Chapter 466 argument

Around them, the other members of the family fell silent.

The Emperor rarely spoke harshly to his mother in front of others. Even while living as a commoner, he had continued to show her the respect due to an elder.

But this time, he was not willing to change his mind.

He turned toward the road.

"We will continue after everyone has rested."

Then he walked away to speak with Prince Liang and the others.

The Empress Dowager watched him leave, her face growing increasingly displeased.

Lian An remained beneath the tree.

For a moment, she considered following her husband.

Then she noticed Lady Chen standing nearby.

Her sister-in-law looked as though she wanted to say something but did not know whether she should.

Lian An patted the space beside her.

"Come and sit."

Lady Chen hesitated.

"Is that all right?"

"Of course. Unless the ground has suddenly become royal property."

Lady Chen nearly laughed.

She sat beside Lian An.

Princess Zhi and Yao Qing joined them a moment later.

The twins settled nearby, drinking water from a flask.

For a little while, nobody mentioned the carriage.

Then Lady Chen sighed.

"Perhaps Mother is right about the money."

Princess Zhi immediately turned toward her.

"Sister-in-law."

"What? I am only saying that we should be careful. We don’t know what difficulties lie ahead."

Her voice was reasonable, but there was a trace of hurt beneath it.

"If we spend too much now, what will happen if we encounter a serious problem later?"

Lian An studied her face.

Lady Chen continued quietly.

"We may need money for food, medicine, accommodation, or unexpected expenses. We cannot assume that the journey will remain peaceful."

Princess Zhi nodded slowly.

That was a genuine concern.

They were traveling toward the north, and none of them knew exactly what awaited them.

The road could become more dangerous.

They might encounter bad weather, illness, or an unexpected delay.

Money was not something they could spend carelessly.

Lady Chen looked down at her hands.

"I don’t want anyone to think I am asking for special treatment. We are all walking together. If I can manage, I should manage."

Princess Zhi’s expression softened.

"Your feet have been hurting since yesterday."

"So have yours."

"That doesn’t mean we should pretend they don’t hurt."

Lady Chen smiled faintly.

"You sound like the Emperor."

"Please don’t insult me."

Yao Qing covered her mouth, laughing.

Even Lian An smiled.

The tension eased slightly.

Then Princess Zhi looked toward the Empress Dowager, who was speaking with an older attendant a short distance away.

"Still, she didn’t need to say it like that."

Lady Chen lowered her voice.

"She was worried about what the people around us might think."

"I know."

Princess Zhi picked at a loose thread on her sleeve.

"But sometimes, when she worries about strangers’ opinions, she forgets that we are people too."

Those words struck a little too close to home.

Lian An looked at her quietly.

Princess Zhi had always been outspoken, but beneath her sharp tongue was a woman who cared deeply about her family.

She was not angry because she wanted a carriage.

She was hurt because the Empress Dowager’s words had made it sound as though their exhaustion was a sign of weakness.

Lian An reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Listen to me. We can be careful with our money without treating our own bodies as though they have no value."

Princess Zhi looked up.

"Even if we buy a carriage, we should still keep enough money for emergencies," Lian An continued. "We don’t need the most expensive one. We need something sturdy, reasonably priced, and suitable for the road."

Lady Chen nodded thoughtfully.

"That makes sense."

"And if we find that the journey becomes more difficult, we can adjust our plans. There is no point in saving every coin if we exhaust ourselves so badly that we cannot continue."

Yao Qing smiled.

"That sounds much more reasonable than arguing over whether a carriage is a luxury."

"Exactly."

Lian An leaned back against the tree.

"Besides, we are supposed to be a merchant family. Merchants understand the value of investing money in something useful."

Princess Zhi’s eyes brightened.

"That’s right! We can say that the carriage is necessary for transporting our goods."

Lady Chen considered this.

"If we claim to be traveling north for business, a carriage would not look unusual."

"Provided we buy an ordinary one," Lian An said.

Yao Qing nodded.

"And we should not decorate it or purchase expensive horses."

"Agreed."

The twins, who had been listening with great interest, suddenly exchanged a look.

One of them raised a hand.

"Then can we buy a carriage with curtains?"

Everyone turned toward him.

His sibling immediately added, "And cushions."

Princess Zhi stared at them.

