Princess and the General

Forgive Son for not Being Able to Follow Orders

“Master, young miss brought princess here saying that she wants to see you.”

The servant bowed and reported from outside the door.
Inside the small study of the main hall, Yin Yan was currently writing something.

Hearing this report, he did not even bother raising his head, “Quickly invite them in.
We’re family, so why bother with the courtesy.”

The servant quickly said: “Master, it’s not our manor’s princess.
It’s Princess ZhenJiang.
Princess came with the eldest young sir of Marquis Gu’s Manor saying that they had something to discuss with eldest young sir.”

The brush in Yin Yan’s hand froze, as he lifted his head to look at the servant.
He then slowly put his brush on a rack.

“Princess ZhenJiang wants to see me.
Did you hear young miss say what for? If it’s just a plain visit, there’s no need.
She is a female guest, so she should be received by the young miss or Princess DanYang.
There’s no need for her to see me.”

The servant thought for a bit, “Young miss said that they came to see master to talk about something.
It did not seem to be a plain visit.
Will master see her?”

Yin Yan put away the things on his desk and slowly said: “She is a princess, while I am just a retired former prime minister.
How could I refuse? Invite her in.”

Putting his things away, he walked out, “I will see the guests in the main hall.”

“Yes, master.”

Yin JiYao led Yu Fu into the main hall.
There, she saw an old man who had become so thin that he was nothing but skin and bones.
Despite being just a few years older than Gu HuaiJiang, he looked like he was much older.

Seeing Yu Fu, he slowly stood up with the help of his cane.

In the end, he was someone who had been prime minister for multiple decades.
He maintained a calm demeanor and did not show too much respect to the so-called princess.

Yu Fu instantly moved forward and stopped him, “Former prime minister, there’s no need to be so courteous.
You are the elder.
We can speak while sitting.”

Yin Yan did not refuse, “Then princess, please sit.
Princess is a noble guest.
JiYao, quickly bring out some tea for princess.”

Bringing out tea was usually left to the servants, and the prime minister’s manor was not a place that did not see noble guests visit it in the past.
Yin Yan had never had Yin JiYao personally bring tea out for a guest before.

This was not out of respect for Yu Fu’s status; it was clearly to get rid of her.

Yin JiYao was hoping to say a few words to support Yu Fu and naturally did not want to leave, “Father, princess is an easy-going person.
There’s no need…”

Yin Yan shot a sharp glance at her, “Why haven’t you gone yet?”

Yin JiYao looked at Yu Fu’s expression, and the latter slightly nodded to her.
Bowing, she left.

After dismissing everyone, Yin Yan’s expression became even stranger, “For princess to have come to see this old man, what is the reason for it?”

He was very direct, thus Yu Fu expressed her thoughts directly, “Former prime minister has surely heard about what happened in the palace last night.
His Majesty is still young and occasionally has wild ideas that are in need of an older official to advise on.
I wonder if former prime minister has any intention of advising him on this matter?”

Yin Yan’s expression did not change, “Princess must be joking.
This old man has not been a court official in a long time.
I am now nothing more than an old man.
How could I have the ability to advise His Majesty? Not to mention advising His Majesty, but this old man doesn’t even know about what happened in the palace last night.”

He cleanly pushed back, but Yin JiYao had already sold him out.

Yu Fu smiled, “Former prime minister, why bother being so wary of me? I know that former prime minister can’t possibly be ignorant of what happened in the palace last night, as news has already reached most people in the capital.
More importantly, former prime minister, doesn’t the prime minister’s manor currently wield the most influence in the capital?”

A flicker of light flashed through Yin Yan’s eyes, but he did not speak.

Yu Fu continued: “Former prime minister and head general have always been at odds, and I am head general’s adopted daughter, so it’s natural that former prime minister does not tell the truth.
It’s just that while former prime minister does not trust head general, head general has always had faith in your ability and bearing as a prime minister.
Head general and I are the same.
We believe in your loyalty and believe that you can’t possibly be indifferent to His Majesty’s wanton actions.”

