Too high to reach

Chapter 361 Persuading My Sister Again
The people in the Empress's palace were all a little nervous at this moment.

Upon seeing the Crown Prince arrive, they all breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly informed the prince inside.

As soon as he approached the gate, the prince heard someone speaking in a shrill voice inside. He only stopped after he went inside.

No need to look, only Princess Yu'an would dare to shout like that in front of the Empress!

At this moment, neither of them looked well.

"Your Majesty." The Crown Prince bowed according to protocol.

"The Crown Prince has arrived?!" The Empress's expression softened slightly.

Princess Yu'an, however, wore a sour expression, turned her head to one side, and ignored him.

"Mother, what happened?" the Crown Prince asked.

The Empress said helplessly, "It's all a tragedy. Hasn't the Crown Prince heard about it yet?" She pointed to Princess Yu'an, "That day, she got into a fight with the third young mistress of the Xu family in the street. In front of everyone, she almost turned half the street upside down! The Xu family reported it to your father, the Emperor. Your father sent the imperial physician, but the Xu family's wife is pregnant and hasn't recovered yet."

He glared angrily at Princess Yu'an: "Don't you even think about the situation? Your brother is swamped with troubles and has so much to do. And you're doing this..."

Just then, someone else came in from outside, wanting to speak with the Empress.

"Mother, let me have a chat with my sister. Yu'an? Come to the side hall!" After saying this, the Crown Prince walked away.

He didn't show it on his face, but he was also furious inside. If they couldn't reach an agreement again, he'd have to make her behave herself one more time...

The two arrived at the side hall, and the crown prince looked at his younger sister carefully...

I thought to myself, "Wow, such a big change?"
Gone was her former pride, carefree spirit, and captivating beauty. Now, her face was etched with bitterness, her expression stubborn...

"What's wrong?" the Crown Prince asked helplessly. "Go and look in the mirror... what do you look like?"

Princess Yu'an, though unwilling to listen, felt guilty. That day, she suddenly realized that even her favorite red dress now seemed unappealing. Her sense of style wasn't bad, so she felt the red dress made her skin look sallow, requiring her to apply a thick layer of foundation to cover it up…

"I used to think my younger sister was smart, generous, well-mannered, and insightful. Although she was a bit stubborn in matters of love... she was worthy of being a legitimate princess! But what have you done this past year? Don't blame your mother for criticizing you, even your brother is truly disappointed..."

These words put even more pressure on Yu'an than the Empress's scolding. She snorted coldly, "You and Mother both have important things to do. As for me, all I've ever wanted is to have someone I like by my side."

"But what's the point of all that hard work you two have done? The reason Dongfang treats me this way is because he doesn't respect the Empress Dowager and you. Otherwise, would he dare?"

The Crown Prince shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Your words are laughable. You are still Father Emperor's legitimate daughter. How can he treat you like this? Does he not respect Father Emperor?"

“That’s how it is…” Princess Yu’an said bitterly.

"Alright! Stop this pointless arguing. Tell me, what do you want now?"

Princess Yu'an stared intently at him. "Xu Ke. I want to marry him. And then, as Mother said, I'll have some children..."

She used to dislike children. She was ugly during pregnancy, suffered pain during childbirth, her figure changed, and she couldn't enjoy intimacy for a long time.

But as she grew older, her half-sisters and her study companions all had children running around everywhere...

When I chat with them again, that's all we talk about.

Some of them shared her interests, while others got into trouble and are now behaving themselves.

When she went out to socialize again, she was surrounded by girls around fifteen or sixteen years old, like flower buds. This filled her with apprehension…

Suddenly I thought: having two children wouldn't be bad.

Thinking about it now, a smile appears on my lips.

To the Crown Prince, this seemed somewhat abnormal... A chill ran through him as he coldly asked, "You wish to become Xu Ke's concubine?"

Princess Yu'an glared at him with displeasure.

"Am I wrong? Would the Xu family agree to his divorce? Would they agree to his marriage to a princess?"

“Take it one step at a time. If he doesn’t divorce his wife, he’ll become a widower. As for the Xu family… then they won’t have a say in the matter.”

"Nonsense! Are you out of your mind? Even if that's your plan, how can you do it like this? Do you dare to announce to the world that you killed Xu Ke's first wife because you're going to marry him?!"

Yu'an rolled her eyes: "It was my mother who repeatedly urged me to separate from Dongfang and get married and have children as soon as possible. But even after I did it, she still criticized me! When will this end... Now, all I want to do is marry Xu Ke!"

"What did Xu Ke say?" "What he said... he resigned from his post and no one knows where he went." Yu An was somewhat dejected.

"Resign? Why? What did you do?" the crown prince asked, puzzled.