"You two have been listening to our entire conversation, and that is what you took from it?"

The twins nodded in perfect unison.

Lian An burst out laughing.

Lady Chen finally laughed as well, and even Yao Qing could not hold back her amusement.

For a few moments, the earlier unpleasantness disappeared.

Then a shadow fell over them.

The Empress Dowager had approached.

"What are you all laughing about?"

The women immediately straightened.

Lian An looked up at her.

"We were discussing what sort of carriage would be practical."

The Empress Dowager’s expression tightened.

"So you have all decided to support this wasteful idea?"

"No," Lian An replied evenly. "We have decided to consider the matter carefully."

"Considering it is a waste of time when we should be saving money."

"Mother," Princess Zhi said softly, "we understand your concern. We will not spend recklessly."

The Empress Dowager looked at her.

"Then why are you still discussing it?"

Princess Zhi lowered her gaze.

Lian An noticed the movement and felt a flicker of irritation.

She stood.

"Because we have been walking for three days, Mother. Everyone is tired. We are not asking for a carriage made of gold. We are discussing whether an ordinary carriage would help us travel safely."

The Empress Dowager stared at her.

For a moment, neither woman spoke.

Then the older woman said, "You speak as though money grows on trees."

"No. I speak as though money should be used wisely."

Lian An kept her voice respectful.

"If we buy an expensive carriage simply because we want comfort, that would be foolish. But if we buy an ordinary carriage because several members of our family are exhausted, that is a practical decision."

"And what happens if we need money later?"

"Then we will deal with that problem when it arises. We should not create a problem today by refusing to address something that is already affecting us."

The Empress Dowager’s lips pressed together.

She looked around.

Several members of the family were watching.

So were a few travelers.

Her face grew warmer.

"You have become very confident in speaking against your elders."

Lian An took a slow breath.

"I am not speaking against you. I am explaining my reasoning."

"Your reasoning!"

"Yes."

The Empress Dowager turned away sharply.

"Do whatever you wish. But when our money runs out, do not expect me to solve your problems."

She walked toward the road.

The silence she left behind was uncomfortable.

Lady Chen looked at Lian An anxiously.

"Sister-in-law, you shouldn’t have argued with her."

Lian An sighed.

"Perhaps not."

Princess Zhi immediately frowned.

"Don’t say that. You were only trying to help."

"I know. But we still have a long journey ahead of us. I don’t want every decision to become a fight."

Yao Qing nodded.

"Then perhaps we should let the Emperor handle the purchase."

"That would be best," Lady Chen agreed.

Lian An sat down again.

She felt a dull ache behind her eyes.

She was tired.

Not only from walking, but from the constant effort of keeping their identities hidden, managing everyone’s emotions, and making sure no one made a careless mistake.

She wanted to close her eyes for a few minutes.

Instead, she looked toward the Emperor.

He was standing near the road, speaking quietly with Prince Liang.

When he noticed her watching him, his expression softened.

He excused himself and walked over.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

He looked at the women sitting around her.

Then he looked back at his wife.

"An’er."

She sighed.

"Your mother is upset."

"I noticed."

"She thinks we are being wasteful."

"I noticed that too."

"And she is worried about what strangers will think."

"I am aware."

Lian An looked at him suspiciously.

"Are you going to tell me you agree with her?"

"No."

His answer was immediate.

She blinked.

The Emperor crouched beside her.

"Mother is right that we must preserve our money. She is wrong to assume that every expense is unnecessary."

Lian An’s expression softened.

He continued, "We are not going to spend our entire fortune on a carriage. We will buy a modest one that can carry the women and children comfortably. We will keep enough money for emergencies, and we will continue to live according to the circumstances we have chosen to present to the world."

"That sounds reasonable."

"It is reasonable."

"Then why does everyone make it so difficult?"

The Emperor almost smiled.

"Because we are traveling with a family."

She gave him a flat look.

"That is not an answer."

"It is the only answer I have."

For the first time that morning, Lian An laughed properly.

The Emperor’s gaze lingered on her face.

He reached for her hand.

"Can you continue walking until we reach the town?"

She considered the question.

"If I must."

"You don’t have to prove anything."

"I know."

"Then tell me if you need to rest."

She looked at their joined hands.

"I will."

He gently squeezed her fingers before releasing them.

"Goo