Yin Yan’s expression softened slightly, “Marquis Gu appraised this old one in such a way?”

Yu Fu replied honestly, “Yes, head general has never been hostile toward former prime minister.
On the contrary, he has always felt that while you were in office, you managed the court situation very well and could shoulder that heavy responsibility.”

Only now did Yin Yan start sizing up Yu Fu in earnest.
On the first day of the new year, she wore a plain white dress with a black cloak on top.
She looked elegant and pure.

To others, this style of dress might look taboo; however, to Yin Yan, it was very comforting.
He knew that she was paying respects to the late emperor.

A princess who did not have the late emperor’s blood was willing to conceal her natural beauty for the sake of mourning the late emperor, yet Ning ChengZhi was busy feasting during the palace banquet.

He slowly opened his mouth, his voice softer than before, “I had heard that princess persuaded His Majesty to have a more moderate banquet to show respect to the late emperor, and I heard that you refused His Majesty’s intention to appoint you empress.
I will tell princess a few truths today, but it’s not for Marquis Gu’s sake.
Instead, it’s because of princess’ filial feelings for the late emperor and for princess’ integrity.”

Yin Yan finally let out a sigh of relief.
Yu Fu also let out a sigh of relief.

She said: “Since that’s the case, I will tell former prime minister the truth.
I am someone who was engaged to the heir to Marquis Gu’s Manor by the late emperor, and it is disrespectful for the child to go against the father’s wishes, and His Majesty’s actions are truly disrespectful of the late emperor’s will.
If former prime minister also feels this way, could you write a letter to His Majesty to change his mind?”

Only after hearing this did Yin Yan dare to ascertain that Yu Fu had come to ask him to dissuade His Majesty from appointing her as empress.

If she had even the slightest desire for the empress’ position, she would not have come to ask him, an enemy of Marquis Gu’s Manor.
Yin Yan felt that his past view of her had been too inaccurate.

The girl that he had viewed as having an unclear origin and uncertain motives actually had such a disdain for power!

Yin Yan quietly reflected on himself.
He, an adult in his fifties, could not compare with Yu Fu, a girl who was not even as tall as his hair was long.
This was truly embarrassing.

He thought for a moment, “As a subject, it is natural to advise His Majesty on his unrighteous actions, but hasn’t princess sought out the wrong person? This old man is now unemployed and powerless.
Even if I submitted a letter, would His Majesty listen to me? Marquis Gu has a wide number of contacts in court, like Lord Ji and the members of the cabinet.
Princess should have them advise His Majesty.”

Yu Fu said: “Former prime minister is one of them.
Naturally, you know whom His Majesty currently trusts the most.
The cabinet was established by the late emperor, but it has already been rendered powerless.
Lord Ji is already older, and head general has already gone into the palace today to see His Majesty.
There are surely some righteous subjects in court, so this matter looks very promising!”

Yin Yan’s heart was swayed, as he fell deep into thought.

…

Gu ShuBai and Yin Shuo sat across from each other in the outer study and sipped tea.

This was his first time coming to the prime minister’s manor.
Looking around, the corners of his lips twitched, while something seemed to be on his mind.

Yin Shuo seemed to have an idea of what he was thinking, “Is eldest young sir wondering why I would invite you to a place as important as the outer study?”

While saying this, he pushed a freshly poured cup of tea toward Gu ShuBai.

Gu ShuBai smiled, “Do the other officials that visit the prime minister’s manor not also come to the outer study? For example, what about Lord Liu, Liu Zhen, from the Board of Civil Office.”

Yin Shuo carefully looked at him.
Unexpectedly, he was examining the prime minister’s manor without any reservation in front of him.

Gu ShuBai said: “Prime Minister Yin, why bother looking at me like this? When it comes to familiarity with each other’s manor, Prime Minister Yin has a bit more familiarity.”

