CHAPTER 329: CHAPTER 279: THE THOUGHTS BETWEEN AN OLD COUPLE

Princess Rong sat down gracefully again, "Recently, I’ve had a bit of a disagreement with him, which is not a good thing, so I want to reconcile with him. Naturally, this means finding a time when we can speak alone."

Yang Zhan relaxed his tense shoulders slightly and said, "Can’t you talk in the aforementioned places?"

"Certainly not." Princess Rong glanced at him, "You know very well those ones are relentlessly pestering your father recently."

The illegitimate son born of the concubine has already grown up and recently gave Prince Rong a grandson, and this son has entered the Clan Court to work. Step by step, it indeed troubles Yang Zhan, the Princely Heir.

He then said, "Then the ancestral temple is the only place."

"Ancestral temple?"

"Yes." Yang Zhan nodded, "Father is a filial man, deeply reverent towards our ancestors, as you are well aware."

Before she could speak again, he quickly added, "I really have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave!"

With that, he stepped over the threshold and hurried away.

Instinctively, Princess Rong took two steps forward, but by the time she reached the corridor, he was already far away, so she snorted discontentedly at his back.

In such a hurry, there must be something going on!

She pondered briefly and couldn’t help but glance towards the direction of the ancestral temple in the west.

The ancestral temple is where the Prince Rong’s Mansion honors their ancestors. Prince Rong and the emperor are cousins, so the mansion worships the ancestors of their branch.

It is true that Prince Rong is scrupulous about filial piety and ethics; it was for this reason that when Yang Zhan was made Princely Heir, nothing untoward occurred.

Indeed, over the years, their relationship as a couple was not as close as it used to be. How was it that Princess Rong was unaware that Prince Rong would still go to the ancestral temple to sit without any specific reason?

She summoned two guards: "Go investigate the Prince’s itinerary for the past two days."

When the servants brought a thick stack of files to Mrs. Zhang, she had just finished breakfast.

She swiftly glanced over them, then sneered twice and asked, "Where is the Prince now?"

Currently, there are not many clan members; Prince Rong manages the Clan Court but has few matters to attend to. Apart from official duties he must personally handle, most affairs are delegated to subordinate officials.

Recently, a series of incidents occurred at Prince Rong’s Mansion, and for the first time in many years, Prince Rong faced the emperor’s questioning. It was a blow to his pride, and he felt uncomfortable, so he seldom left the mansion these days. He spent his days leisurely painting, listening to music, and having tea and conversations with the Qingke Sect.

After breakfast, several concubines sent invitations to have tea and view flowers in the garden. Prince Rong thought that since Yongping was demoted, the Princess had been unhappy for days, so he had someone invite Princess Rong to join for amusement.

Just as he sent the person off, someone at the courtyard gate reported that the Princely Heir’s wife requested an audience.

Prince Rong’s greatest regret in life is not having a legitimate son of outstanding talent, but he is quite satisfied with his shrewd and capable daughter-in-law.

As soon as the servant finished speaking, he ordered, "Let the Princely Heir’s wife in."

After feeding the parrot in the corridor, Mrs. Zhang walked in, presented herself gracefully before him, and said, "Daughter-in-law pays respects to Father-in-law."

"No need for formalities," Prince Rong turned to look at her, "What brings you here?"

Mrs. Zhang looked around.

Understanding her meaning, Prince Rong dismissed everyone and then said, "Speak."

Mrs. Zhang nodded, observed him for a moment, and said, "I heard a few new opera houses have opened in the city, with new troupes gradually moving in. Has Father-in-law not gone out to have a look these days?"

Prince Rong continued to feed the parrot, "Our Prince Manor is under the emperor’s watchful eyes; it’s wise to be cautious in all matters. In these troubled times, one needs to be more restrained."

Mrs. Zhang then said, "It seems Father-in-law hasn’t visited Consort much these days either?"

Prince Rong replied absentmindedly, then paused slightly and looked at her, "What do you mean by that?"

Mrs. Zhang took two steps forward, "Recently, I overheard servants talking, saying that Consort has privately met with several important officials’ wives to try and release my sister. Is this the intention of Father-in-law?"

"Who did you hear this from?" Prince Rong, upon hearing this, suddenly turned around, his previously casual demeanor immediately becoming serious.

"Servants from our Prince Manor. Rest assured, Father-in-law, I have already punished them," Mrs. Zhang reported and continued, "But since these officials’ families are not very clean, I’m worried that Consort might get involved in trouble, and if Father-in-law is unaware, once the emperor gets wind of this, our Prince Manor will fall into a passive position. So, I came quickly to clarify this matter."