Chapter 322 - 320: The Eldest Young Madam’s Guidance
After having breakfast with the Eldest Young Madam and Liu Shengnan, Ping Jing watched his wife help Liu Shengnan take a walk in the garden. Then, he shut himself in his room. He quietly reflected on everything that had happened recently, slowly piecing together the conversation he’d just had with Ping’an and Li Xiu.
It wasn’t that he was overly suspicious, but the past calamity had been too devastating. He had to be cautious, extremely cautious, terrified that even the slightest misstep would hurt Ping’an. That was his brother, born of the same mother, the little brother he had raised himself. ’How could I possibly bear to see him harmed in any way!’
But this Li Jincheng... On the one hand, his conduct was honorable and open, yet on the other, his grand strategies revealed a deep, calculating mind. ’Even now, I still don’t know if I can trust him!’
Gently pushing the door open, the Eldest Young Madam saw Ping Jing sitting on the sofa in a daze. She walked over and sat down beside him before asking, "What’s wrong? Where did you go this morning?"
"Darling, do you think I was wrong? I just can’t risk Ping’an, I can’t gamble with him. But because of this, he drove for a whole day and night, all alone, just to sneak back here. Darling, tell me, what should I do?" Ping Jing said, his voice full of anguish as he looked at his wife.
Stunned for a moment, the Eldest Young Madam asked softly, "Ping’an’s back? And he came back secretly, all by himself?"
"Yes. He drove for a day and a night without any rest. The three of us talked for a bit. Li Jincheng made him some food, and after he ate, he went to sleep. Jincheng said we should let him rest and talk again when he wakes up. He also told us to keep it from Shengnan for now, to keep her from worrying. Ping’an can go see her after he wakes up."
"Ping Jing, I’ve been wanting to talk to you for some time now, but you’ve been so busy that I kept putting it off. Ping Jing, what is your opinion of Jin Chen and Zhou Lian?" the Eldest Young Madam asked, looking at him seriously. She’d always known Ping Jing was being a bit excessive, but she had chalked it up to him being new to the situation and simply inexperienced. ’But if Ping’an snuck back to the capital alone because of this,’ she thought, ’then it must be more serious than I realized.’
After a moment of thought, Ping Jing said slowly, "Jin Chen is... honorable and open in his conduct, but his strategies are deeply calculated. He is undoubtedly loyal and values his relationships. As for Zhou Lian, she has a broad perspective and a grand vision, but her methods are ruthless!"
"Ping Jing, do you want to know how I see the two of them?"
When Ping Jing nodded, the Eldest Young Madam said softly, "In my eyes, Jin Chen is a man of deep loyalty and affection. He remembers kindness, but he also remembers grievances. He acts with reason and has a clear sense of right and wrong. If I had to compare him to someone, he’s most like Xie Anshi, the brilliant and carefree prime minister of Jiangzuo during the Wei Jin period. As for Zhou Lian... to be honest, she’s living the life most women dream of. She’s bold, takes responsibility for her actions, and lives freely and without restraint. And just like him, she remembers kindness and holds a grudge. She’s also fiercely loyal and values her relationships."
"Is that really how you see it? Darling, don’t you find Zhou Lian’s methods to be a bit... cruel?" Ping Jing asked, looking at his wife in confusion.
The Eldest Young Madam gently patted Ping Jing’s hand and whispered, "Ping Jing, have you forgotten how I dealt with the ones responsible for what happened to us?"
He abruptly pulled his wife into his arms. It was only then that Ping Jing remembered. After the calamity, once they had identified the ones responsible, his wife’s decisive and unyielding methods had been just like Zhou Lian’s. ’This means...’
"Ping Jing, you really don’t understand women," the Eldest Young Madam explained softly. "People say men can be ruthless, but that’s only because they’ve never met a woman protecting what’s hers. You are my weak spot, my one vulnerability. Anyone who touches you dies. Zhou Lian is just like me. Li Jincheng is her vulnerability. In the same way, if anyone dares to touch Jin Chen, Zhou Lian will destroy them. Don’t you see? It’s not that Zhou Lian is ruthless by nature. It’s that everyone has people and things they cannot allow anyone to touch."