Yin Shuo also smiled, “That’s right.
This is thanks to Lord Marquis Gu’s generosity.
In the past, general and prime minister did not get along, as father didn’t even bother putting on a front, never inviting anyone from Marquis Gu’s Manor to the manor.
Lord Marquis Gu was different, inviting all members of the court whenever there was a banquet.
Not even the prime minister’s manor was excluded.
It’s thanks to Lord Marquis Gu’s invitations that I became more and more familiar with Marquis Gu’s Manor.”

“Whether my father was putting on a front or genuinely hoping for peace with the prime minister’s manor to provide peace for Eastern Ling, you should know.
He permitted someone who schemed to have me killed to come and plead for forgiveness in front of the manor in such a pretentious manner.
It was in hopes that you would manage to take over for the former prime minister in taking care of Eastern Ling.”

Gu ShuBai was secretly letting him know that they knew that Yin Shuo was the one behind the assassination attempt in Changzhou; however, they allowed Yin Shuo to resign.

Yin Shuo faintly smiled.
The times had changed.
He was not afraid of Gu ShuBai bringing up old matters, “I have never suspected Lord Marquis Gu’s loyalty.
As for eldest young sir…”

“May I know the reason that eldest young sir has decided to grace me with your presence today?”

Gu ShuBai lifted his teacup, while Yin Shuo quietly waited for him to reply.
It seemed that he knew what he wanted to say.

“Everyone knows that Prime Minister Yin is an emotionless person, but is this true or fake?”

Yin Shuo froze, not expecting him to ask about this, “Everyone? It’s just JiYao who says it.
So what if I am emotionless or have emotions.
Eldest young sir claims to be an affectionate person, but how do we know if that affection would last?”

“I am not talking about myself, I am talking about Yu Fu.”

Yin Shuo’s expression immediately changed, and Gu ShuBai took note of it.
No matter how much he might feign ignorance, he could not escape the truth.

Even if that expression only lasted for a second.

Yin Shuo did his best to calm his expression, “Eldest young sir came because of what happened during last night’s palace banquet.
His Majesty wants to appoint Yu Fu as empress.
Marquis Gu’s Manor is a loyal family that cannot go against an imperial decree.
Eldest young sir has truly been put in a difficult situation and has no choice but to come to me for help.”

His speaking about loyalty sounded mockingly sarcastic.

Gu ShuBai smiled and said: “When have I asked you for help? After confessing your feelings to Yu Fu on your wedding day, could it be that Prime Minister Yin now feels indifferent to His Majesty’s plans?”

Yin Shuo lost a third of his overbearing aura.

Yu Fu did not hide anything from Gu ShuBai, even telling him such a private secret, yet she never treated him this way.

Thinking of how the two spent their days together under one roof and how intimate they could be, Yin Shuo felt as though a fire was about to erupt from his chest.

He coldly said: “I do like Yu Fu, but you can just give up.
I won’t help you change His Majesty’s mind.”

Yin Shuo refused so resolutely in a way that Gu ShuBai had not expected.

He paused for a moment and understood Yin Shuo’s feelings.

He resented Marquis Gu’s Manor.
At the same time, he understood that nobody in Marquis Gu’s Manor wanted to see Yu Fu appointed as empress.
Even if an imperial decree came, Marquis Gu’s Manor would stand in front to block it.

Yin Shuo could just sit back and reap the benefits.
He could just sit back and watch Marquis Gu’s Manor and Ning ChengZhi fight to the death.

Gu ShuBai sneered, “It seems that I overestimated your love of Yu Fu.
Yu Fu clearly told you back then that she would neither be a concubine nor a second wife, yet you still chose to marry Princess DanYang for the sake of power.
It truly is not worth it for Prime Minister Yin to risk infuriating His Majesty over such a cheap love.”

After saying this, he stood up.
It seemed that he no longer wanted to continue speaking to Yin Shuo.

