Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 193 This is also a woman's duty.
With things in such a chaotic state, Lord Li could no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb. He hurriedly returned to his residence and looked at Yang Linyuan, who could curse ten times without blushing or panting, and felt quite troubled.

He had only heard Lord Yang mention his youngest son before, a notorious troublemaker. He was always causing trouble outside, and getting beaten and scolded at home was commonplace. He usually just chuckled to himself, thinking, "Brother Yang actually has such a son late in life; he's a real troublemaker." But Yang Linyuan was always careful; he wouldn't cause trouble in front of these adults. Who would have thought he'd pull such a stunt on them today?

Facing the relentless barrage of insults, Lord Li finally understood why so many people usually fought with the young man—his curses were simply too vile. What's more, this young man didn't use a single vulgar word in his insults, yet he could still infuriate people to the point of breathlessness. Didn't you see his wife already red-faced and struggling to breathe?

After finally managing to push his way through the crowd of onlookers, Lord Li walked over with difficulty, straightened his clothes, and frowned slightly.

"Nephew Yang, what are you doing? Can't we sit down and talk things out? Our two families have been friends for generations. Isn't it embarrassing to stand here and make a fool of ourselves?"

"It's Uncle Li! I thought it was someone else. What's wrong? Uncle Li, are you not busy today? I thought you were busy at the yamen all day long, just like usual."

"..."

Something about this sounded strange. Lord Li had a gut feeling that something was amiss, but he couldn't figure it out for the moment, so he could only try to calm the other person down.

“Nephew Yang, I think there must be some misunderstanding here. How about this, why don’t you come in first and have a cup of tea to calm down, then we can sit down together and have a proper talk. Any misunderstandings can be cleared up, so we don’t become a laughing stock, right?”

Yang Linyuan is very good at using sarcastic and sarcastic language.

"Who do you think I am? How dare I sit and drink tea with Lord Li? I'm just a useless playboy. I've only come here to seek justice for my sister. Let's lay it all out in front of so many people. Uncle Li, you're a man of status, but I just want to ask you this: your son and my sister were indeed engaged, but before they could even get engaged, your son tragically fell off his horse and died. Isn't that right?"

"..."

Lord Li's face was somewhat grim. His greatest pride in his life was his son, who had tragically passed away. From a young age, the son was literate and learned, destined for high office. Who would have thought he would die in such a small accident? Every time Lord Li thought of him, his heart ached. In just one year, he looked ten years older.

Even though he didn't want to answer, Lord Li still nodded reluctantly.

Yang Linyuan pressed his advantage.

“Of course I admire Brother Li very much; he was the most successful one in our generation. But Uncle Li, this isn't how things should be done. Our whole family is saddened and regretful about Brother Li's passing, but no matter how much we regret it, you can't allow your wife to tarnish my sister's reputation outside! My sister is still young, in the prime of her life, excelling in everything—reading, writing, and managing the household. She has a good family background, looks, and talent. Why can't she find a good husband?”

“Well, my dear nephew, I’m afraid there’s been some misunderstanding. I’ve watched your sister grow up, and besides, she and my child are now married. Naturally, I hope she’ll have a good future. That’s why I said there must be some misunderstanding. Why don’t we call your father over? It’ll be easier for us adults to talk things over…”

"No need, I'm already here." Lord Yang had arrived unnoticed and pushed through the crowd to the center. Seeing Lord Yang, Lord Li felt as if he'd found a savior, yet also ashamed. These were originally minor matters, but he hadn't expected them to escalate so much. Even though there were no colleagues around now, he was sure to be impeached half to death by the Censors tomorrow at court.

"Brother Yang, I am truly sorry, I had no idea my wife had done these things..."

“Brother Li, there’s no need to say anything. I know everything. You didn’t go with her, so how would you know what your wife said outside? This isn’t your fault.”

Compared to the arrogant and domineering young master of the Yang family, the elder brother Yang seems more gentle and polite.

Before Lord Li could even rejoice, Lord Yang's words shattered him completely.

"Brother Li, as you know, I have many sons but few daughters. I cherish them like the apple of my eye. It was you who brought it up first, and I agreed because I thought your children were indeed good. But this is just a tacit understanding between the two of us. The two children haven't even exchanged their birth certificates. Therefore, please forgive me for not agreeing to your suggestion of exchanging them for a chastity arch. She is my daughter, whom my wife and I raised with great care. We don't expect her to achieve anything great, we only hope she can live a peaceful and smooth life. This is also a parent's wish. Brother Li, you are also a father, you should understand my feelings. I really don't want my daughter to suffer like this. Let's take this opportunity to make things clear today: our two families have never had a marriage alliance. And there will never be one. As for the matter of widowhood and the chastity arch, please don't mention it in public in the future."

“My daughter, even if she doesn’t get married, as long as she’s willing, I, as her father, can only support her. But I will never disregard my daughter’s wishes and use her lifelong happiness to enhance my own reputation. This is not something a parent should do; it is against human ethics, and please forgive me for not agreeing with it.”

"With so many neighbors watching today, it's the perfect time for our two families to sever all ties."

"Brother Yang?"

Lord Li was stunned. What was going on? How did things escalate to the point of severing all ties? They hadn't done anything wrong, had they? It was just that the lady of the house had said a few words of gossip outside. Was it really worth ending the friendship between the two families that had lasted for so many years?

This is not just a friendship between two people, but a friendship between two families that has lasted for so many years!

"Brother Yang, why don't you reconsider? Isn't it worth making things like this? If you really can't let this go, can't I have my wife apologize to you?"

"I'm not apologizing! I didn't say anything wrong!"

Having been provoked for most of the day, Madam Li finally couldn't hold back and shouted loudly, as if she wanted to vent all the anger she had endured!
“Yang Linying is engaged to my son, and she will belong to him for life. Even if my son dies, she will be with him! If she doesn’t want to die, she should marry into the family quickly. I will set up a small Buddhist shrine for her, and she can spend her whole life eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures for my son so that he can ascend to the Pure Land as soon as possible! This is the duty of a woman! I will allow her to be buried with my son and enjoy the incense offerings!”

(End of this chapter)