Chapter 2983 Such Family
Shi Yongyan fixed a composed gaze upon Mo Xikang, though beneath the surface, a fleeting mixture of emotions, including turmoil and disappointment, briefly flickered in her eyes.
Initially, she had assumed that the man she had married was merely indecisive. But now, it appeared that he was easily swayed and lacked foresight. Ever since the discovery of that loathsome family, troubling events had unfolded within the Vassal King's Estate.
She found it increasingly challenging to fathom her husband's reasoning. There was a tenuous connection based on their bloodline. Blood ties were the deepest, unbroken bonds from the very beginning to the end of one's life.
Yet, could it genuinely be considered a deep bond? Zheng Prince had been an orphan from a young age. He had been under the care of Her Majesty the Empress since the tender age of three, raised by her until he turned ten. In fact, Zheng Prince had spent more time with Her Highness than her biological son, Mo Lian.
Ever since the unfortunate incident involving Her Highness seventeen years ago, the entire Divine Province had been in chaos for a while. Recent years had seen some semblance of stability return to the Divine Province, and brighter days were on the horizon. It was a desire that Zheng Prince had harbored for several years, which prompted him to search for his family.
Family? Shi Yongyan involuntarily scoffed at the thought. It seemed absurd. A parent who had callously abandoned her on their quest to escape the hardships of life when she was but a child – what kind of family was that?
Instead of saying that the Su family had brought their children to the capital to seek their long-lost relatives, it was more accurate to say that Zheng Prince had dispatched someone to locate her family and then brought them here to be dealt with.
Shi Yongyan grappled with understanding the depth of affection that could exist for her so-called family, with whom she had never shared her formative years.
However, Zheng Prince had a remarkable quality – he was unshakably foolish and filial.
"You had someone attend to my Second Brother, and yet you have the audacity to make such statements. Do you genuinely believe I fear your Shi Clan?"
"Your Highness," Shi Yongyan rose from her seat, her gaze icy. "I acted in your best interests."
"Su Xihua is already in a dire state, and His Highness still wishes to expend resources and energy on him? Ultimately, it will yield no benefit and only drag down the entire Vassal King's Estate!"
"You!"
"Your Highness, have you considered the current state of the Vassal King's Estate? From three days ago until now, have you calculated the amount of spirit currency and medicinal resources spent on that barely living soul?"
"With the considerable number of residents and the escalating expenses, you are well aware that ever since you brought Second Brother and Third Sister here, the estate's costs have skyrocketed. If not for my monthly supplements from the dowry shop, could the Vassal King's Estate continue to sustain itself?"
"This is why you dispatched individuals to handle my Second Brother!" Mo Xikang seethed with anger. "In your eyes, is money more valuable than my Second Brother's life?"
Zheng Prince Consort dabbed at her lips with a handkerchief, a scornful smile playing on her stern countenance. "Yes."
Zheng Prince raised his hand, poised to strike Zheng Prince Consort in frustration.
Unfazed, Zheng Prince Consort met his gaze coldly. "If Your Highness allows Su Xihua to persist, the entire Vassal King's Estate will inevitably crumble. I am merely resolving a grave issue for Your Highness."
"Is His Highness truly prepared to defy the Duke's father and seek His Majesty's intervention for the sake of someone like Su Xihua?"
"All my actions are for Your Highness's benefit!"
"For the sake of the Su family, you insist on opposing His Highness the Crown Prince. The gains will never outweigh the losses!"