"What do you mean by 'what I did'?"

The Crown Prince said good-naturedly, "Good positions are highly coveted, with many people vying for them. He has always performed very well, so why would he resign so easily? There must be a reason why he can't stay here any longer."

Princess Yu'an said angrily, "All you know how to do is ask... This matter is eerie. He's not home, but I've been keeping an eye on him. I even sent people to inquire, and they said he was on official business. But what official business could he possibly be on?"

What was the Xu family's reaction?

"Hmph, Madam Xu... dares to challenge me! The Xu family probably already knows about my affair with him."

The crown prince frowned; this was something he didn't want to see!
"Before this, I did try to contact him a few times and wrote him letters, but he never replied. Hmph... He thinks he can just run away after provoking me? What does he think he is?"

"You!" The Crown Prince shook his head helplessly. "When you were young, there were plenty of candidates for the imperial consort, but you insisted on choosing the East! You wouldn't let go even before you had a chance. How much anxiety did the Empress Dowager and I have, and how much face did we lose?"

Later, she set her sights on Xu Ke. Xu Ke… well, he's alright! Good family background, good talent. But you should break up with Dongfang quickly and marry him while the iron is hot! He wasn't even married yet at that time!
But you just won't! You keep enduring it... Girl, I'm a man, so I understand this very well... Don't think I'm being harsh: when two people are together for a long time, their bodies don't even react! How can you still be willing to pay the price for marriage!

And what happened at the West Suburb Camp... Even if she were a celestial being, I wouldn't want her! This is a matter of a man's pride, more important than anything else! Don't you understand?" The Crown Prince patted his face lightly.

These words made Yu'an blush with embarrassment. "I don't care! You're a man, that's true... but I'm not an ordinary woman!"

"Yes, you're not! But I've told you the truth countless times: if your brother doesn't come to that day, even if you get it, it'll all be for nothing. Don't you understand?"

Princess Yu'an fell silent.

"How many things have happened lately? Instead of helping your brother or even inquiring about the situation, you've only been causing trouble! The Xu family is so powerful that even Father Emperor has to treat them with respect. Even if you killed Xu Ke's wife, how will Father Emperor approve? Will he be willing? If the Xu family objectes, will he suppress it? How will Mother Emperor speak to Father Emperor? Don't you think about any of these things?"

That's how it is!
Even though Princess Yu'an didn't like what she heard, after being repeatedly analyzed and advised by the Crown Prince, she no longer had her past temper and could only sigh softly...

"Speaking of having children... You're a princess. If you really want a child, what's so difficult about it? Find someone you like, hide away, and have the baby. Who would know? And even if they did, who would dare to say anything?"

"I've never stopped you from finding some young and handsome male concubines, but a proper marriage must involve significant financial gain."

“Look at my brother… didn’t he find a woman who is the most beneficial in every way? He respects your sister-in-law, but has no romantic feelings for her. Then, he finds some men he likes… men with instincts. That’s how it is. Ordinary women can’t do that, but you… are not an ordinary woman, so you can be just like a man…”

Princess Yu'an listened and agreed.

"Your marriage must be an aid to your brother. And when that day comes... Dongfang will be the first to sacrifice himself. Then you can do whatever you want!"

So, the General Niu that my brother mentioned last time…

He looked at Yu'an's face, and it wasn't as bad as before.

"That man is ugly, not to mention you, even I find him disgusting. But he has soldiers and money. Once I succeed, he'll be useless. And everything he has will belong to your child. Heh, it's that simple. As a princess, how could you not understand this? Just listen to your brother, I won't harm you!"

"If General Niu intervenes on Li Jing's trip, there's a 60% chance he won't return! So what do we have to fear in the court?"

This time, Princess Yu'an was finally persuaded.

Once things were settled here, the Crown Prince went to see the Empress and immediately told her about the matter.

"Your son has already written to General Niu, and your sister has agreed. So, send another letter. Father, you should think about what to say."

The Empress lowered her eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them. "Hmm, let me think about it. Crown Prince, your sister is sensible and cares for you. In the future, you must treat her well."

"Your son only has one sister, and he cherishes her dearly!"

The Crown Prince then got to the main point of the day, “Mother, I have found the person from southern Shu that the old woman you mentioned last time met.”

He told the story again.

"I knew it!" The Queen laughed coldly. "The old woman's obsession with the family's prosperity runs quite deep. What do you plan to do about it?"

"My son thought that even if we guessed correctly, that person wouldn't bring that thing with him, so he wanted to send someone over."

“Sending someone over is the right thing to do. But you said you wouldn't carry important things with you... that's not necessarily true. Son, I have a feeling that a crucial moment is approaching…”

The Empress and the Crown Prince's expressions both turned serious...