Consort Lin was truly defeated by this fickle daughter of his, and could only mutter under his breath, “She’s already so old, yet she’s becoming more and more prone to crying.”
The Eldest Princess, seated nearby, heard her husband’s muttering and glared at him again in annoyance. Consort Lin could only offer an ingratiating smile and obediently sat still by her wife’s side.
The Eldest Princess personally wiped her daughter’s tears. “Why are you crying just because your father said a few words? Are you still grieving over Chu Mochen keeping a mistress?”
Lin Yanran flashed a brilliant smile at the Eldest Princess, completely shedding her previous look of pathetic misery. “I was just teasing Father! I stopped being sad a long time ago. Daughter came back this time because I wanted to ask if you have found any suitable beauties yet?”
Watching his daughter’s sudden shift, Consort Lin felt a massive weight lift off his chest; as long as he wasn’t the one who made her cry, he was relieved.
“Are you truly sure? If you cannot bear to let go of the Marquis, Mother can help you deal with that woman in your residence.” The Eldest Princess was not testing her; she simply wanted to handle a concubine. She didn’t even need to act openly; her daughter’s happiness was what mattered most.
Lin Yanran was touched by the Eldest Princess’s maternal love, but she was not the original owner, who sought only a man’s love and felt she could not live without it. Lin Yanran had never believed in love; without it, she still had familial affection, friendship, money, and a life of luxury and comfort.
Therefore, she rejected the offer without hesitation: “Mother, there is no need to dirty your hands for such a thing! In this world, it is the norm for men to take concubines. Though I am a Princess, I am, after all, not a royal princess. Outside of the royal princesses, no one in this society can justly prevent a man from taking concubines. If a man chooses not to, it is his own will; if he is unwilling and we force the issue, those censors will be leaping about again. Besides, as long as a man desires it, if it isn’t one woman, it will be another. Dealing with one makes no difference.”
Hearing Lin Yanran speak this way, Consort Lin stared at his daughter in surprise for a long moment before he could not help but interject, “It seems your mind has cleared up a bit.”
Consort Lin did not approve of the Princess and his eldest son constantly indulging his daughter—just like how the Princess just offered to handle the Marquis’s mistress. His daughter could find her own way to deal with it, but the Eldest Princess should not involve herself. After all, it was a Marquis’s household; it was not the Eldest Princess’s place to manage it. Although this incident wouldn’t be enough to cause the Eldest Princess any real harm, if such things happened often, the courtiers and nobles would inevitably view her as overbearing. Only as long as the Princess remained glorious and secure could those who relied on her enjoy a long and prosperous life.
“When was my mind ever unclear?” Lin Yanran firmly refused to acknowledge the actions of the original owner.
Consort Lin’s mouth was as annoying as ever. “Since you were little!”
Just as Lin Yanran was debating whether to teach her annoying old father another lesson with a fresh round of tears, she saw her eldest brother, Lin Fengyu, walk in with quick strides. Lin Yanran stood up with a smile and bowed. “Eldest Brother!”
Consort Lin followed his daughter’s gaze, and upon seeing his eldest son’s handsome and dashing figure, he visibly exhaled in relief. He had realized that his daughter was surely about to cry again just moments ago.
Lin Fengyu had already reached the three of them. Seeing his little sister’s red eyes, he frowned. “Is Little Sister still upset about that woman?”
This was the first time Lin Yanran had seen Lin Fengyu, but the moment she laid eyes on him, she felt an instinctive, heartfelt closeness. Her eyes involuntarily reddened again. “Eldest Brother…”
Seeing this, Lin Fengyu pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and hurriedly wiped her tears. “If you are unhappy, don’t just endure it. Being a widow would be far better than your current life.”
Consort Lin rolled his eyes from the side. “He is still a Marquis after all; there are no walls without cracks in this world.”
Both the Eldest Princess and Lin Fengyu looked at the tone-deaf Consort Lin with disapproval. Lin Yanran did indeed think that if Chu Mochen died right after taking a mistress, it would be quite suspicious. She changed the subject. “Eldest Brother, I am not sad because of that woman; it is just that Father was bullying me again.”
Hearing this, Lin Fengyu passed judgment immediately: “Father, Little Sister is already having a difficult time; you should be more considerate of her.”
Consort Lin felt that his eldest son’s statement was completely upside down. Who exactly was the elder here? However, he did not dare to refute his eldest son, as he relied on him for financial support whenever he was short on money for his expensive antique paintings and calligraphy.
Consort Lin could only offer a small defense. “Father was only acting with good intentions.”
Seeing his father soften, Lin Fengyu turned to comfort his sister. “Don’t take Father to heart; he is just worried about you. The night he found out the Marquis was keeping a mistress, he couldn’t sleep; he spent the entire night in the front study scolding the Marquis, all while packing up his treasured paintings and calligraphy, thinking of supporting you at a moment’s notice.”
Consort Lin refused to admit it. “Don’t talk nonsense; I was just thinking of my treasures and wanted to take them out for a look.”
Hearing her brother say this, Lin Yanran was instantly appeased. “Since Father has already packed them, just give them to me!”
Consort Lin huffed haughtily, unable to bring himself to refuse. He knew his daughter’s temper; if he said no, this stubborn girl might actually be too proud to accept them. He sighed internally about his miserable fate, having birthed three children who were all his ancestors: “I cannot give them all to you. I can only give you one-third; I still have to save some for your eldest and second brothers.”
As long as she got her share, Lin Yanran beamed. “Many thanks, Father!”
Looking at his daughter’s smile, Consort Lin swallowed the harsh words he wanted to say and merely let out a soft huff.
The Eldest Princess, who had watched the entire scene, simply sipped her tea and sighed internally, occasionally remarking to herself, “Truly, one thing subdues another.”
Seeing the matter settled, the Eldest Princess asked Lin Fengyu, “Do you have official business today? Why are you back so early?”
Lin Fengyu replied casually, “It was nothing urgent. I heard Little Sister was back, so I took a half-day off. Tomorrow will be just as well. But regarding the situation at Little Sister’s residence, how does she plan to resolve it?”
“Though Father’s words were unpleasant, he was right. It would be too suspicious if Chu Mochen suffered an accident right now; those in the clan are not fools. The Marquis title only descends one rank every three generations; since Chu Mochen is only the second generation, it will still be a Marquis title when Xuan’er inherits it. As for a divorce, I have never considered it. With such a title at stake, I cannot divorce and benefit someone else. Moreover, our marriages with surrounding countries have never ceased these years; if I were to truly divorce, I would inevitably be targeted. I have decided to just live as is. Since Chu Mochen likes beauties, I will just take in a few more for him. I will continue living my life of luxury.”
After stating her thoughts and seeing her brother’s brow still furrowed, she added, “Eldest Brother, do not worry. I felt wronged by the concubines because I loved Chu Mochen. Now that I no longer love him, having concubines around makes my life more peaceful, and it prevents any single one of them from becoming too powerful in the residence.”