Yin Shuo immediately stood up, “Don’t think that you truly love Yu Fu.
I have liked her from the first moment that I saw her.
My love for her is not any less than what you feel for her! It’s just a pity that it was Marquis Gu’s Manor that adopted her and not the prime minister’s manor.
If she was engaged to me, I would have done anything to convince His Majesty not to appoint her as empress!”

Gu ShuBai smiled with a bit of disdain, “Prime Minister Yin, why bother deceiving yourself? If you were the one engaged to Yu Fu, you would still be just as unwilling to give up your title and power.
That’s why you would definitely be unable to have her.
Even if you had her, you would not be able to protect her.
You are only capable of protecting your power and your isolation!”

Yin Shuo could no longer restrain himself, as his entire body trembled.

The ones that he allegedly had were nothing more than Princess DanYang and Yin JiYao.
One was a wife who did not love him, and one was a sister whom he had used and abused.

He… did not care about them.

Yin Shuo suddenly laughed, “Eldest young sir, there’s no need to act so aggressively.
Since you like Yu Fu, you should be prepared to give everything for her.
I won’t go and see His Majesty for you.”

“And if I tell you to go?”

An old voice suddenly came from the entrance to the study.
Yin Shuo was stunned, as the door to the study was pushed open.

Yin Yan had been standing outside the door and listening for quite some time, and Yu Fu was standing behind him.
The two then entered the study.

Thinking of how everything that he had just said was heard by Yin Yan and Yu Fu, Yin Shuo’s embarrassment quickly turned to anger, as he looked at the servant outside, “Why did you not report when father and princess came?!”

The servant lowered his head and bowed in fear, not daring to answer.
Yin Yan leaned on his cane.
He was old but still maintained his dignity, “It’s not his fault.
I told him not to report.
What, can I no longer tell the servants what to do in my own manor?”

These words carried a faint hint of disapproval for Yin Shuo’s actions, and Yin Shuo quickly cupped his hands and said: “Father, son would never dare to insinuate that.
What I meant was…”

“It’s fine as long as that’s not what you meant.
Close the door!”

Yin Yan turned around and fiercely shouted.

The servant immediately closed the door.
Gu ShuBai was surprised that Yu Fu and Yin Yan had appeared at the same time.
He looked at Yu Fu, and Yu Fu gave him a reassuring look.

Their non-verbal communication was noticed by Yin Shuo, and his expression slightly changed.

Yin Yan noticed this and resented his lack of growth.

The son whom he had always been proud of was actually just like the other emotional and sentimental young sirs, having developed feelings for Yu Fu.

It was no wonder he had gone behind his back to have Gu ShuBai assassinated in Changzhou.
It turned out that it was not to help him but because of his own jealousy!

The thing that he could tolerate even less was…

“Shuo’er, why did you not agree to eldest young sir’s request?”

Yin Shuo frowned.
In front of Yu Fu, he could not repeat what he had just said.

He looked at Yin Yan with difficulty.
He did not know what had possessed him today, actually making things difficult for him in front of outsiders, especially those from Marquis Gu’s Manor.

Right, it was surely because Yu Fu had said something to Yin Yan!

“There’s no need for you to look at princess.
Just tell father.
Why do you not want to accept eldest young sir’s request?”

Yin Shuo bit the bullet and said: “Hasn’t father always disliked Marquis Gu’s Manor? Why do you hope that son would help them today?”

Yin Yan tapped his cane on the floor, “That is a personal resentment.
How could that be more important than the country’s affairs? His Majesty wants to appoint a girl who is already engaged to the position of empress.
A ruler stealing a subject’s wife is something that will surely be heavily criticized by future generations! As prime minister, how can you not advise His Majesty?”

When it came to duty as an official, Yin Yan had never made a mistake.
Sure enough, he and Yin Shuo were different types of people.

Having been censured by his own father, Yin Shuo felt extremely troubled.

He knew that as long as he took a step back, many things would be lost.
He could not take a step back.

Even if Yin Yan, his own father, told him to step back, he could not do it.

He cupped his hands and quietly said: “Father, please forgive son for not being able to obey.”