Chapter 156: Deep Affection

The Empress Dowager was truly shocked.

To think she was so gravely ill?

No matter how shrewd the Empress Dowager was, she never would have imagined that the General's Mansion was feigning illness simply to escape this marriage engagement with Prince Wei.

It might have been one thing in the past, but now that Prince Wei had grown leaner, possessed both status and good looks, to feign illness to cancel a fixed engagement—the Empress Dowager could not imagine a family so foolish even if she were beaten to death.

Because of this, she naturally believed the Old Madam's words without a shred of doubt.

Her granddaughter was dying, yet she was still thinking of not becoming a burden to Prince Wei; this was indeed exactly the kind of bold and upright thing Dou Chuncao would do.

"Old Madam, do not overthink it. Let the child focus on recovering first," the Empress Dowager said, affectionately taking the Old Madam's hand.

The Old Madam gave a bitter smile. "She is being well cared for, and many physicians have been called to see her, but many things can only be left to fate; one cannot force them."

"Then do not mention anything else," the Empress Dowager comforted her.

The Old Madam's eyes reddened as tears fell. "Seeing Chan'er like this, my heart aches. When I think of how she has delayed Prince Wei, my heart aches even more. I beg Your Majesty to grant this request, just to give Chan'er peace of mind, so that no one is left owing anyone..."

The Empress Dowager fell silent for a long time before nodding. "Then I shall speak to the Emperor."

The Old Madam felt a weight lift from her heart.

With the Empress Dowager's word, this matter was settled; perhaps the General's Mansion would even receive some form of compensation.

The General's Mansion did not lack gold and silver, but the favor coming from the Emperor was something else entirely.

When the Old Madam returned to the mansion and told Lady Lin, Lady Lin smiled. "I told you, Mother is the best at speaking."

The Old Madam: "..." *You unfilial daughter, just shut up!*

The Empress Dowager soon brought the matter to Emperor Taian.

Upon hearing it, Emperor Taian was also quite surprised.

"The eldest Miss Lin is gravely ill, and the General's Mansion wants to cancel the engagement?"

"Yes. When the Old Madam mentioned it, I was quite surprised myself. I did not expect that even while her granddaughter was so ill, she would still think of this."

Emperor Taian furrowed his brows and remained silent for a moment.

The Empress Dowager said slowly, "Ping'er is not young anymore. If something were to happen to the eldest Miss Lin, it truly would not be good. In my view, it would be better to cancel this marriage. What does Your Majesty think?"

Emperor Taian, of course, thought it was better to cancel it.

He had not been entirely satisfied with this marriage from the very beginning. Lady Lin and Wen Rugui had had such an ugly falling out through their separation; even ordinary families would care about such a thing, let alone the Imperial Family.

Furthermore—a thought flashed through Emperor Taian's mind.

Though the thought vanished like a meteor, Emperor Taian knew exactly what it was.

Regarding the selection of the heir apparent, he ultimately could not be that certain.

He only had two sons, the Crown Prince and Prince Wei. Considering the possibility of "what if," he would naturally be much more cautious regarding the selection of Prince Wei's consort than he had been during the Chrysanthemum Banquet.

Choosing a more suitable marriage was, of course, a good thing.

Seeing Emperor Taian's reaction, the Empress Dowager knew her son wanted this, but he was merely worried that agreeing immediately while the girl was gravely ill would make him appear somewhat cold-hearted.

"Mainly, this is the General's Mansion's sincere wish; they also wish to seek peace of mind. If Your Majesty feels it is a pity, perhaps you could show the General's Mansion more favor in other ways."

Having been given an out by the Empress Dowager, Emperor Taian agreed immediately.

"Does Mother think it would be appropriate to grant Lady Lin a title of nobility?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head. "I do not think that is quite appropriate. For a woman to receive a title, she must rely on either her husband or her son. Lady Lin has returned home after a separation; if the Emperor grants her a title, I fear it might cause people to gossip. Your Majesty might as well grant her something more practical."

