Mo Lingxi opened his mouth, wanting to say he didn't know, but the words caught in his throat. Yes, he did know.
It was he who hadn't given Tao Lengshuang enough security, he who hadn't kept his promises, he who hadn't thought through his own feelings, and it was this that had ultimately disappointed Tao Lengshuang, leading her to choose to leave him with Xiao Feng.
Seeing him like this, Madam Sheng frowned. "If Prince Mingrui has no other business, I will not entertain you further. I ask that you visit my Sheng family less in the future."
Mo Lingxi snapped back to attention and said urgently, "Godmother, I can change. I can change everything. Please tell me where Tao Lengshuang and Xiao Feng are."
Madam Sheng shook her head. "Prince Mingrui, you still don't understand. What Lengshuang wants is not something you can change."
"More importantly, you have your responsibilities, and Lengshuang has her dreams. She cannot abandon her dreams for you."
Mo Lingxi still didn't quite understand. "These two things don't conflict."
Madam Sheng laughed in exasperation. "How do they not conflict? If Lengshuang were truly with you, she would have to fulfill the responsibilities of a Prince Mingrui's Consort. Where would she find the time and energy for her own pursuits?"
"Even if she had the time and energy, what would outsiders say? Wouldn't she have to consider your reputation and honor?"
"Furthermore, if you were to take in secondary consorts or concubines in the future, how would she handle it? Lengshuang is not like those pampered young ladies who can stand by and watch you take in secondary consorts or concubines."
Mo Lingxi still couldn't comprehend. "Godmother, these things can be discussed. I might not take in secondary consorts or concubines. I just want Tao Lengshuang and Xiao Feng to stay by my side."
Madam Sheng, seeing that Mo Lingxi didn't understand, didn't want to say more. She left him with a "think about it carefully" and had a maid escort Mo Lingxi out.
Mo Lingxi stood at the grand entrance of the Sheng residence, unable to understand how things had come to this, and so suddenly.
After thinking for a long time without an answer, Prince Mingrui found Zi Cheng and explained everything.
Zi Cheng was greatly surprised, yet not entirely unexpected. "Someone like Little Aunt would indeed do such a thing."
"What are your thoughts, Little Uncle? If Little Aunt doesn't want much, she doesn't want to fight with other women for her husband, nor does she want to deal with those unsavory matters. Moreover, she wants to have her own pursuits."
Mo Lingxi looked at him in surprise. "Why do you understand Tao Lengshuang's thoughts so well?"
Countless question marks appeared above Zi Cheng's head. "Isn't this very easy to understand? Little Aunt clearly expressed her thoughts. Why are you so shocked, Little Uncle?"
Mo Lingxi still had many things unclear and asked Zi Cheng about them one by one.
Zi Cheng patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "Little Uncle, all the problems actually boil down to one problem: you haven't thought clearly about your feelings for Little Aunt."
"Just as I complained about you at the beginning, you haven't figured out Little Aunt's place in your heart. You even ridiculously thought that one day, you would abandon her for the sake of the empire, the state, and the people."
"Tell me, what woman, knowing she would be abandoned in the future, would be foolish enough to continue being with you?"
Mo Lingxi vaguely began to understand. "The crux of the problem is that my attitude towards Tao Lengshuang is unclear?"
Zi Cheng nodded. "This is the crux of the problem."
He pointed to the position of Mo Lingxi's heart. "Little Uncle, you haven't even clarified your own attitude towards Little Aunt, so why do you expect Little Aunt to stay by your side?"
Mo Lingxi replied without thinking, "I want her to stay by my side, always by my side."
Zi Cheng rolled his eyes dramatically and scoffed. "Little Uncle, your thoughts are so selfish. You demand that Little Aunt must stay by your side, yet you cannot give her any commitment. What do you take Little Aunt for?"
"Something you can summon at will? Little Aunt is a person, a person with her own opinions, not something you can do with as you please."
Mo Lingxi: "I never thought that."
Zi Cheng: "But what your words and actions convey is exactly that."
Mo Lingxi's brows furrowed, still unable to understand many things.
Zi Cheng knew very well that simply talking wouldn't help; Little Uncle had to figure it out himself.
"Little Uncle, there's something I need your help with now."
Mo Lingxi temporarily put his thoughts aside and said with a serious face, "Speak."
Zi Cheng's eyes flickered, and he said slowly, "I've been thinking, if you were to enter into a marriage alliance, the other countries would be much more likely to sell us sweet potatoes."
"I hope you will agree to this for the sake of the empire, the state, and the people. By the way, a princess in a marriage alliance cannot be a secondary consort or a concubine; she must at least be an equal wife."
Mo Lingxi refused outright. "No! Tao Lengshuang will be angry if she finds out."
Zi Cheng smiled. "Little Uncle, didn't you say before that you were willing to pay any price for the empire, the state, and the people?"
"Now, for the sake of the empire, the state, and the people, all you have to do is enter into a marriage alliance. Why do you refuse me so readily?"
Mo Lingxi's expression froze. He sat there dumbfounded. Yes, for the sake of the empire, the state, and the people, he should agree.
But why, just thinking of Tao Lengshuang being angry and ignoring him, did he resist the marriage alliance so much?
Zi Cheng patted him twice and left him with a "think about it carefully," then went to attend to his own matters.
Mo Lingxi sat there blankly, his mind filled with Zi Cheng's words. Why was it like this?
While Mo Lingxi was struggling to understand, Tao Lengshuang and Xiao Feng were already busy with the pharmacy.
Mother and son sorted the different medicinal herbs.
"Mother, do we need to hire people? Also, it seems like we don't have many medicinal herbs," Xiao Feng said worriedly.
He was already a little man and had to shoulder the important responsibility of taking care of his mother.
Tao Lengshuang praised Xiao Feng a few times and said with a gentle smile, "We won't consider hiring people for now. We, mother and son, can handle the affairs of the pharmacy."
Speaking of which, she remembered Xiao Feng's studies and martial arts training. "Dou Dou, follow those uncles for martial arts and follow Mother for reading and writing, alright?"
Xiao Feng nodded obediently. "Then Mother, where will we get medicinal herbs? There are too few types of herbs."
Tao Lengshuang had already considered this. "With your maternal grandmother's help, many medicinal herbs will be delivered tomorrow, and we can open the day after."
Xiao Feng was relieved to hear that they would be opening soon, and let out a sigh of relief like a little adult. "It's good that we can open..."
Before he finished speaking, he and Tao Lengshuang heard a hurried cry.
"Is there a doctor here?"
Tao Lengshuang turned her head and saw a panicked young man supporting a middle-aged man covered in blood as he walked in. She quickly went over.
"Sit down first. What's the situation? I am the doctor here, if you trust me."
The two were father and son. They didn't quite trust a young woman like Tao Lengshuang, but they didn't have time to go to other pharmacies.
A crowd of neighbors had gathered outside the pharmacy, chattering amongst themselves.