"Old Master Luo, I wonāt judge the true events of those years, nor do I wish to know. After all, my mother has been deceased for many years. If you have something to discuss today, please speak. If not, I have other matters to attend to, and I wonāt keep you company."
Old Master Luo sighed deeply, as if feeling helpless and disappointed.
"Alright, I wonāt bring it up."
"Actually, I came today to ask for your help with two matters. First, your grandmother has passed away. Although she held an imperial decree, it was only of the second rank. I hope you can ask Prince Le if the decree for your grandmother can be elevated so that the funeral may be held with more honor."
"Secondly, whether you acknowledge it or not, we are blood relatives, and that cannot be changed. By right, you should pay your respects. So, I hope you and Prince An can find an opportunity to offer incense. The old lady was competitive all her life, and if someone of high status were to pay their respects, she would be very pleased. If Prince Zhuang were present, he would certainly attend as he has the highest status. Unfortunately, Prince Zhuang is missing, and Prince Le cannot be persuaded. So, we must ask Prince An to make the visit."
After hearing these two matters, Ye Ziāan felt a slight goodwill towards him. Though the man had little ability and a ruthless heart, he was a rare filial son.
However, Ye Ziāan could not agree to either request.
That old lady died by his wifeās hand, and now he wanted them to pay respects; wasnāt this a joke? Even if they went, they might not be able to light incense upon reaching the old ladyās coffin.
"Iām sorry!" Ye Ziāan straightforwardly refused, "Old Master Luo, you overestimate me. You should know Iāve only just been released from prison and can barely protect myself. How can I plead on your behalf? Moreover, although Prince Le and I are brothers-in-law, our relationship is ordinary, and my pleas will be useless. If you genuinely want the old lady to have a dignified send-off, youād be better off asking Young Master Li; he is a confidant of Prince Le."
"Young Master Li is your wifeās nephew; why would you come to me instead of asking him? Isnāt that avoiding the easy for the difficult?"
"Iāve considered that too." Old Master Luoās expression turned sour, as if suggesting he hadnāt approached that nephew before, but unfortunately, the nephew paid him no heed.
"But you should know that going through intermediaries is ineffective."
Seeing his Luo Family in decline, nobody paid attention to them anymore.
Back in the day, the Li Family would have eagerly come to the Luo Family themselves.
"If Young Master Li canāt manage it, let alone me; my relationship with Prince Le is not even close to what Young Master Li has." Ye Ziāan continued, "As for attending the memorial, I think itās best to forgo it. The Ye Family and Luo Family have never interacted, and thereās no necessity to start now. Furthermore, my young child is frail and should not approach the newly deceased, and my low status makes it inappropriate for me to go. Old Master Luo, please donāt make things difficult."
"Moreover, you were filial during the old ladyās life, so presumably, she had no regrets. In death, thereās no need to care about empty honors."
After Ye Ziāan refused both matters, Old Master Luoās face darkened further.
"Ziāan, if you hold resentment in your heart, resent me. The old lady is already gone, respect the deceased. If the imperial decree is difficult, I wonāt insist, but attending the memorial shouldnāt be hard, should it?"
"Prince An, as a prince of Great Zhou, possesses a magnanimous spirit and would not fear such superstitions, would he?"