He thought about it carefully, and realized it was true. He remembered what his wife had been like when they finally identified those responsible. Back then, not even his own parents could talk her down. It was Ping’an who had said, ’If you don’t let Eldest Sister-in-law vent, are you trying to ruin her?’ Only then did they realize that his wife had been on the verge of a complete breakdown. At this thought, Ping Jing couldn’t help but gaze at the Eldest Young Madam with immense love. "Darling," he said softly, "you’ve been through so much."
"Ping Jing, I’m telling you all this because I want you to understand that Zhou Lian has been a great help to Ping’an and Shengnan. As long as Jin Chen isn’t in danger, she won’t do a thing. You don’t need to be suspicious of her."
"That’s true... But what about Li Jincheng? Darling, do you think he can be trusted?" Ping Jing asked quietly. ’My wife is brilliant,’ he thought. ’She can probably see things more clearly than I can, stuck in the middle of it all.’
After a moment’s thought, the Eldest Young Madam said, "Tell me everything the three of you discussed this morning."
...
...
After a long moment, when Ping Jing had finished speaking, the Eldest Young Madam sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation. ’My husband is so caught up in this that he can’t see the truth right in front of him.’ Still, she felt happy for Ping’an. She doted on her brother-in-law as if he were her own flesh and blood. ’And now he has two more people who will genuinely protect and support him. That’s wonderful!’
"Ping Jing, after hearing all that, what do you think?"
"My thoughts? That Li Jincheng treats Ping’an well."
The Eldest Young Madam asked in exasperation, "And that’s it?"
"Huh?"
"Ping Jing, let’s put aside how Jin Chen treats Ping’an and talk about you. Back then, in that situation, if you were the one supporting Ping’an, could you have done what Jin Chen did? Could you have helped him live his best years to the fullest, without regret?"
"Me?" Ping Jing thought back to that time and gave a bitter smile. "Darling, I probably couldn’t have."
"Exactly. You couldn’t have, and neither could I. Knowing the Ping Family’s circumstances, none of us could have. We all love Ping’an dearly, but back then, our sole focus would have been on propping him up so he could lead the Ping Family out of its crisis. We would never have stopped to think about whether he was actually happy."
Gently pulling away from Ping Jing’s embrace, the Eldest Young Madam said wistfully, "But Jin Chen did. The first thing he thought of was Ping’an’s life—his happiness and his joy. His devotion to Ping’an is more genuine than yours or mine. It’s no wonder Ping’an trusts him so completely."
"Ping Jing, Jin Chen said he has no intention of raising a politician. He said he wants the Ping Family’s Ping’an to live as a passionate, flesh-and-blood person—uninhibited, free-spirited, and bold. He said he wants the Ping Family’s Ping’an to be able to live brilliantly in this world and also leave a legacy that will be remembered for a thousand years! He said he wants the Ping Family’s Ping’an to be able to fulfill his duties without betraying himself. He said he wants Ping’an to cultivate his character, manage his family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world—all without letting power and profit corrupt his fundamental nature!"
"Ping Jing, have you ever considered just how much Jin Chen must treasure Ping’an to want all of that for him? None of us—not even Father and Mother—have treasured Ping’an that much. Ping Jing, you shouldn’t be suspicious of Jin Chen. It’s an insult to him."
’That’s right, how could I not have thought of that?’ His brother, Ping’an, was inherently good and kind, yet now he was mired in this world of fame and fortune for the sake of the Ping Family. Ping Jing gave a self-deprecating laugh. "It’s my fault," he said, blaming himself. "I’ve been a terrible older brother."
"Ping Jing, this isn’t the time for that. Ping Jing... there’s also Zhou Lian."
"What about Zhou Lian?"
"Mother once told me that Zhou Lian went to the Imperial Palace personally to speak with her, asking to take our sister-in-law, Shengnan, under her wing to mentor her personally. I asked Shengnan once what Zhou Lian taught her. Shengnan said they read books—the same books Ping’an had read back in the day. But the most important thing she taught her was in a single sentence. Zhou Lian told Shengnan, ’Ping’an protects the world. You protect Ping’an.’"