things earlier. Now that you understand and can relax your mind, I am very pleased."

Liu Jingyi said softly, "In the future, if there is anything I do wrong, the Crown Prince should just point it out, and I will correct it."

Xiao Jin agreed.

And just as he had predicted, before noon, news came that Xiao Shan had directly refused Consort Lan's proposal to take secondary consorts at Jinglan Hall.

Upon hearing the news, Xiao Jin raised an eyebrow at Liu Jingyi, his expression clearly saying, "I told you so."

Liu Jingyi smiled lightly, a hint of admiration in her eyes. She said, "The Crown Prince's foresight is unparalleled. I cannot compare."

Xiao Jin, flattered by her praise, shook his head and laughed, the moment as serene and beautiful as the moonlight outside the window.

***

Meanwhile, Xie Zhui and Xiao Shan returned to Prince Li's residence.

Xie Zhui hadn't said much along the way, and Xiao Shan, thinking he was in a bad mood, didn't try to cheer him up.

Upon returning to the residence, Xiao Shan planned to take a nap. He had assumed Xie Zhui would go to the rear courtyard to practice with his sword, but to his surprise, Xie Zhui followed him into the inner chamber.

Xiao Shan blinked at him, and Xie Zhui directly asked, "Why does Your Highness not wish to take secondary consorts?"

Xiao Shan paused, "Would you want me to?"

Xie Zhui shook his head, "No, I wouldn't."

Xiao Shan raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Since you don't want it, why ask? Aren't you afraid I might say I will take secondary consorts in the future?"

Xie Zhui remained silent, stubbornly looking at him.

Xiao Shan didn't understand what he meant, his eyes full of questions.

Suddenly, Xie Zhui asked, "Would Your Highness feel aggrieved?"

Xiao Shan was taken aback. Fearing his words were unclear, Xie Zhui explained further, "What I mean is, Your Highness not taking secondary consorts isn't necessarily because of me, but more because you don't want to be suspected by others. Consort Lan made a big fuss about you taking secondary consorts, making it known to everyone, but you yourself are unwilling. If your intentions are misunderstood, would Your Highness feel aggrieved?"

Xiao Shan looked steadily at Xie Zhui, then he laughed and said, "Xie Zhui, when you get straight to the point, it's really hard to handle."

Xie Zhui didn't understand what he meant, his eyes suddenly filled with confusion.

Xiao Shan threw himself onto the bed and said, "Do you know why I was so confident in telling Consort Lan that Father Emperor agreed to me not taking secondary consorts?"

Xie Zhui didn't answer.

Xiao Shan continued, "It's because I know Father Emperor doesn't want me to gain too much power through marriage alliances."

The Emperor's thoughts were quite simple. Xiao Jin was the Crown Prince and the future Emperor of Da Zhou, so the Gu family must fully support Xiao Jin without any divided loyalties.

As for Xiao Shan, being the Gu family's grandson, he should only maintain the most basic relationship with them.

Regarding taking secondary consorts, from a father's perspective, the Emperor hoped Xiao Shan would take a secondary consort because he wanted Xiao Shan to have his own children. If Xie Zhui couldn’t bear children, the children born to a secondary consort would still be Xiao Shan's bloodline.

But from an emperor's perspective, he hoped that even if Xiao Shan took a secondary consort, it would be best to choose someone not entangled with power and influence.

Because being too entangled with power creates a web of cause and effect. Sometimes, you don't need to act yourself; those behind you will push you in that direction.

So, regarding Consort Lan's proposal, the Emperor was conflicted. He threw the problem to Xiao Shan to understand his thoughts.

If Xiao Shan was willing to take a secondary consort, the Emperor would agree.

If Xiao Shan was unwilling, the Emperor would ask for his reasons and ultimately agree as well.

Xiao Shan had understood the Emperor's mind thoroughly since childhood, which was why he was such an unconventional prince.

They wanted to know what he truly thought, so he openly showed them.

He had no desire to become the Crown Prince, no ambition for the throne; he just wanted to be a carefree person who could enjoy life.

"But even if I were truly asked to compete, I wouldn't be willing," Xiao Shan said. "I just want to be a leisurely prince, living a carefree life is more comfortable than anything else."

Besides, even if they were to take a step back, if he truly had ambitions, he wouldn't take the route of marrying multiple wives to consolidate his power.

Others might, but he wouldn't.

Call him old-fashioned or accuse him of false modesty, he would accept it.

He had his own principles.

Crossing the line was easy, but holding the line was hard, and he just wanted to hold that line.

"As for whether I would feel aggrieved," Xiao Shan thought seriously for a moment and said, "if I were truly misunderstood, it would not only be aggrieving but also frustrating. However, if that day ever comes, I would only allow myself to feel aggrieved for an hour."

He was so clear and honest in his actions that if he were still misunderstood, there would be no need to feel aggrieved because it wouldn't be worth it.

An hour could be used to mourn his former self.

Xie Zhui looked at Xiao Shan, who spoke these words so nonchalantly, and felt as if he had touched a part of Xiao Shan's inner world.

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