"Practical?" Emperor Taian pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering. "The Old Madam of the Lin family has a grandson from a different surname, doesn't she? Liu Chuan—what was that boy's name again?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, his name is Cheng Shu, and he is serving in the Imperial Guard."

"That is perfect. Then promote his position."

Soon, the engagement between Prince Wei and Lin Chan was canceled. At the same time, the General's Mansion received exceptionally generous rewards from the Palace, and Cheng Shu was promoted to the rank of Centurion.

On the surface, the General's Mansion was shrouded in gloom because of Lin Chan's "grave illness," but privately, Lady Lin was overjoyed. "Mother's intuition was spot on. Since Chan'er isn't becoming Prince Wei's consort, Shu'er actually got a promotion."

A double blessing!

The Old Madam glared at her. "Don't be so jubilant; be careful not to get carried away."

Lady Lin said sheepishly, "I know."

To outsiders, however, the General's Mansion was incredibly unlucky.

To lose such a wonderful marriage engagement—the eldest Miss Lin truly had poor fortune.

There were those who gloated too obviously, and they were inevitably warned by those close to them: "Although the General's Mansion lost the engagement with Prince Wei, they were the ones who proactively brought it up. The Emperor will surely think the General's Mansion is honest and upright, and he will surely look after them in the future."

Those who received the warning naturally tucked away their contempt.

The news spread during a rest day. As soon as Wen Feng left his house, he ran into his friend Han Baocheng, who was lingering by the gate.

"Brother Han, are you looking for me?"

Han Baocheng nodded. "Yes."

"Then why aren't you coming in?"

"I—" Han Baocheng hesitated, his expression conflicted.

Wen Feng saw that something was wrong. "Is something the matter, Brother Han?"

Han Baocheng glanced left and right, then leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Brother Wen, have you... gone to see the eldest Miss Lin?"

Wen Feng's eyes showed surprise at Han Baocheng's gaze.

Han Baocheng's face flushed red as he explained incoherently, "I know I shouldn't ask, but I heard the eldest Miss Lin canceled her engagement. Oh, no, I don't mean to take advantage of her misfortune, I just—"

Seeming to realize he was making things worse, Han Baocheng slapped his forehead and said with determination, "I just want to know how the eldest Miss Lin is doing."

If the cancellation of the engagement hadn't happened, he would have had to keep his curiosity about her condition bottled up to avoid causing trouble for either of them. Now, he could not help himself.

He was afraid that if he asked nothing and the next news was of her passing, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Wen Feng suppressed his surprise and sighed. "I went to visit a couple of days ago, but I didn't see her. Judging by my tenth aunt's appearance, the situation is quite bad. Now that even the engagement is canceled, I'm afraid—"

Han Baocheng clenched his fists, his lips pressed tightly together.

"Brother Han, I thought you—"

He should have let go long ago.

Though Wen Feng did not say the words aloud, Han Baocheng understood.

A bitter smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. "I don't intend to do anything, but after all, a marriage was once discussed. Even if we are not meant to be, thinking of her being so gravely ill at such a young age... my heart truly aches..."

Wen Feng patted Han Baocheng's shoulder. "I understand what you mean, Brother Han."

As Han Baocheng walked forward, the weeping willows along the streets had been carved into charming postures by the spring breeze, but this spring beauty could not match the look in his eyes.

He suddenly stopped. "Brother Wen, I want to ask a favor of you."

"What is it?"

"The eldest Miss Lin is gravely ill and has lost her engagement; she must be extremely heartbroken. Can you go see her and pass a message for me? Just say—just say please tell her to keep her spirits up and to get well soon. As long as she recovers, I... I still want to marry her!"

Wen Feng's expression changed, and he said in a low voice, "Brother Han, even if you feel pity for my cousin, there are some things you cannot say so lightly."