Chapter 457: Stubborn Sister

After visiting Li Chengqian, Chen Yan left the Eastern Palace with his wife, daughter, and Xiao Sizi.

On the way home he would occasionally stare off blankly, as if pondering something.

Because Chen Yan kept spacing out, Gao Yang couldn't stand it any longer, "I'm telling you, what on earth are you thinking about? Is it such a small amount of time? Can't you think about it when we get home?"

Hearing that, Chen Yan stopped in his tracks, turned his head toward her, and said nothing.

Gao Yang arched an eyebrow, "What? Still not letting anyone speak? You just almost walked into a wall."

Li Lizhi, fearing they'd argue on the road, hurriedly stepped forward to mediate, "Sister Gao Yang, I reckon my husband is thinking of something more important; otherwise, given his temperament, he would never act like this."

"Husband, you too," she added, "although Sister Gao Yang's tone isn't very pleasant, she's right—walk more carefully."

Chen Yan ignored these trivialities and asked sternly, "Gao Yang, have you ever had contact with Zheng Guanyin?"

Gao Yang was startled, then replied calmly, "Of course I've met her; isn't that obvious? No matter what she says, she's my aunt; I saw her often when I was young."

"What's so strange about that?"

Chen Yan stared at her, silent for a moment, then said, "You know I'm not referring to that aspect; I'm talking about after the Weinan County corruption case came to light, that is, after you married me!"

"You went looking for her?"

Gao Yang, hearing this, glanced at Li Lizhi, realizing she could not hide it from Chen Yan, simply nodded in acknowledgment, "Yes, I went to see her."

She complained as she spoke, "But it's not because of you, is it? Right after I took office and went to Weinan County, I was exploited for nothing; later, when Chang'an City fell into chaos, you still insisted on going back—didn't I have to go to Zheng Guanyin's place to reason with her?"

"Huh?" Chen Yan was rather surprised, feeling a warm yet slightly amused feeling, and said, "Wow, our proud tsundere princess has been keeping such a matter from me?"

"What, can't stand seeing your husband suffer injustice, so you stepped in for me?"

Gao Yang's breath caught, and she retorted stubbornly, "You're overthinking; I just think you're like a fool—right after taking office you were used, which completely shamed me. That day, passing by Zheng Guanyin's dwelling, I just went in to say a few words."

"Moreover, you are, after all, this princess's Imperial son‑in‑law; as the saying goes, when you beat a dog you still have to consider the owner. If she uses you, doesn't that mean she doesn't regard me?"

Chen Yan: "......"

Li Lizhi: "......"

Beside them, Xiao Sizi was speechless; he had thought that Sister Jie Zou was truly the weak one, but Sister Gao Yang still had some skill, after all she and Brother seemed to quarrel but actually had deep affection, so she possessed some ability.

He hadn't expected that this also was a noob, enough to be listed together with Sister Jie Zou as a Zui Ying Jie.

Just now there was such a good chance; if you had spoken sweetly, wouldn't Brother have given you a hefty reward that night?

Didn't you just beat Sister Jie Zou again?

Sizi really couldn't understand why this person in particular won Brother's favor.

Could it simply be that she's just lucky? The first to become Brother's wife, and also the first to bear Brother a daughter?

"...... Fine!" Chen Yan was left speechless, rubbed his temples, "Li Lizhi, you take Xiao Sui An and Sizi back first; Gao Yang and I will go look for Zheng Guanyin."

"Looking for Zheng… Guanyin?" Li Lizhi was stunned, unable to grasp what her husband was thinking.

Just having left the Eastern Palace, why go find someone who once used him?

Suddenly, Li Lizhi considered a possibility, suspiciously said, "Husband, you wouldn't happen to have learned that Zheng Guanyin used you and now want to go confront her, would you?"

"If that's the case, then better not go; after all, Father Emperor hasn't pursued her for slandering Cai Duke…"

She stopped short, not wanting Chen Yan to go.

Because Zheng Guanyin's status is already very sensitive, rashly contacting her could bring unknown trouble.

She also hinted at Li Shimin's attitude toward Zheng Guanyin, fearing that as long as the woman doesn't go too far, it will eventually be swept under the rug.

Gao Yang, however, gave no advice.

Because she thought Chen Yan probably wasn't making a sudden decision; perhaps he had been thinking about this just now.

Chen Yan gave Li Lizhi a glance, "Could it be that in your eyes I'm a vindictive person? You have no capacity to bully a widow?"

Li Lizhi pondered, "Hard to say."

Chen Yan: "......"

Gao Yang nodded in strong agreement, "Putting other things aside, the Wei family's fate remains vivid; no one dares to forget."

"Moreover, you don't seem to care about whether someone is a widow or not; you even once whipped a woman you had just met, a woman with no strength to bind a chicken."

Chen Yan: "......"

In a short time, he was silenced once by each of his two wives.

He took a deep breath, irritably said, "Enough, do as I say!"

Chen Yan pointed at Li Lizhi, "You! Quickly take the daughter and Sizi back, and stop wasting words with me."

"And you, Gao Yang, give the daughter to your sister, then follow me!"

Having said that, he flicked his sleeve and stormily walked away.

Gao Yang let out a happy laugh, handed the daughter in her arms to Li Lizhi to hold, and then quickly kept up.

Li Lizhi glanced at Xiao Sui An in her arms, then looked down at her sister, hesitantly asking, "Sizi, did Sister just say something wrong earlier?"

Sizi sighed like a little adult, having thought Sister Jie Zou was finally about to make a bold move, only to realize it was just an inadvertent comment.

"Sister Jie Zou, you didn't say anything wrong; in fact you were right."

"I thought you had a breakthrough, knowing how to joke with Brother, no longer stiff and boring as before, and now you can tease each other."

"So now you ask me whether you said something wrong?"

"Then what else can I say?"

"Just keep up your rhythm!"

Li Lizhi: "......"

She opened her mouth, wanting to say she wasn't rigid, at least in private she was now quite relaxed.

But she knew she couldn't say that to Sizi, so she kept silent.

However, the little fellow seemed to gain momentum, walking and saying, "Sister, I'm not criticizing you; I recall that before you married my Brother, you were quite lively and spirited."

"I remember you would, at any chance, run to Weinan County to chat with Brother; the two of you could go on for half a day in the mansion, the conversation never seemed to end, and you both were extremely happy."

"Why, after marrying in, have you become a boring housekeeper?"

Li Lizhi, hearing that, for some reason, suddenly became furious, "How can you say that?"

"Do you think you're still the same as before? The mansion had only a few people, daily matters were few, nothing much to handle. But look at now—how many people are at the table for meals each day?"

"How many more servants have arrived at the mansion, and how many more petty chores are there day‑to‑day?"

"Has any of you ever helped me?"

Li Lizhi, growing more angry, "Fine, fine, you call me a boring housekeeper, is that it?"

"Then I won't take care of it any more! You deal with it yourselves!"

Sizi stared dumbfounded at the irate Li Lizhi marching ahead, his formerly clever little mind now unable to make sense of it.

As they kept talking, why did they get so rattled?

"......"