When these words came out, not only did Wang Er stand there in shock, but even Li Yao, who had just rushed to the door, couldn't help but tense up.
Liu Yun's own younger sister was indeed a legitimate imperial princess.
How could such a young girl dare to ask Zhao Yan to help her elope?
Impossible.
Even though she grew up in the imperial palace and was waited on every day, no matter how wilful her temperament was, or how much she had seen, she absolutely could not have come up with this idea.
Moreover, if she really wanted to secretly marry Wang Er, why would she use a carriage with her own family's emblem to kidnap him?
Zhao Yan was a cunning old fox of a businessman. There's no way he wouldn't have thought of this.
So there must be someone behind this, directing things.
It went without saying that it was undoubtedly Liu Yun.
No wonder Liu Yun hadn't come home today. He had a guilty conscience and didn't dare show his face. But Li Yao now understood clearly what the boy was scheming.
It was nothing more than a fallback ploy.
Having figured out the key points, Li Yao knocked on the door out of courtesy, pretending she had just arrived.
"Mother," Wang Er saw Li Yao and suddenly grew a backbone. "You've finally come."
"I'm here."
Zhao Yan also hurriedly came forward and bowed to Li Yao, "Greetings Lady Li."
"You're too kind, father-in-law."
"Huh?"
Zhao Yan was completely baffled by this form of address.
In his expectations and plans, Li Yao should have flatly refused this marriage. But at their very first meeting, she had addressed him as father-in-law.
Li Yao didn't pay his bewilderment any mind. She came before the little princess, "Greetings, Sixteenth Princess."
"Mm. Lady Li, please dispense with the courtesies."
Although she was an imperial princess, Liu Yao felt somewhat nervous for some reason upon seeing Li Yao.
"I'm deeply honored that the Princess has consented to take my son as her husband. This is a glorious occasion for me, Li Yao," Li Yao continued. Then she turned to Zhao Yan, "Elder Zhao, this is where you've done wrong. The Princess holds an exalted status, and marriage is an enormously important affair. How could you have handled it in such a covert, shabby way?"
Zhao Yan: ...... What if I told you I hadn't actually planned on going through with the marriage today? Would you believe me?
"Let's do this," said Li Yao. "Since the wood has been crafted into a boat, as his mother I certainly can't shortchange my son, much less slight the Sixteenth Princess. We'll make preparations right away and invite all of our relatives and friends to hold a grand wedding for them. And of course, we must make a general announcement for all the commoners in Yizhou City to celebrate together."
Zhao Yan: ......
Liu Yao: ......
Wang Er: "Mother....."
"Don't say anything," Li Yao interjected. "Marriage is ultimately the parents' decision."
This time Zhao Yan was truly confused.
In his plan, Li Yao should have adamantly prevented this marriage. Then Liu Yun would have come forward, said imperial marriages were no joking matter, but conceded to appease Wang Er's existing engagement by formally arranging Liu Yao and Wang Xiaosi's marriage, and then everything would have wrapped up nicely.
But this Lady Li was not following the script at all!
What now?
If the marriage went through...that was absolutely impossible.
How could a princess be married off just like that?
"Waaa...." Standing to the side, Liu Yao suddenly burst into tears. "Uncle, I don't want to get married. I don't want to...waa... You said we were just playing. I don't want to play anymore...waa...."
Well, now they could stop pretending.
Dejected, Zhao Yan said, "Lady Li, actually...this...this was just the Princess suddenly getting an idea to play at rogue marriage...just a childish game..."
"You think it was her idea to play?" Li Yao laughed. "Prince of Yizhou, how much longer are you going to keep hiding behind that screen?"
Liu Yun's heart thudded. He knew he hadn't managed to fool Auntie Li in the end. He hurried out from behind the screen.
"Auntie, how did you see through this?"
"These little tricks were things I taught you. How could I not see through them?" Li Yao frowned. "Have you learned so little that you're trying to plot against me? What do you call this?"
"I was...out of my depth."
At least he had some self-awareness.
"Don't blame the boy, Auntie," said Liu Yun. "I was actually hoping to bring our two families closer. But I was afraid you wouldn't agree, so I thought up this backup plan."
"Do you really think a political marriage can ensure the two sides won't betray each other?" Li Yao said heavily. "If that's how you think, I'm afraid you won't remain Prince of Yizhou for long. Having grown up in the imperial palace, don't tell me you don't even know that sworn brothers and fathers and sons can turn against each other over sufficient interests."
"I know that very clearly," Liu Yun replied. "But I don't like it that way. So I thought...if there's not even a shred of affection, then what's the difference between us and walking corpses?"
I really want us to become family.
But as an imperial prince, those were words Liu Yun could never utter.
Yet Li Yao understood.
In the end, he was still just a boy in his early teens, who needed his parents' love, longed for the profound bonds of kinship, and still clung to beautiful illusions about the world.
"But that doesn't mean you should have used such methods," said Li Yao.
"I know I was wrong," Liu Yun admitted.
Seeing that he was quite sincere, Li Yao said, "We'll be returning to He Wan village tomorrow. I expect you're very busy now and have no time to look after the little princess. Why don't you let her come play in He Wan village for a few days?"
"Really?"
"Why not? Weren't you having great fun playing in He Wan village yourself?" said Li Yao. "And with Xiaosi keeping her company, I'm sure the princess will enjoy herself too."
"Thank you, Auntie!" Liu Yun was overjoyed.
Although it went unspoken, he knew that Auntie was acknowledging his desire for them to be family. Maybe in a few years, Wang Xiaosi and Liu Yao really could be married!
No, they definitely would be.
And so the farce came to an end.
After hearing what had transpired, the Song prefect gave Liu Yun a meaningful look.
"What a shame," the Song prefect said to his wife. "Why didn't we have a daughter?"
"Or how about we have Song Zhe recognize Li Yao as godmother?"
"That's a terrific idea!" The Song prefect's spirits lifted. After thinking for a bit, he added, "You should propose it right away. She can't play favorites."
"Is that okay? Won't it make us seem too calculating?" asked the prefect's wife.
"There's nothing calculating when no interests are involved," the Song prefect laughed. "In any case, that godson Song Zhe is settled for her."
Li Yao: ......Could you two quiet down? I'm getting smacked in the face by the sound of your abacus beads.
The prefect's wife smiled radiantly as she came before Li Yao. But before she could get a word out, Li Yao already assented.
"Have Song Zhe bring gifts and hurry over to my place."
The more in debt, the less worry; the more children, the less aging.
Just as the Song prefect had said, having already agreed to let the little princess visit He Wan village, how could she not agree to take Song Zhe as godson?
Even retired elders needed some liveliness at times.
